I am currently trying to change my career path towards teaching more than performing. Not completely taking performing out of my life, but looking ahead into the future I would like when I am no longer able to perform, to teach.
I don't have much teaching experience, therefore am trying to build it up and if I am not teaching learn things by observing classes and other teachers.
Last Tuesday I went into a School and observed a trampolining class put on especially for 3 autistic children. I knew before I went into the class that it would be taken differently than if it were a group of children who did not have autism but I was really speechless once I was in the room. I have never really seen many autistic children before and the teacher explained to me before they came into the room how there are many different levels of autism and that these children had a high level of it.
Previously a couple of days before I had watched the same teacher take a group of 15, 8 year old girls for a trampolining party. I watched how he controlled the class, made sure they had fun but also was fully aware of there safety as obviously trampolining can be very dangerous if not taken seriously.
From the minute the children with autism entered the room the style of teaching was completely different. The teacher almost was not a teacher if that makes any sense. And he had only 3 children in the room instead of 15 and the level of his concentration was the same, if not higher,
The children's parents were this time present in the room at all times and the teacher was very hands on with the children. Not just telling them what they had to do and were they needed to be but physically moving them. He was firm but not too firm and he interacted on a one to one basis with each child almost most of the time. The level of patience required by the teacher in this session was hundred percent more than in the previous class I had seen.
Even though for most of the time the children were just bouncing up and down I seen how rewarding it was for both the teacher and the parents when they done something they were told, something so small as just sit on your bottom on the trampoline was a big achievement for them. The parents were so grateful for the teachers time and patience he had with their children.
I spoke to the parents during the class and I found them inspiring. They were so happy that this session had been put on just for their children because they said it is so hard when they are in a class full of all other children who don't understand this disadvantage that there children have.
They did nothing but praise the teacher of how he had helped there children come along in a matter of a few weeks.
I am now really interested once I start to teach more into also teaching children with autism and other disabilities. It will be interesting to see how as a teacher you have to take a different approach to teaching different children. It seems to be very rewarding to the children, parents and teacher.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Survey!
Hi guys, if you could just take 5 minutes of your time to complete my survey it would be very much appreciated. I will return the favour.
Thank you. xx
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B63R9C5
Thank you. xx
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B63R9C5
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Small problem?? Or not??
Having spoke to a lot people (even my mum) haha I decided that my inquiry topic of teaching would be more beneficial and relevant to were I see my career going. Although now I have come across a small problem.
I am not actually teaching on a regular basis at the moment. I cover the odd class for an old teacher of mine and the new teaching job I have just got is a long process to begin with as it is set class that follows a ciriculam we have to learn and go through a training process before we are able to teach. This means for the next couple of weeks I won't be actually be teaching myslef. Although, I will be observing classes.
As I am wanting to make the transition between a performer to a teacher and I am wondering if it is possible to carry out my inquiry by more observing and speaking to experienced teachers more than actually teaching myself until I get up and running with my new teaching job.
Any comments would be much appreciated guys!!!!
Xxxx
I am not actually teaching on a regular basis at the moment. I cover the odd class for an old teacher of mine and the new teaching job I have just got is a long process to begin with as it is set class that follows a ciriculam we have to learn and go through a training process before we are able to teach. This means for the next couple of weeks I won't be actually be teaching myslef. Although, I will be observing classes.
As I am wanting to make the transition between a performer to a teacher and I am wondering if it is possible to carry out my inquiry by more observing and speaking to experienced teachers more than actually teaching myself until I get up and running with my new teaching job.
Any comments would be much appreciated guys!!!!
Xxxx
Sunday, 3 March 2013
Ok so I keep changing my mind!!!! There is no more time really to be thinking of what my inquiry topic should be as we are 3 weeks in, I just am drawn between two.
I am very interested in the topic of how a dancer deals with rejection as I know how it feels and I have many peers who I could relate too and interview etc. I also read many interesting articles on the internet which I enjoyed. But I do want to become a teacher in the future and I feel like maybe the topic of what makes a good teacher may be more relevant to my future and what I am trying to achieve at the moment. I also feel If I choose the topic of teaching I can go into schools and observe and will be able to use a lot more people for surveys and interviews for my research than if I were to choose the topic of rejection.
Does anybody have any thoughts on my dilemma and could help me make a final decision because both topics I find I could learn a lot from.
xxx
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Ideas for Inquriy topics!
Task 4a!
So all though I haven't blogged at all yet in this module, I have been reading through the reader and thinking a lot about my Inquiry Topic. I want to choose something that interests me as it is a topic that I will be spending a lot of time researching.
I have a few ideas that I would like to share with you all and would really appreciate your opinions to help me in deciding which Inquiry Topic to choose.
The two topics that I am being drawn to the most are the top two, Health and Nutrition of a Dancer and How to cope with rejection in this industry.
Health and Nutrition
Being a dancer your body is your tool and looking after yourself, eating well and exercising is a vital part in succeeding in the industry. I was thinking of looking into what a healthy diet is and also how many performers can become obsessed with food and exercise to have the body they desire instead of going about it the healthy way.
Dealing with Rejection in the Industry
This topic I also feel very drawn to. As most of you know this industry comes with more rejection than good news unfortunately and I think this subject is very interesting. How do people keep going when they face so much rejection? How far can people be pushed before they give up? How do you keep motivated?
Is anybody else looking at any of these topics?
Has anybody got any thoughts and ideas of which would be a good topic for the Inquiry?
Would love some feedback guys!!
So all though I haven't blogged at all yet in this module, I have been reading through the reader and thinking a lot about my Inquiry Topic. I want to choose something that interests me as it is a topic that I will be spending a lot of time researching.
I have a few ideas that I would like to share with you all and would really appreciate your opinions to help me in deciding which Inquiry Topic to choose.
- Health and Nutrition of a Dancer
- How to cope with rejection in this industry
- Self Motivation
- The importance of having a good teacher. What makes a good teacher?
The two topics that I am being drawn to the most are the top two, Health and Nutrition of a Dancer and How to cope with rejection in this industry.
Health and Nutrition
Being a dancer your body is your tool and looking after yourself, eating well and exercising is a vital part in succeeding in the industry. I was thinking of looking into what a healthy diet is and also how many performers can become obsessed with food and exercise to have the body they desire instead of going about it the healthy way.
Dealing with Rejection in the Industry
This topic I also feel very drawn to. As most of you know this industry comes with more rejection than good news unfortunately and I think this subject is very interesting. How do people keep going when they face so much rejection? How far can people be pushed before they give up? How do you keep motivated?
Is anybody else looking at any of these topics?
Has anybody got any thoughts and ideas of which would be a good topic for the Inquiry?
Would love some feedback guys!!
Monday, 10 December 2012
Out of the loop!!!!
Hello uni world!!!
Haha. It's been a while since I've been on here so I thought while I have a second I should get back in touch with the bloging world.
So I thought I was on track with the work this module and that I had left myself enough time to complete the tasks and then to start drafting my essay but then about a week ago I had a phone call from my agent to tell me that if I was available, the company I had worked for last Christmas needed someone for their pantomime as one of the girl dancers was injured.
As all of you in this industry know, being offered any work in what we love to do is fantastic news but I had actually booked to go to Florida this Christmas with my family as I though I wasn't working over the Christmas period this year so the decision weather to take the job or not came at quite a struggle to me. I know most of you reading this are probably thinking that the decision is easy.... go to Florida... a holiday of lifetime. But after weighing up the pros and cons( very quickly, as I didn't have much time to get back to my agent) I decided to take the job at pantomime. I have been to Florida quite a few times and recently I had been feeling quite down as to were my career was going so to be given the opportunity to dance again, which I hadn't done in quite along time seemed like a blessing.
But now my only worry is fitting in the time to get my work done for this degree. I literally had two days to move everything from London to Bradford, find somewhere new to live and then I started rehearsals which have been non stop everyday. I am absolutely loving dancing and performing again but the rehearsal weeks are always the hardest and I find myself being so tired when I get home at night I don't have the energy to do any work. Obviously if I would have known I was going to be doing this job I would have been more prepared and got most of my degree work done before it began. But that is life, and these sort of things happen, so now I am settling more into my new home and my poor body is getting used to all the dancing again (haha) I am back in the loop with my work and going to try and start bringing this module to and end.
That's all my brain can manage to write at the minute as its been a long day but just thought I should get myself back on here.
xxx
Haha. It's been a while since I've been on here so I thought while I have a second I should get back in touch with the bloging world.
So I thought I was on track with the work this module and that I had left myself enough time to complete the tasks and then to start drafting my essay but then about a week ago I had a phone call from my agent to tell me that if I was available, the company I had worked for last Christmas needed someone for their pantomime as one of the girl dancers was injured.
As all of you in this industry know, being offered any work in what we love to do is fantastic news but I had actually booked to go to Florida this Christmas with my family as I though I wasn't working over the Christmas period this year so the decision weather to take the job or not came at quite a struggle to me. I know most of you reading this are probably thinking that the decision is easy.... go to Florida... a holiday of lifetime. But after weighing up the pros and cons( very quickly, as I didn't have much time to get back to my agent) I decided to take the job at pantomime. I have been to Florida quite a few times and recently I had been feeling quite down as to were my career was going so to be given the opportunity to dance again, which I hadn't done in quite along time seemed like a blessing.
But now my only worry is fitting in the time to get my work done for this degree. I literally had two days to move everything from London to Bradford, find somewhere new to live and then I started rehearsals which have been non stop everyday. I am absolutely loving dancing and performing again but the rehearsal weeks are always the hardest and I find myself being so tired when I get home at night I don't have the energy to do any work. Obviously if I would have known I was going to be doing this job I would have been more prepared and got most of my degree work done before it began. But that is life, and these sort of things happen, so now I am settling more into my new home and my poor body is getting used to all the dancing again (haha) I am back in the loop with my work and going to try and start bringing this module to and end.
That's all my brain can manage to write at the minute as its been a long day but just thought I should get myself back on here.
xxx
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Task 3c- Sources of information!
Task 3c- Sources of information
In this task we have been asked to identify our current 5 most important sources of information that help us in our professional networking. After some thinking I have came up with the top five, although there is some more I could add, but these I feel are the most valuable.
My friends
I feel that this is one of my most important ways of networking and the one I enjoy the most. It doesn't feel like work or an effort for me to socialise and see my friends but I always gain some information from it. I could be meeting for a coffee or even a cheeky glass of wine and a conversation will always come up about an audition one of my friends may be attending that I had not heard about and now I have the opportunity to look it up. Or for example as we all know in this industry we are not always lucky enough to be performing all the time so it is nice to hear what other people are working on In-between jobs and get some ideas and contacts of them so you can apply for a part time job they have been doing . Meeting with friends is also about cooperation. Obviously if you are handing them lots of information about work and auditions and they are sitting there giving you nothing back then you need to maybe not have such a big mouth as you don't want to give everything and receive nothing back but I think we all know the people you can rely on. Its great to be able to talk with people who have the same interests and you and also give each other support as well as gaining some information for future opportunities.
Web 2.0
At the beginning of this module we looked at how effective the web 2.0 was in our professional practice. It is such a valid source of information. Without being able to send emails I can't imagine how much more difficult it would be to apply for jobs and casting agencies. It is so quick and easy to be able to upload your CV and head shots and send it to a casting director. Also the websites such as spotlight,casting call pro, and the stage are all excellent sites to be able to access on the Internet. Yes ok you can buy the stage newspaper in the shop but how about a circumstance happens when you abroad and you can't do that... Well with the Internet you can view that newspaper anywhere in the world and see what auditions are coming up. It's amazing!
Social networking sites
I go on my Facebook and twitter accounts so many times in a day... It's actually a little obsessive. I am not always going on there for work related reasons, most of the time just to be nosey at what all my contacts are up to but I can guarantee that most of the times I am on there I see information about an audition that someone has posted or something related to my profession which can help me in my future. Somebody may even update there status about a bad audition that they have had and you might not have spoken to that person in along time but seeing them on your news feed can make you get back in touch with them which then could open more doors for you as they are more than likely to have something coming up they might like to share information about with you. Also since beginning this course I have been introduced to blogs which I find is a great source of networking and will continue to use hopefully even after completing my degree.
My mobile phone
Where I would be without my mobile phone I do not know. I am on it all the time. Especially nowadays they are so amazing, you can do everything on them. It is such an essential part of your profession that you have a phone so that your agent or a company that you have auditioned for can contact you. Also the technology on phones now are so great you can type in a location of somewhere you have to be and Your phone will direct you to it, you can find train times and if there's going to be a delay. It's important to have your phone on you all the time so if an emergency happens, for example you are going to be late to teach a class or unable to make a casting you can call up whoever you need to straight away.
My agent
My agent is the one source that can get me most of my auditions, or even better so the auditions that are private and more suitable for what it is I want to be auditioning for.
They have been part of the industry for a lot longer than me and have more valuable contacts and knowledge that can help me to further my career. My agent gives me advice on cv,s and head shots and knows what roles I am suitable for.
Like I mentioned earlier these are only some of the sources of information that play a vital part in developing and benefiting my profesional practice. Professional networking is a highly important part of your career and I understand how important it is to engage and expand on them all of the time.
In this task we have been asked to identify our current 5 most important sources of information that help us in our professional networking. After some thinking I have came up with the top five, although there is some more I could add, but these I feel are the most valuable.
My friends
I feel that this is one of my most important ways of networking and the one I enjoy the most. It doesn't feel like work or an effort for me to socialise and see my friends but I always gain some information from it. I could be meeting for a coffee or even a cheeky glass of wine and a conversation will always come up about an audition one of my friends may be attending that I had not heard about and now I have the opportunity to look it up. Or for example as we all know in this industry we are not always lucky enough to be performing all the time so it is nice to hear what other people are working on In-between jobs and get some ideas and contacts of them so you can apply for a part time job they have been doing . Meeting with friends is also about cooperation. Obviously if you are handing them lots of information about work and auditions and they are sitting there giving you nothing back then you need to maybe not have such a big mouth as you don't want to give everything and receive nothing back but I think we all know the people you can rely on. Its great to be able to talk with people who have the same interests and you and also give each other support as well as gaining some information for future opportunities.
Web 2.0
At the beginning of this module we looked at how effective the web 2.0 was in our professional practice. It is such a valid source of information. Without being able to send emails I can't imagine how much more difficult it would be to apply for jobs and casting agencies. It is so quick and easy to be able to upload your CV and head shots and send it to a casting director. Also the websites such as spotlight,casting call pro, and the stage are all excellent sites to be able to access on the Internet. Yes ok you can buy the stage newspaper in the shop but how about a circumstance happens when you abroad and you can't do that... Well with the Internet you can view that newspaper anywhere in the world and see what auditions are coming up. It's amazing!
Social networking sites
I go on my Facebook and twitter accounts so many times in a day... It's actually a little obsessive. I am not always going on there for work related reasons, most of the time just to be nosey at what all my contacts are up to but I can guarantee that most of the times I am on there I see information about an audition that someone has posted or something related to my profession which can help me in my future. Somebody may even update there status about a bad audition that they have had and you might not have spoken to that person in along time but seeing them on your news feed can make you get back in touch with them which then could open more doors for you as they are more than likely to have something coming up they might like to share information about with you. Also since beginning this course I have been introduced to blogs which I find is a great source of networking and will continue to use hopefully even after completing my degree.
My mobile phone
Where I would be without my mobile phone I do not know. I am on it all the time. Especially nowadays they are so amazing, you can do everything on them. It is such an essential part of your profession that you have a phone so that your agent or a company that you have auditioned for can contact you. Also the technology on phones now are so great you can type in a location of somewhere you have to be and Your phone will direct you to it, you can find train times and if there's going to be a delay. It's important to have your phone on you all the time so if an emergency happens, for example you are going to be late to teach a class or unable to make a casting you can call up whoever you need to straight away.
My agent
My agent is the one source that can get me most of my auditions, or even better so the auditions that are private and more suitable for what it is I want to be auditioning for.
They have been part of the industry for a lot longer than me and have more valuable contacts and knowledge that can help me to further my career. My agent gives me advice on cv,s and head shots and knows what roles I am suitable for.
Like I mentioned earlier these are only some of the sources of information that play a vital part in developing and benefiting my profesional practice. Professional networking is a highly important part of your career and I understand how important it is to engage and expand on them all of the time.
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