I took some time to really think about this task because I think it is one of the more challenging assignments that we have been given and requires in depth thought. I looked through some of my blog posts so that I could decide what I wanted to include. These questions made me think about my professional practice in ways that I hadn't thought before. I don't have a fixed daily routine because I'm not in full time work but what I'm doing at the moment, I love and I feel motivated in my professional practice. I work part time at a restaurant, bar and hotel where I live. I'm also observing and participating in class at the Lisa Davies School of Dance. Lisa lets me watch classes and observe her teaching because I want to teach later in my life, it's something I feel passionate about. Lisa also lets me ask questions about her professional practice and any questions I might have about University when I need a professionals opinion. When I'm not doing that I like to find a quiet place to do my University work. I'm still very passionate about dance so I try to go to as many classes as I can fit in and still audition.
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?
Observing Lisa's teaching skills and getting advice from a professional makes me enthusiastic to learn more. I feel like every time I go to her classes I learn something new and it gets me excited about teaching. It's definitely something that I want to do in the future and being able to acquire knowledge from someone who started up their own school makes me want to find out as much as I can. Her classes drive me to do better in my professional practice. I also love the uncertainty of my professional practice, I love that I don't where I will be in year. Where will my professional practice take me? It can take you to new places that you didn't know were possible.
There are a lot of people who I admire that make me passionate about what I do. When I was at college, my teachers were always so positive and energetic, they would make me want to strive to do better. When you have that positive vibe in the room it brings everyone's energy up to the next level and brings some healthy competition to the class. Now that I have left college, I feel that if I had to pinpoint one person that drives me it would have to be Lisa. She always goes into the class with a positive attitude and that puts everyone in a good mood. She has the perfect balance between making students love her but still having the professionalism of a teacher. Outside of dance I would have to say that my friends and family motivate me. My mum and dad are very passionate people and they have always pushed me to do my best. They make me enthusiastic to do my work, whatever is may be, because I've seen how well they've done in their lives and I want to make them proud. I love knowing what my friends are up to and how well they're doing. Their success for their professional practice gets me excited and motivated.
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?
There aren't that many things that get me sad or angry because I try to surround myself with people who won't try to provoke those emotions and try to avoid situations that may cause me to get angry. Obviously no one is perfect and we all have moments where we would like to shout and get angry and sometimes it makes you feel much better after you've done it. I get sad if I feel that I'm behind on work or I'm not as organised as I'd like to be. When that happens, I like to make a list of things I need to get done and a time frame in which I need to get these things done. I feel much calmer when I have a list of things I need to do and there's a lot of satisfaction when I tick things of a list that I have completed. Working in customer service means that my patience is tested throughout the day but I like to kill people with kindness. I find that if a customer is being snappy and rude, then the best way to calm them down is to be overly polite. I try my best to fulfil all their needs and when I do, they more often than not become much more pleasant and will hopefully leave a big tip.
I'm lucky that I have a lot of people in my life who know exactly how to calm me down if I ever need it. I feel that in life you are drawn to people who have a similar mindset to you, so they usually understand what you are going through. They either have gone through a similar situation themselves or they have some good advice about how you should move on to a better place.
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?
There are many things that I love about what I do, depending on what I'm doing at that time. When I'm working at the restaurant, I love that I can work with positive people who I enjoy working with. I get to meet new people everyday and build connections with people that I wouldn't have otherwise. I love being able to keep busy. I'm the type of person that doesn't like sitting around doing nothing because I get bored. I like keeping my mind busy and keeping myself occupied, which I can do with this job because there is always something to do.
With my University work, I love learning new things everyday. I don't just learn things about my professional practice and expanding my knowledge, but I'm learning things about myself, especially with the journal writing. I love being able to see other people's blogs and being able to read so many different opinions and different ways of approaching a subject. One task can have so many different responses and it's fascinating for me to read other peoples' thought process and how it differs from mine and how their responses can spark ideas for me which I wouldn't have normally had.
When I go to Lisa's classes, it's a great time for me just to observe. There aren't many times in a day where you can just sit and observe what is going on around you. I love being able to take in my surroundings and soak up all the knowledge being passed on to me. For me, it's my way of learning. I like being able to watch how others do things and then I can think of the best way for me to approach it. I love doing something I'm passionate about and being surrounded by people who are passionate too.
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 don't understand people who have so much potential and just throw it away or decide not to use it. I've been lucky enough to go to a school and college doing what I love but I've seen so many people given the same opportunities and just throw it away. There are so many people that would love to be in their position but they haven't had the same opportunities, and I think it's quite selfish. I also don't understand when people think that it's their right to learn along side other talented people, and be taught by professionals when really it's a privilege. We should all feel privileged that we can be with people that share the same passion as us and be taught by people that are excited doing their jobs. Other people aren't so lucky and we should try to remember that, to keep ourselves humble.
I admire my family and they have always stressed the importance of being humble and so they understand when I get frustrated about people who just can't see how fortunate they are. They also understand that there isn't a solution for it. It is near impossible to tell people that they are lucky to be in the position they are, when they truly believe it is their right. It is sad but it's not something I like to stress over because it can make you feel unhappy if you think about it for long periods of time.
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? For example, what level of physical contact would you deem appropriate (and not) from another professional that you would find unacceptable more generally? Why?
What I have learnt from Lisa, is that the response given depends on the child and their age. Lisa teaches four year olds all the way up to adults, so she knows how to change her response depending on the situation. What I've learnt with the younger ones is that you have to be very enthusiastic. If you are excited about what you are doing, then they are excited to learn. Getting to the older ages, it's easier to handle to situation because you can treat them like adults but still letting it be a fun learning environment. It's back to what I was saying earlier, about Lisa having the right balance between having an exciting lesson but at the same time keeping the student teacher relationship.
Lisa also talks about the importance of getting to know the students because people learn in different ways. Some students need a lot of positive encouragement and that will motivate them to do better, whilst other students need a firmer approach. Knowing how to approach the students is the key to being a good teacher. Obviously in Dance, it is very normal to see physical contact between the teacher and the student. It's the best way that you can understand what the teacher is asking you to do. Sometimes it is difficult for a teacher to explain verbally what they want you to achieve, so it is more beneficial for them to place you in that position so you can feel the correct way to do it. When I was at college, the teachers would have a chat at the beginning of a new school year explaining that they would be hands on but if anyone was uncomfortable with it, they could have a chat either after class or in private somewhere. I think this is really important because the teacher is explaining that the best way they can show you the correct way is being hands on, but if you uncomfortable with it then you have the option. This shows that the teacher knows the importance of your training and wants you to feel at ease in the environment that you are working in.
Why is it that we find physical contact appropriate in the arts but not anywhere else? The simple answer to that is I don’t know. We can all agree that when we are in a dance class, seeing physical contact is normal but if we saw that in a maths lesson, there would be a completely different response. Why is there a difference? I think just because within the dance world it’s just the norm and people are comfortable with having physical contact because it will help them feel where they need to be. I think its the same with the sporting world. Physical contact between a coach a student would be completely normal as well. It’s probably because it’s needed for those areas of work but for example in an English lesson, there wouldn’t be any need for physical contact.
After answering all the questions, I was wondering what my line of enquiry could be. What was important to me was which question I felt most at ease answering and I felt I could write more about, whilst also challenging myself to new questions. I found that I've talked about the student teacher relationship quite a few times, so I'd like to explore that area more.
- How important is the student teacher relationship?
- Should teachers try to form a bond with their students, or keep it strictly professional?
- How do you get respect from students without them fearing you?
- Is a little bit of fear from the students keep a more disciplined environment?
- How do you decide the punishment for students?
- Should students be sent out if they are disrupting the lesson, even though they are paying for it?
- How can you keep the class entertaining but still being able to keep a professional environment?
I decided that next time I went to class that I would ask Lisa these questions and see how she feels about it.
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