Task 2d

• 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?

In most of my reflective journal entries when writing about what I would most like to find out more about very much varies from day to day. However, a consistant answer would be I would like to find out more about using props in my class. Younger children sometimes have problems with their concentration levels. By teaching with a wonderful teacher called Miss Annabelle Watson, she has taught me that props can work very well to get the younger childrens' attention. The use of music is also a great way of doing this, using something the children can relate to can be very successful.  A line of inquiry I have an interest in is how can we, as teachers, use music and props to make the classes more beneficial and interesting for the students and how can we incorporate this into dance performance?

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

When thinking about what has made me angry during my teaching career whilst writing my journal, one incident always jumps out at me. I was teaching a rehearsal for a pantomime and as I was teaching the choreography a 17 year old boy challenged my teaching and said the choreography did not match the counts in the music. I tried to explain that I didn't want the movement in time with the counts, I wanted the movement on the beat. He then insisted that he was right and kept on challenging me. I had to send everyone for a small break as I was very frustrated and angry. It made me question my own teaching. I am most upset and angry if I feel like I have to question my teaching, however, I also see this as an oppptunity to grow and evolve as a teacher. When dealing with the situation, I automatically thought 'what would my dance teacher of done if I had challenged her like this?', a lady I have so much respect and admiration for is Alexia McAvoy, founder and director of Soul Performing Arts. The way she would of dealt with this circumstance would of been a very blunt and I think, beneficial way to deal with this. She would of asked us to leave the room and to consider who the choreographer is, me or her. Alexia has always been a very highly respected person in my eyes. A line of inquiry that I am interested in on this aspect is not only how do I handle pupils with low self esteem or over-confidence but how I can I use their energy to inform my teaching and progress further with the students dancing?

• 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 giving back to the children, the feeling of knowing I have developed their knowledge and helped them to get closer to reaching their dreams. If a child has a question about anything, I would like them to feel they could come and ask me, whilst remaining a professional. I have felt this bond with a teacher I worked with when I was very young named Anna Hosgood. She is a drama teacher at Soul Performing Arts. As well as being a fantastic teacher, she cared about me and I felt like she always enjoyed teaching us, no matter how naughty we were! My line of inquiry here is how can I use my knowledge to develop the students' not only dance careers but also their day to day lives for the better?

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

I am trying to use themes in my classes. I find it difficult to develop dance movements to teach the children from the theme I have used. If I could develop this I can teach the children to associate different movements with themes making it easier for them to learn. Again I would use Soul as a great example of this, in these videos, Alexia and Sam used the theme of dolls and choreographed a dance around that theme. All the movement came originally from the idea of dolls. Hype it up- Soul Youth Dance Company and Hype it up (2)- Soul Youth Dance Company. A line of enquiry I'd really like to explore; how can I use themes in my classes to develop my choreography?