MA Dance Pedagogy

If I am to reflect on who I am now in relevance to my professional practice and who I was when I started the course, I feel I have made massive leaps and bounds towards understanding more about my professional practice. When I first started the course and wrote my first blog, one student picked it apart so much I had to delete it. I felt vulnerable, on display and under qualified to be taking on this work. I was hesitant to write any blogs after this and kept my learning to myself. Even in my critical reflection in Module 1 I tried to point out all the advantages of learning alone to justify my actions. I then took a break from studying for personal reasons and I truly believed I didn't want to complete the degree anymore. I put off talking to my tutor and again tried to work everything out by myself. I eventually did talk to my tutor, and I explained I no longer wanted to study. She asked me if this was really the case and if perhaps I just needed a bit more time out before cont...

I felt like I was a bit behind with where I wanted to be in the inquiry and felt a little lost. I had a good chat with Adesola about some difficulties I had been having. We discussed the idea that perhaps I was looking at doing too much data collection for the project. I had already done interviews from professional instructors and was preparing to do a couple of focus groups with my colleagues at  workplace and then several observations with different teachers. If there wasn't a time constraint on the inquiry then I would have still quite liked to do these observations and I think I will set these up after the inquiry is over because I know it will be good for my own professional practice - in the vast majority of the interviews, exercise and dance professionals stated that to improve professional practice shadowing and observing fellow professionals was key. Adesola reminded me that having too much data collected and then not much time to anaylse would make my inquiry quite sha...

Just a little one whilst I'm trying to work on my Portfolio.... Professional Networks. I've interpreted them to anyone who can help me continue my development as a professional dance and fitness teacher. Who have you all considered to be in your professional networks and communities of practice? I did a quick mind map of who came to mind straight away when I first thought of them. So on this list I've got the usual friends and teachers from college but I've also added a friend who runs her own business as she helps me indefinitely with the real business side of things and helps me choose a target market to aim for. I also added my Yoga instructor. Might seem an odd choice but not only does she promote my classes during her class, she has helped me work out all sorts of aches and pains that all dancers get some time or another. I think me taking the time to care for my body will mean I'll be able to dance for longer hopefully. So in this sense would you agree...

I just had a really good chat with Paula and we discussed some interesting initial thoughts for Communities of Practice. When I first read reader 3 I had a horrible sinking feeling reading the Communities of Practice section. I didn't believe I had a professional network, a a really stubborn side of me said I didn't need one either. I felt a bit isolated. I have my own small business and although my Dad helps me out with my accounts, he has never danced in his life (apart from it you on 'A brimful of Asha'). So in the arts he isn't in my professional network. So I felt as always I was doing things independently and had never needed or had access to that support network. But after thinking and going on Facebook, my news feed was covered in dance - Ballet, Zumba, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Fitness, Shows, ideas and questions. I realised that subconsciously I actually had a very strong professional network, some of who I spoke to nearly every day! And they were from ...