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. 

Professional Practise Spider Diagram

Spider diagram to explore my professional practise 

I have seen on Megan's and Lizzie's blogs that they have created a spider diagram of their professional practise. I  found it really interesting that although we are in similar practises, we have created different spider grams based on our experiences and jobs. I have created one for myself now below, the diagram has helped me to map out my professional practise and visualise my options and routes. I have also included other career paths I could take or courses available to develop myself further.

Thoughts that came into my head whilst creating my diagram...
Where would I like to progress to?
Can I get to where I would like to be ?
Would I leave dance behind ?
Primary school teaching is what I'm leaning towards, why ?
Where am I now on this diagram ?
Would I enter the performance world again ?
Is this all that I can put down in my diagram ?

Things I have learnt from my diagram...
I have so many options
It isn't too late to change career slightly or completely
That I could get to the jobs mentioned with more work
Where I feel I am on my diagram and what are my strengths and weaknesses in these areas
That I need to research other areas of my practise
Teaching is the route for me

Overall I have realise now after reflecting on my diagram teaching is the route for me,  I could of spoken about productions, performances, costumes but instead I mainly wrote about teaching, that is a clear indicator to me that teaching could be where I develop further in my career. Now I need to look into a research some more options available such as becoming a primary school or secondary teacher? Camp leader ? Opening a dance school ? There are many routes that I have not yet explored.

Have a look at Megan's and Lizzie's Blogs...
http://meganlouch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/these-are-few-of-my-favourite-things_5.html
http://lizziebell92.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/bapp-task-2d-inquiry.html

Task 2d: Inquiry

What in you daily practise gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic. 
I am really enthusiastic about behaviour management in general and the techniques that are used. When I see good behaviour management techniques being used it really make me want to learn how that teacher did that, and more importantly why?  I witness different behaviour management techniques every day in my job and because of that experience I feel it has given me lots of knowledge about it, but it fascinates me how teachers apply these techniques. No two situations where behaviour management is needed are exactly the same and I find that intriguing. Do you learn from experience? Reading a method? Knowing the child and how they work? Experimenting with styles? You have to think fast when implementing behaviour management how do you know when you have picked the right one? All these questions fly around my head after I behaviour manage or when i am witnessing another teacher behaviour manage.   This is why I often research behaviour management techniques I have read many of Bill Rogers books which have heavily influenced my behaviour management techniques in my classes I would say that I admire his work.

 I really admire a lady called (Dame) Alison Peacock she is a Headteacher in a Hertfordshire primary school, the work she has done in education has inspired me to be a better teacher and really has made a change to my practise. Please watch the link below to see her views about learning with no limits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oxxPi6c-Nw

Alison talks about an education system where children are not labelled I couldn't agree more and this influences my work, I try my best to make sure my lessons are engaging and suitable for all the children in my lesson.

This Photo below highlights my concerns in the education system. This picture and what Alison talks about in her video makes me think... Do I cater for all in my lessons? Do I or can I apply limitless learning in my lessons? Do I differentiate appropriately ? How do I know I do ?

Both topics I have discussed could be a line of inquiry either how to apply behaviour management strategies and what whats work and why ? And How to apply the limitless learning ideas to my lessons ? And the impact it has made on my students. 

What makes you angry and what makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares the your feelings or has found a way to look around the sadness or anger? 

Parenting makes me angry and sad, when I hear about a child's background and what they go through or are going through it makes me so sad that I can't take that child out of that situation. I admire companies and charities like Camhs as they help the children through school but they also have a helpline and offer help to the parents as well. 

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/services_children_young_people/camhs/what_are_cahms

I really admire Relax Kids company for all the work they do in schools, I feel what they stand for and promote is healthy and beneficial to all children, especially those dealing with stress. I feel that Relax Kids are in the same field as me and could be another link or a progression in my professional practise in the future.  I have looked into the training in becoming a relax kids coach, I feel this could be a progression in my career as we share similar values and beliefs. They work around the sadness by promoting healthy lifestyles, instil self belief, confidence in children and really help individuals who are struggling. Read more about them and their blog at their website... 

http://www.relaxkids.com/Default.aspx

http://www.relaxkids.com/what-is-a-class.aspx - This link talks about a relax kids class and what they do. 

A line of enquiry could be how I apply mindfulness into my lesson plans and how can I do my bit to support children in need when they are in my care. 

What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?

I love the knowledge, confidence, independence, teamwork skills the children gain from my lessons, and I love it when I see that the hard work has paid off it was all worth it. Whether it is a term teaching dance in a Primary School, an academy ISTD class passing their exam or simply a child saying Thank-You and expressing what they have learnt or enjoyed after my class. 

This was a card from one of my senior students when I choreographed their Sweeney Todd show, it made the tiring rehearsal, late night choreographing all worth it. I admire most teachers who have the following skills, patience, work ethic, time and preparation for their lessons and their students.

I also love learning myself and I often find when I teach I learn too, You could say Megan Louch another BAPP student has the same views as me as she left me this quote when I commented on her blog "When one teachers... Two learn"  This quote has really stayed with me I learn so much from my students we discussed how they have developed us as people.

meganlouch.blogspot.com- Left me the quote on her blog

A inquiry I could look into where that passion for teaching comes from? Is it naturally in you as a teacher? How did I become a teacher and why?  I could also look into the differences I could make or have made to the children I teach. Another one could be What do my students teach me ?




What do you feel you don't understand? Who do you admire who doesn't seem to understand it or has found a way of making not understanding interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you? 
I do not understand why performing arts isn't as valued as other subjects. I understand that you need English, Maths and Science. But what about general life skills like communication ? Teamwork? And knowing how to express yourself?

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/apr/09/alan-davey-arts-gcse-reforms
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/17/arts-and-culture-systematically-removed-from-uk-education-system
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2012/oct/30/defence-school-drama-arts-curriculum-ebacc

Another topic that I do not understand is obesity in Primary Schools,  I do not understand how schools can continue to feed the children an unhealthy lunch time meal, I also do not understand how at some schools the children can pick exactly what they want to eat so if  l Tommy only wants one slice of bread for lunch thats ok?! I feel strongly about a balance diet and I often share with my students the importance of exercise and eating a balanced diet. Jamie Oliver doesn't seem to understand this topic either and promotes an healthy life style in schools.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35824071- I agree with the Sugar Tax this report explains what it is and mentions Jamie Oliver
http://www.jamieoliverfoodfoundation.org.uk - Working with schools to promote a healthy lifestyle, and change the way schools work

A line of inquiry could be that I look into the Primary School curriculum, and find out head teachers opinion on the Arts. Another line could be the influence Jamie Oliver has had and the impact of his work in schools to fight obesity.




How do you decide the appropriate ethical response in a given situation? To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect generally in society? 
Discipline is essential when you are a teacher, discipline changes as the children get older and most definitely discipline in school is incredibly different to what you might expect in society. The method I usually use along side others is rule reminder, warning, time out and so on. This is a fair disciplinary system that never changes in my lessons the children know the rules and if they are badly behaved they know the consequences. This way I know that I am responding correctly because my system is fair, I also make sure that I abide by the schools behaviour management plans this way I am keeping it consistent for the children.I often refer to this document it is about behaviour and discipline in schools - Headteachers and school staff.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488034/Behaviour_and_Discipline_in_Schools_-_A_guide_for_headteachers_and_School_Staff.pdf
I have the power to discipline the children when I am in the school as I am a paid member of staff and in some circumstances I can apply discipline outside of school, however I would not give a warning out or a time out to one of my students outside of school but if I did see a child mess behaving away from their parents for example, playing dangerously by a road,  I would remind them that it is not safe and they should move away. I feel that it is my responsibility as an adult to do so, although they are not my responsibility I can still discipline appropriately outside of school in some circumstances. If they were shouting in a shop and mess behaving with their parent then I wouldn't get involved as that is not my place to discipline their child. But in school if a child behaves like that I would discipline as they are affecting other students learning and in some situations the other students safety.


References 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oxxPi6c-Nw

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/services_children_young_people/camhs/what_are_cahms

http://www.relaxkids.com/Default.aspx

http://www.relaxkids.com/what-is-a-class.aspx 

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/apr/09/alan-davey-arts-gcse-reforms

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/17/arts-and-culture-systematically-removed-from-uk-education-system

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2012/oct/30/defence-school-drama-arts-curriculum-ebacc

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35824071

http://www.jamieoliverfoodfoundation.org.uk

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488034/Behaviour_and_Discipline_in_Schools_-_A_guide_for_headteachers_and_School_Staff.pdf

Task 2b: Reflective Writing

Journal Writing Experience 

As I have previously mentioned I have had a journal since October 2015 when I started the ROL Course. I was very interested how Reader 2 was going to change to update my journal. I have tried the 9 ways of writing on P19 of the Module 1 Handbook, I haven't had 9 days since I started this new way so I used different events from the same day to try the different ways to write. 

Description

I have been writing like this for a while now in my journal to help me with my review of learning module, I have often bullet pointed events like where, when and what happened. This method helps me because when I reflect back on the event maybe a few days later after my initial reflecting I can remember all the key information. However I do not feel like I have left a personal touch to my own journal just lists of information. 

Initial Reflection 

Again I have used this before to discover what I have learnt from the feelings I felt. I found this way of writing useful to me as at the time you often do not analysis your emotions or what you was thinking at the time you was just doing. I wrote in my journal about how I felt when I was dealing with a difficult child who was extremely badly behaved, but this child has a behaviour plan and usually has a one to one but that TA was away with another child for half the lesson. I have include extracts from my journal below...

 What I was thinking ? - " What should I try next, nothing seems to be working, do I need to ask for the learning mentor to assist or remove her for some time to calm down?  Remove her from the class completely? " I also found myself writing down words rather than sentences and some big and some small depending on their importance. 

What did you feel about it ?- " I felt sad because I know this child has a difficult background and is having a bad day, I want to help which is what made me feel sad. Looking back now I was also frustrated as I had a class of thirty and she was getting all my attention and other children needed it too, I did have my assistant with me so that made me feel calmer once she stepped up" It wasn't till after this exercise that I felt sad about a child and how it had effected me and my mood. 

List

I use list all the time whether it is to remember what to take to work, a to do list for the week or month, saving, career ideas and many more. Writing a list seems to clear my head and I really enjoy writing my journal this way, as it is straight to the point and seems to clear my head in the same way as a 'to do' list does.  I created a listography and feel I am really going to enjoy building my page on there, it is very plain at the moment but it is great to see other peoples list about movies, places to eat, countries to visit. The first list you have to create is a To Do list (in my lifetime) which really made me think what do I want to achieve in my lifetime it will be interesting to see if those things change over time especially in my professional practise. 

Evaluation

The evaluation questions were good to work through from the module I found it hard to really pin point what I learnt from certain situation especially situations that happen on a regular basis because I have never thought about situations that happen all the time. I am still learning from them and I do adapt the way I handle to same situation so have I learnt something. What was it exactly that I learnt ? I have not made a conscious choice to change it, but I have, why? This exercise sparked questions and made me question the smallest things in my daily practise. 

Graphs Charts and Diagrams

Graphs and charts, I really struggled with this I find I am creative so this was a tricky exercise, it failed miserably I found it hard to measure fun, freedom and stress into a chart as I kept on changing my mind as I reflected. I did not connect to this way at all I will not be using this again. However I find mind maps very helpful to express my day or a certain situation that happened in my day. The photo below shows my reflection through a mind map, reflecting on this I can see that I documented what I did how I felt at the end of the day it is short and to the point.  I enjoyed this way and I will be using it again throughout my blog, however what I will do next time is to go into further detail I feel looking back I could of gone more in depth. 

Picture from my journal- reflection through mind mapping 

I would like to develop mind mapping on some pages of my journal to turn some pages into a scrap book. Perhaps adding in letters or information given to me that day that I could stick in. I find a creative way to reflect might be beneficial to me when I have longer to spend on it or when Im unsure what to put down. In the past I have found creating scrap books enjoyable, creative and I find when I am being creative it flows easily and before I know it I have filled a page, could this work in a reflective journal? Could I adapt it?  Its an idea to experiment further, we shall see...

I have been researching art journals, now a lot of artist use them to help them with their art work, I am going to try and take the creative style of journaling and apply it to my journal and see how I get on. Below are some links explaining art journals and how to create one. This has opened up a whole new way for me to explore and develop my reflective journal. 

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-an-Art-Journal

http://www.artistsjournals.com/instruction.htm

Another View

I tried to tackle this one with the option of an objects perspective of my day. At first I thought this would be quite easy and fun. It was fun but I found I wondered off and started to create a story rather than documenting what actually happened! Whoops ! it was a very fun way of writing from my bags point of view, but it was very time consuming and I don't think that every day I will have the time to write that way so I won't be using this in the future.

The different ways to write really have broadened my knowledge and ability to write  reflective journal and I feel I have a good resources to turn to, to get the most out of my journal. I feel my journal will continue to deepen the further I progress through out this course it is really interesting and surprising to me, how many different ways there are to write a journal and just how personal it is to you. It reflects you and the way you reflect, I found it fascinating. I have never spent time exploring these ways before so I have learnt a lot about myself but surprisingly I learnt more about my professional practise. I thought that because I do it I know every aspect about what I do, however by reflecting back it has highlighted to me where my real strengths and weaknesses lie within my practise. 

In the handbook it suggests that you should try to adopt one that you can develop across the whole course I am going to continue trying Description, Initial Reflection, Evaluation, Mind Mapping/Scrapbook and Lists to see which one I get the most out of and to see if I can combine the two. I feel I need more time to try to experiment with writing about different situations or whole days and really get to grips with a way to get the most out of journal writing.  Finally I am going to experiment in making my journal more like a scrap book on some of the pages after exploring the mind maps. 

The biggest thing i will take away from this task is that I enjoy structure like the descriptive way of writing eg. what, who, when, but I enjoy the freedom of mind mapping and scrap books to talk about how I felt during the day or situation or just to express the day as a whole.  You would think someone would be one way or the other but I have discovered I need both. 

I am going to develop this further to see if I can create a happy medium between these two photos below, structure Vs creativity.  

Task 2a: Reflective Journal Task

Task 2a: Reflective Journal Task 

When I was younger I always had something that was personal to me whether it was a diary, scrap book, photo albulm or a memory box, I always had something that I was creating to hold memories or things I wasn't ready to let go of. My diaries never lasted long as I found it difficult to put things down on paper, I had a fear that someone might read it, so thats why I think now looking back I tried out various ways to express and record things.

How do I puzzle through ideas? Organise my Practise ?
Today I still have photo album and a memory box but my biggest thing is writing lists I find that if I have a busy week or month, if I list down what needs to be done I feel as if  that half the work is done, even if the list has 20 things on there without one of them being ticked off! I then feel organised and have a sense of direction of how I am going to get it done. Another main way that I work through ideas or things to complete is by creating a mind map, especially when I am working on a new dance idea or lesson plans. I feel I really explore all options using this method. Below are two of my recent spider diagrams, one for part of the ROL course and the other for a dance festival.

I started my BAPP blog in September as I did the ROL course (Review Of Learning) before starting module 1, for the ROL course I had to keep a journal so journal writing for this course is something that is not new to me.  During my time working on the ROL course I had tasks to help me to progress similar to the tasks we are working through now, for these tasks I reflected on my learning and researched theories about how I learn. The journal was there to show my learning experiences so it is going to be interesting to how reader 2 and new influences change the way I write my journal.

  I am looking forward to finding out and exploring different ways to keep a reflective journal because for the past few months I have done it the same way, by reading reader 2 I have already started to change how I write my journal.The top 5 questions that I ask myself when writing my journal are the ones below. I find it easier having a frame work to work to, this helps me to get the best out of my journal and it stops me from wondering off and writing about things that aren't necessarily going to help me reflect.
1. What happened?
2.What did I do?
3.What did I learn?
4.Was it successful ?
5.Would I change anything?

For the next few days I am going to change a few questions and explore other ways of writing I will use the these extra questions below and explore P.19 in the Module 1 hand book Task 2b.
- Did the children enjoy the class?
- How do I know ?
- How has this helped my development in my practise ?
-What was my mood?
-What if ?
And finally writing from a different perspective. e.g. object or person

I feel positive that reader 2 is going to develop my journal for the better.  Education is the most powerful weapon and by  gaining more knowledge about reflection and even more practitioners and theories, I feel I will write it in a more educated way and find a style that really suits me.

Skype 18.03.2016 Thoughts and new findings...

Professional practise, influences, tasks and next steps...

Before the Skype I was feeling a bit out of the loop as I have recently been unwell and away from my blog, where as prior to this I felt I was really on a roll. I was really looking forward to the Skype to kick start myself again and get back to where I was before the illness. The session with Adesola was very interesting, enlightening and I had that "lightbulb moment" during the Skype.  

Adesola really got us thinking about so many thing and it has really left me contemplating my new findings.  I have chosen a few of the questions and topics to discuss in this blog that have really stuck with me. 

What is your professional practise?

I can now answer this question in two different ways. 

Q:What is your Professional practise ?  A: My professional practise is a thing. 

Q:What is your professional practise ? A: Answer Art Educator

I am starting to see my professional practise now as a thing rather than a singular job that I do day in day out. Before this Skype I felt that the words Professional Practise were blurred and the meanings to me were unclear, where as now I am starting to see my practise as a  part of a large jigsaw puzzle, my professional practise is a job but it is  also connected to a wider field which has different branches and avenues to pursue. 

Another way I look at it now is that my job title is a Lead Dance and Gymnastic teacher, but my practise is an Art Educator and that is what my field is I am in the education system. Knowing this now can provide me with so many different avenues to develop my career,  primary school teacher, teaching assistant, support staff, special needs, dance teacher in secondary schools, gymnastics coach, I.S.T.D teacher ... It is all one field and I am part of it, in order to progress in my job I must research and develop my knowledge of my field. 

From this part of the Skype chat I am left with many thought  provoking questions that I will be exploring over the next few weeks, where am I at in my Professional practise ? Who influences my practise and the choices I make? How could I develop my practise? Where could it go? What avenues are out there? What interest me?

Who do you admire ?

After the Skype chat had finished, I began thinking about the chosen people that I mentioned, why do I admire them? I chose people higher up in my company and selected particular primary school teachers that have inspired me because they have made a change to my thoughts and actions in my practise. Then again I questioned my thoughts, why them ?  Why not my other managers or peers? What is it that they do that makes me inspired? It also made me realise how many people I aspire to and even people I have not met, for example Bill Rogers who has written so many behaviour management techniques, he has guided me and helped me with my practise for years and I admire his work greatly. Now I know what type of model I would like to be and have a greater understanding of what qualities in a person inspire me.

-Committed 

-Kind

-Inspiring ideas and methods 

-Does everything to the highest standard

- How they deal with hard situations

-How they don't mix personal with professional 

-Creative 

-Modest 

 Tasks are there to stimulate Practise

This was another lightbulb moment the tasks are there to stimulate me thinking about my practise that is the overriding reason for them. We discussed that if a task is not stimulating you, you don't need to do it and to spend more time on a task that is achieving what you need. We spoke about old styles of learning and how you could revise something and sit a test of 10 questions then apparently your skilled in that subject where as this course allows us to use the tasks as a tool to get to where we need to be and to build our knowledge and not to use the tasks necessarily as an instruction sheet.

Overall the Skype was incredibly beneficial I have a new direction that I am working towards and it has helped to clear and re focused my thoughts.