Task 2D - Inquiry

What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?

I have danced and acted since I was tiny, so being able to go to college and train was a dream come true! During my time at college, I covered a few classes at my previous dance school and fell in love with teaching. I thoroughly enjoy working with children, inspiring them to pursue their dreams and unlock any talents that they may possess. The joy on their faces when they nail a routine for the first time is so rewarding and I don’t believe that you can experience that feeling of satisfaction with other jobs.  I work in both an academic school and a dance school, which allows me to work with children with a wide variety of skills and monitor the progress they make. It also gives me the chance to inspire them and show them that you can be talented or intelligent in other ways.

I admire my old dance teacher, the way she choreographs, the visions she comes up with.

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

What makes me both angry and sad is that dance or the arts in general can be considered “second rate” subjects and not taken seriously. I studied Drama, Photography and Maths for A-level and people are always shocked when I tell them. I feel there is too much emphasis placed on subjects such as maths and science and they are always referred to as “academic”. The arts are usually considered ‘doss’ subjects because “all you do is dance around or play games”. In reality the physical demands that you have to put your body through to achieve ‘good technique’ or get into character can be extraordinary. Anne Hathaway virtually starved for 13 days and lost 25lbs before filming her role in Les Miserables. I have discussed this point of view with a lot of other professionals within the industry. They all feel the same way and have overcome this by suggesting they come to a dance class with them to show how physically demanding it is.

I read an article the other night stating “are pupils ‘held back’ by overemphasis on arts”. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11221081/Nicky-Morgan-pupils-held-back-by-overemphasis-on-arts.html

I believe that if we took away the arts then the world would be a very boring place, no musicals, dance shows, TV presenters, actors, artists or musicians. There would be nowhere, in fact, for the supposed academics to unwind or enjoy some culture.  Children that aren’t academically minded would have no way of expressing themselves and hidden talents could remain unearthed.

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 performing. There is no feeling in the world that compares to being on a stage. I love that performing makes people happy and can provide an escape from their everyday life and worries. I also adore teaching, I love making a difference in children’s lives, providing them with the tools to decide upon a career. I am a member of an amateur dramatic society where many participants are also teachers. We were discussing how important it is to bring the arts world into schools as children learn in such different ways. I admire that they are still doing something they love and incorporating that into their chosen careers and in turn benefiting the children’s learning.

What do you feel you don’t understand? Who do you admire who does not seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding beautiful or has asked the same question as you?

What I find difficult to understand is how teachers cope with their emotions and how they deal with the frustration of a student not achieving their full potential. I enjoy watching programmes such as Educating Essex, Cardiff, East End. The teachers in those shows never give up and are constantly trying new techniques to try to motivate them and help them reach their potential. I am always trying to find new ways to inspire the children. The most important point is to always be as enthusiastic as possible as this is likely to transmit itself to the children. Having worked in both a dance school and a primary school, I feel that children are put under a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed both in the arts and academically. Parents can sometimes expect too much from their children, spreading them too thinly and preventing them from concentrating on one area and excelling at that. I also feel that the government, schools and parents can get too focused on exam results and league tables at far too young an age rather than allowing them to develop a love for learning.

This all led me to think about the question – How much should teachers be influenced by what parents say?

How do you decide the appropriate ethical response in a given situation? To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more generally in society?

Discipline is something I have had to work on throughout my teaching career. When teaching dancing or drama, you want to have control of the class but still want it to be fun and not feel like school. You want the children to enjoy the class and be keen to return week after week. At school, however, it is much more structured and we have clear rules and boundaries.

Having a relationship with your colleagues and the parents is also extremely important as it means if an uncomfortable situation arises it can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

The rules surrounding working with children are very clear and specific and you need vigorous checks. Different situations will require different courses of action. When babysitting or with your family members then it is slightly more relaxed as you know them on a personal level but when teaching, you must adhere to all the schools rules and regulations and maintain a professional relationship.