Reader 4 and Task 4a

I've just finished reading Reader 4 finally and one of the big things that caught my eye was the idea of the many benefits and disadvantages of having a team at work. As a self employed person who runs a business single handed, I wondered how this might affect research and learning; if it would give me a bigger advantage, looking at the idea of how a team at work is employed to get different jobs done in a practical and efficient manner, and may not allow much time for process, research and developing ideas. On the other hand, the disadvantages would be something I looked into during module 1, although SIG's and Communities of Practice can be created and/or are already there, having someone in person with you on a day to day basis perhaps gives more scope to constantly give and receive ideas and knowledge from the other people you work with.

Anyway I think ultimately, whether it is a bigger disadvantage or not, that's my situation at the moment so I will just do the best I can with it.

I've been trying to come up with a set of questions for the Task 4a. I just can't seem to connect properly with an idea as of yet. Things I'd briefly like to look at are:


How different teaching styles affect dance students and teaching dance in general - I've had a lot of different types of dance teachers, some I've loved and others I've detested. I know I myself am a certain type of dance teacher appreciate not everyone will like my style of teaching. I know I work my best when teachers encourage me so that has influenced the way I teach. Other people get on better when teachers are mean to them, tell them they must do better. You can see the logic, as it makes some people want to prove them wrong. However for people with a slightly lower self esteem this technique may not work .They may sink lower instead of rising higher.

I don't wish to change how I teach but there is always more to learn, and if I can understand more about what people need from a dance teacher I can develop more efficiently in my learning. Teaching dance is what I'd like my specialism title to be in as I'd like to go on to teach 6th form and college students dance so I think it would be useful to plan an inquiry around teaching. What other ideas could be useful to develop around teaching? Perhaps teaching people with a mental illness or teaching rehabilitation to people who've been ill and other special population groups.

Teaching ante and post natal dance. - I'm currently studying towards a qualification to teach this special population group so it might be interesting to look at this as my inquiry. It would be focused on how the body changes but also on the mind of a pregnant person. So far I've looked at how women may get defensive about exercising as they are worried about harming their baby. This is completely understandable and must be treated sensitively. But it would be interesting to look at whether dancing had any affect on giving birth (some people think Ballet dancers give birth easier due to having better control of their pelvic floor) or after the birth. I would also like to look at the sensitivity needed to teach this subject and the adaptations needed in not only the different exercises performed but also my own teaching style.

Are dance classes always good for people? Or can they come with a negative feeling and affect self confidence  - we are told by the government that exercise is always good for you. And was an adamant believer of this and I felt the positive affects of exercise. But my boyfriend was ill for a period of just under a year (last year) and I suggested exercising to him as I thought it would help create endorphins to make him feel better. But he was so fatigued that exercising seemed to make him worse! Many people generally believe that you have to get through that brick wall when feeling depressed or ill and eventually you'll be able to push through and exercise will make you better. But I did a lot of research and spoke to some of Nick's doctors and they explained that sometimes the body cannot cope with exercise, and it doesn't make you better. That's just one aspect of this topic.

The other aspect is does dance class always leave you feeling good mentally? Whilst training in performing arts we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, not just our technique but our style of dance, physical appearance, weight, even things we can do nothing about, like face shape and height. I appreciate not everyone feels like this if they have a good self esteem, I didn't when I went to college and I took me a long time after to feel OK with myself and my own dance style again. Sometimes class did not leave me feeling good. It left me feeling like I was in the wrong place, I was too fat, I couldn't do it. But that completely contradicts all we hear about dance classes making you feel great, sweating out your problems and forgetting your worries. So what is it that changes? The teacher? The people? The atmosphere? The element of competition?

I think it might be interesting to work out how many elements need to be added/removed/changed to create a class that leaves you feeling great. Maybe its the fact that there is no showing the routine off at the end to fellow class mates. Maybe its the lack of technique in non-professional classes that allow participants to let themselves go, where as the professional class attendants always have to hold on to their technique on some level.

So here are my ideas. Would love to hear your thoughts! I appreciate I'd further behind than you all but I'm hoping to catch up x