Module 2- 4a

After reading through reader 4 and task 2D Inquiry from module 1, I discovered a few questions for my line of inquiry.

1. What positive affects can dance have on children? We know we gain life skills, but what skills ? Does this help us in our adult life?

2. How to be a good teacher?
This inquiry would really benefit my profession
al practise as I teach dance to Primary School Children as part of their curriculum and curriculum dance teaching is different to my other ISTD teaching that I have done before. The idea of this is to expand further than dance teaching and focus on teaching in general. Maybe this inquiry is too large ?
-Behaviour management, Assessments, learning without limits, why is this important to be able to do to a high standard?
-National Curriculum
-Training to be a primary school teacher requirements.
- What type of person should be a teacher?
- Do we need qualifications?
-Do qualifications make you a good teacher?
-What qualities does a teacher need ?
- Explore 'mindfulness' teaching e.g. relax kids company and its effects.

Another line of enquiry I could explore is teacher student human relationships and how building a relationship with students affects their learning- apologising/raising self esteem through academics/listening/Teaching and learning should bring join. Watch the youtube video below and this inquiry makes more sense.

" Were educators we were born to make a difference." - Rita Peirson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw

3. Why is performing arts not respected in all schools as a good subject?

4. Mental health issues within dancers.

I feel that number 2 is inspiring me to look further, the question isn't quite there yet but I would like to look into being a good teacher, qualifications, research about the type of person you need to be and some how tie that in with mindfulness. I am going to rattle these questions around in my head this week and voice them to fellow colleagues, family members and friends then come back to my blog to talk about it. As you can see in this blog I have included lots of pictures, these pictures help me to create ideas and express over to you the reader what I am trying to achieve and show my thought process.

The question is not quite there yet as you can see ! Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated !

Module 2 - Skype - 16.09.2016

Getting back into it... 

Great session this evening! It was nice to hear some voices of students on the course, many that I haven't connected with yet. I thought I was following most people but it is going to be good to connect and reconnect with new and old students for module 2!

I found the Skype really helped and it just what I needed to get back into the course after a long summer. Before the session I did have a sense of confusion...what am I suppose to do? ... how do I get started climbing what feels like a huge mountain? Felt a lot like the photo on the left!

After the Skype I have realised I am going to take what I learnt from last term and take it apart chunks at a time into more manageable parts and process them before moving on. Unlike the beginning of module one I have faith that it will all start to come together! 

From the Skype session one thing stands out in particular and that was the visual Adesola gave us about how to tackle and process the journey we are about to begin.

Adesola said to imagine the module as one big field, and how you get to the other side through the big gate at the end to hand in your assessment pieces is a JOURNEY. We spoke about using the tasks as almost a trail through the field and how everyones journey to the other side of the field will be different, but how we can make links using each other on the course, by setting up special interest groups to help us get to the other side.

I really enjoyed the Skype session with Adesola, Paula and everyone this evening, it has  filled me with such enthusiasm to get started again with module 2. Look forward to chatting with everyone soon ! 

Good Luck !

Dusting off the cobwebs...

Hi  Bloggers

It feels like forever since I sat here writing my blog, I feel a bit apprehensive about coming back to it! However I have started to read through the module 2 readers and I am excited to get back into it. Perhaps when we next have a break, I will continue to blog throughout then it might not feel so draughting.

I don't know about anyone else but  I tried to write a few this summer but wasn't sure what to talk about, plus it felt like writing to a ghost town with my notifications down to 0 as everyone was enjoying the well deserved break !

I do feel like its the first day of school all over again after the summer holidays, buying stationary and dusting off the cobwebs. So I am going to keep this one short and sweet, enjoy the rest of the summer everyone, look forward to chatting soon! Maybe a discussion about the module 1, how you felt it went etc.. would be good to get together over Skype  if anyone is up for it ? Or comment on this blog about how you are feeling about module 1 and starting module 2 ? :)

Take Care

Lois x

Task 3b: Theories relating to network

Theories and Networks related to my practise 

Reader 3 is incredibly informative about the different theories within networking. I have chosen two of those theories Cooperation and affiliation and how they apply to my professional practise. I have chosen these two to discus in further detail as they helped me to think about what style do I use on a day to day basis within my practise. 

Cooperation is a theory that the people who are in the relationship are only there for a known mutual reason, according to the reader it can described as ‘cooperate till maximum benefit then defect’ (Reader 3). Sometimes firms/people fail to cooperate with each other, even when cooperation would bring about a better collective outcome. I have found this theory quite baffling, if it would make a better outcome why wouldn't you communicate. My understanding is you use the communication and connection until you are done with it so the relationship becomes disposable ? Just like that ! This photo highlights my understand that you don't really know the person, you know the business outline and thats all you need, once you have achieved your goal they are blacked out and erased. 

 I feel cooperation an incredibly professional way of networking I feel this style may be beneficial in Law or in competitive industries, even though the 'Arts' is a competitive industry I feel the 'arts' need one another to survive and work, as we often work alone but then we join together to join a cast, we need one another and we need information off one another eg. music sheets and choreography. But when you finish a show you do not cut ties with one another completely, You often grow close to 2-3 people and that forms another network. I feel reputation is incredibly important in this industry whether it be performing or teaching.  I feel taking advantage of people then dropping them is the wrong way in this industry the 'arts' world is so small everyone seems to cross paths in someway and I wouldn't want to me know as the girl who used people and then drops them.... Id never be hired! Where as in law you need to win a case you fight and fight a draw information out of people until the case is done then you simply move on. 

The only thing I can relate to is how some of my networks have broken down since moving into the teaching side of my practise, I find many of my fellow dancers have stopped communicating with me so much as they used to, I used to  provide information about auditions and opportunities, now I have stopped putting it out there they have stopped communicating which is really interesting as some of these dancers I classed as colleagues but also friends. Its very interesting to see where peoples loyalties lie when they no longer use you.  This photo highlights the importance of creating good networking skills and creating a balanced relationship between you. 

Affiliation is a concept in the field of social psychology that seeks to explain 

how humans enjoy and benefit from affiliations with others and the reasons why 

humans 'form close relationships' (Crisp &Turner, 2007, pp.266) In my 

professional practise this is the type of relationships I often hold for example dance

college fellow students becoming friends and sharing information with one another, 

previous colleagues both  in and out of the 'arts' who I will communicate with regular.

However in my current work place I have maybe 2 - 3 people within the company that 

I would say I have formed a close relationship with, its not that he other colleges 

aren't nice , its just I like to retain a professional working environment and I try not to 

blur the lines too much from friend to collegue as in the past I have witness that this can

 caused unnecessary problems and gossip. An afflictive relationship would 

be an ongoing developing relationship even when the goal is reached which is a strong difference to Cooperation, this is my preferred style when networking there is a fair balance and a mutual understanding. I feel these two styles are very different from one another but I can pick out things that relate to my practise from both of them. They have helped me to understand my networking style and what I used on a regular basis. 

Exploring Options

How networking has and is developing me and my Professional Practise 

Following on from my spider  diagram of my options within my practise, I have been observing my networking skills over the past few days and documented outcomes from networking. One specific outcome was incredibly beneficial to me and my development in my current practise. Right now I am a dance a gymnastic teachers  in primary schools, but I have always known I would like to progress further, whether it be within my current company or within education. I am on this current course  because of this I would like to further myself and my career options, BAPP  is a part of my journey through my practise and I am discovering so many different ways to explore and develop my professional practise.

I speak regualrly with one primary school teacher, I asked her politely to arrange a quick meeting with me before school started to discuss career options in education. We spoke about how she got into teaching herself, which was incredibly beneficial as she spoke about a SCITT programme, this is where you train within a school for a year on a salary. This conversation has had a huge impact on my practise because it has given me an option that I did not know about before, my understanding before this was the PGCE route which would mean I would have to stop working or take it part time which would lengthen out the process, neither of these options are suitable for me.  She also suggested that I look for a teaching assistant job to gain more experience in working in one school,  this would allow me to understand a teachers job. This would be incredibly beneficial as it would help me decide which path to take, but I would be accepting a lower salary and leaving my current dance teaching role behind, which means leaving the career progressions within that company behind too. Networking has given me ideas for further development either as a teaching assistant or applying for a SCITT programme once I have graduated from this current course. This highlighted to me just how important networking is and how it can develop you in your practise, I feel this small conversation has opened doors within my practise for me to explore and develop myself further

Since the conversation I have looked into the SCITT training via this website, and the teacher has been in regular contact about other options out there.
https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/school-led-training/scitt

I throughly enjoy teaching and  I feel my skill set is strong to develop myself into a primary school teacher with the correct training. I am patient which is key in teaching to have the time and patients to listen and keep trying even when a child still doesn't get it the 15th time. I am organised in work and I plan for back up plans to make sure I do my best by the children, I feel this would be a great quality as I would be planning, teaching and marking for a class of 30. But a few questions are going round in my head, am I ready to leave dance teaching behind? Am I capable to teach Maths, English and Science these are subjects that I haven't done fully since school. I would have to almost re train and remind myself of the subjects and I would have to learn how to teach and differentiate the lessons to suit the children. I am fully aware of my strengths and now I am becoming aware of my weaknesses too, despite of this I know that I would put the work in and the time to be the best teacher I could possibly be.

It is an option that I am looking forward to exploring in even more detail.

What are your options?  Are they changing since enrolling in the BAPP course ? Or have they already changed? It would be interesting to see if anyone has similar dilemmas.

Task 3c: Sources of information

My main 5 sources of information... 

1. My smart phone

My phone helps me to gather information about where I am teaching that week from my emails, I am also able to access information from my managers about anything that might of changed or meeting arrangements. I am able to google map the schools so I can get to the correct schools on time. This source is important to me so I can be organised for the week and remind myself of information that is vital to my sessions and practise. I also use my smart phone to access social media sites such as Facebook, twitter and instagram, these apps help me to stay in touch with people in my practise and keep me up to date with new information for example, a video of a dance or a video on behaviour management from a teaching account.Overall my smart phone has many functions it keeps me organised, up to date, professional and helps with my time management.


2. Books 
Even though technology has vastly changed over the years I do rely heavily on books for my teaching methods and knowledge. As I am in a practise where I am combining the arts with education I feel it is important to me and my practise that I am up to date and knowledgeable about behaviour management,SEN children, questioning, assessment criteria, P.E curriculum as well as dance, choreography and music. A strong combination of these topics will benefit myself and the children I teach because I have the knowledge to deal with situations that may arise with an SEN child or that I know how to question a child to help them progress, without this source i would be failing myself and my practise.


3. Staff room board 
Often when I teach P.E in schools for a full day I check the staff room white board, this board will indicate everything that is going on in the school for the day and will highlight to me of any changes to lessons or rooms that are available. This white board is valuable to me so I am prepared for the school day ahead, if I do not check the board I could miss vital information and mess up the teachers and children day. Also it affects the safety of my students as this is where they often put up about a fire alarm test, it is important I know this information so that I can remove the children from the hall safely and quickly for the practise.

4. TES magazine / website 
This magazine and website provides me with information about jobs in education, resources for my lessons and keep me up to date with current news in education. I mainly work in Primary schools, even though I come from a arts background I feel it is beneficial to me to be in the know about education. Without keeping myself knowledgeable I am not practising my practise very well. By having this knowledge about the education system jobs and resources I can use I feel a more rounded teacher and a part of the education system.
https://www.tes.com


5. Youtube 
I use Youtube regularly in my professional practise for a variety of reasons, I use it for research on dancers or dances, inspiration, information about teaching techniques and I find it keep see up to date in the arts industry as so many videos of dances/ performers are shared online.  I feel it is very important to keep inspired and up to date wth the latest trends when I was training at college the new styles and music was in front of me, now as a teacher I feel that it is part of my practise to keep up to date and well researched at all times. i feel strongly that if I was not up to date my students would be bored and my work/ dances that I create would be out of date.


Any comments welcome and let me know if  you use any of these resources in a similar way or a different way ?

Task 3a: Current Networks

Initial thoughts on Reader 3

Including comments from 13.04.16 Skype session with Paula 

I did not value nor understand networking until I first stepped into the working world only then did things begin to un fold.I learnt how to talk to people professionally via different ways e.g. letter, text, email and in person and I also learnt how to approach and speak to different members of staff, for example I would not speak to my boss the same way that I would speak to another dance teacher.  It was in this professional environment that I also learnt that it often is who you know and not what you know and  I learnt about the grey area in-between which is opportunity.

Current networks-My initial thoughts were that I only had two networks which are, Social e.g. friends and then Professional, after more thought I have discovered that I have different 'pockets'  of people in my networks. I found out that I have Friends, Family, Performing Arts Teachers, Dance Schools, Primary school teachers, Head teachers, College dancers, Old and new Co-workers in performance and the education system. I have never sat down and thought about my networking nor the mix of professional and personal networks that I have.  

When I was training at college our tutors spoke about networking and that you need to be out there, get your face seen by other dancers, choreographers and directors. It became very clear to me once I left college just how important this was and still is. However now I have moved out of the performance side and I am purely focusing on moving into education, my professional networking has developed and changed however I have not let the previous networks completed die out. I have had to develop them slightly for example  I am no longer in as much contact with the girls who perform as our conversations do not apply to either of us, but I  am in contact with previous choreographers, tutors, performing arts teachers and friends within the arts. It is vey interesting as I had not realised this before I read reader 3 the shift in my networks. 

In the Skype session we discussed how certain groups or individuals have an influence and how some have more than others, this lead us on to talk about how we network using the internet, somebody mentioned that networking online is "unprofessional but professional at the same time" I  found this really interesting as I couldn't agree more, I have dancers, current and ex co -workers, friends, family and dance teachers on social media that I communicate with about professional things but it's not the most professional way but it is the only option. We then spoke about technology and communication further and discussed the important point that we were all communicating via internet for our session. 

During the Skype conversation we spoke about the different ways you can network, email, letters, phone call, text, Skype and face to face, we briefly spoke about who you do what with and what is deemed appropriate. Paula spoke about communicating outside of your comfort zone and who and how you communicate is often key.  I know that when I left college and then I had one of my tutors on Facebook it felt very strange as we had such a professional but friendly relationship that I found it difficult to see pictures of his wedding or a boozy night out, which is very silly because of course he is a normal person but before we had held such a professional relationship it was strange to cross the boundary and develop into more of a friends network 'pocket'. We also touched on the fact about language and what we deem appropriate for certain people within our networks, Laura made a really interesting point about the way you talk and communicate is different this higher you go up through a school, this is something I do everyday but hadn't actually realised that I do it, I found that very interesting and I am going to write in my journal about the way I speak to teachers and other members of staff tomorrow when I'm at work to see if I do approach members of staff differently. 

 Looking through reader 3 and discovering the concepts of the professional network has enlightened to me just how little knowledge I held before this course about networking. I am really looking forward to discovering more about networking and discovering if any of these theories are apparent in my work place. Overall I really learnt a lot from the Skype session I found everyones experiences and views really interesting and I am looking forward to the next one. 

Please feel free to leave me comments on the topics I have brought up or if you feel I have missed anything from the Skype session.Also if you want to share any ideas you had initially with reader 3, it would be great to discuss thoughts and ideas about it. 

Thanks for reading, chat soon.