Developing lines of professional inquiry
Choosing a topic for my inquiry has motivated me to think outside the box. This year has been a year of change for me and my goals and ambitions have altered and somehow gone in a different direction. I feel I am trying to make a transition from performing to teaching and I need to know how I am going to get to where I want and how I can develop and expand my teaching knowledge in order for me to be successful in my chosen career.
I found the quote ‘enquiry based learning inspires students to learn for themselves bringing a real research- orientated approach to the subject’ Dr Bill Hutchings (What is enquiry based learning? – Centre for excellence in enquiry-based learning). This inspired me to find a topic related to my practice that will excite, motivate and challenge me for present and future research. Allowing me to not only gain a deeper understanding of the subject-matter, but also the knowledge, development and leadership skills required for tackling complex problems that occur in the real world.
Finding lines of inquiry need to be relevant to my needs allowing me to engage more with the subject whilst giving me enthusiasm to learn. ‘How to research’ (Loraine Blaxter, Christina Hughes, Malcolm Tight, 2010 – 4th edition) led me to thoughts and questions relating to choosing my topic:
- How would this inquiry benefit my practice?
- Would this inquiry challenge and excite me?
- What resources do I have to follow up my line of inquiry?
- Does the inquiry relate to my interests?
- Will this inquiry allow me to fully explore the subject and lead to further questioning?
- What would be the value of me researching and exploring this topic?
These questions enabled me to draw up the focal points and interests of my life and how they could help me decide on a topic.
Interests and Inspirations:
- Communicating
- New ways and methods of learning
- Performing
- Creativity
- Teaching
- Health and Fitness
- Music
- Yoga
- Reading/Listening/Watching
- Socialising
- Communicating
- Dance psychology
These are my main areas of focus points and interests in my life. All of which I feel link together giving me an influence to choose a topic. I am certain I want focus on the teaching aspect as that is where I see my future lying although I am very interested in psychology and relating methods of psychology to dancers . It appears to me that there is a broad spectrum of learning development and research to enable me to look further into and expand my knowledge on my chosen subject.
Initial Questions (Lines of inquiry)
- How would you teach a class of students/children at different levels with different capabilities and skills? Without holding the more capable students back but also not making the class too difficult and advanced for the less capable students?
- How would you get the best out of every student without focusing all your attention on the students with more potential than others?
- What strategies and methods do you have to help with the continuous improvement of students?
Discovering boundaries?
Motivational strategies?
Creating an enabling environment?
Creating positive relationships?
- When a student/child is constantly distracting the class and demanding attention from you – how would you keep the class moving forward without wasting time constantly having to speak to the demanding child?
- How would you keep children fully engaged when they start to get distracted whilst also keeping your lesson plans and objectives in tact?
These 5 questions are area’s I want to look into and research more about to allow me to teach a class to my best ability allowing the children to make sufficient progress. I know that these questions relate to almost any teacher in varied subjects as well as dance. I have decided to pass these questions on to a variety of different teachers and see the outcome and feedback I get allowing me to link it to my practice.
Although I believe these questions will give me an understanding of how different types of teachers deal with different situations and the varied methods, strategies and qualities of an experienced teacher, I however have 3 dance related questions which really interest and motivate me to research more about:
-Aspects of psychology for dancers?
- Psychological tools for performance enhancement and well being in a dancer?
- How different performers have different states of minds before and during performance? (Empathizing and systemizing) – Systemizing dancers are likely to focus more on the structure of the steps and neglect the audience’s perception of the performance whereas empathizing dancers are likely to focus more on the third party perceptions of the dance performance and neglect the details associated with the structure, or technique, of the dance.
These 3 questions form synergy and I feel further research could help link in with my teaching.
Hi Melanie,
ReplyDeleteGood to see you starting with module two! I have too but it's all wrote in notes and ready to type up!
Your questions and ways thinking are really similar to what I am asking in my daily practice. I work with many lower attaining children and I constantly think "how do teachers plan the lessons and when they actually come to life does it work as well as it's stated on paper?"
I am going to create a SIG soon and I will defiantly be connecting with you more due to the common interest we share.
Thank you for the read it's really great to see why you think these questions as it gives a reason to your leadin inquiry.
Looking critically at your questions this one below stood out to me in particular....
- What strategies and methods do you have to help with the continuous improvement of students?
Discovering boundaries?
Motivational strategies?
Creating an enabling environment?
Creating positive relationships?
I feel that giving the option of various reason is a good thought provoking concept however prehaps it could be slightly manipulating the person answering the questions. Of course you don't want a broad question but perhaps leave more thinking space within your questions to ensure you get a "real, honest opinion back"
Hope this helps you with the reflection of your questions I will soon answer them and email my answers to you! If I could have your email to create a SIG? I'll be blogging my email soon.
Best wishes
Beth x
Hey Beth,
ReplyDeleteI know I was thinking that you may have similar questions from reading all your blogs from Module 1. I completely think that way to. Sometimes I teach and come out and the lesson has gone to plan and I have completed everything I set out to do with the students and then other lessons will be the complete opposite, I will come out having done something completely different to what I intended to do. I often wonder is it normal for that to happen? or do experienced teachers get what they want out of every single lesson?
I will soon find out more when I get some feedback from my questions. I would love it if you could answer a few for me and send me them in an email. In regards to the SIG, yes I will be connecting with you for sure and I hope we can share some thoughts and ideas that will benefit us both.
I understand totally what you say about my question on the strategies but the reason I done the sub questions was because they were the 3 areas I was particulary interested in finding out more about. I know if I left the question open then it would allow the person answering to be a lot more specific on what they feel and want to talk about. So I may add another question relating to it and leave it open to see the different opinions from other teachers.
My email is melanie.cannon8@gmail.com. I will look out for your email!
Thanks for the feedback Beth its always great to hear somebody elses opinion.
Take Care
Mel x
Hi Melanie
ReplyDeleteI've been a fully qualified teacher for 12 years, and my experience successfully deviating from the lesson plan, is both a natural path (usually led by the learner) and an admirable quality (held by the teacher). Educating others in not about getting what you want out of the lesson, instead about the subjects engaging, understanding and ultimately learning.
I cannot speak for the academic world, but one of the assessment criteria as a dance teacher is that we are able to suitably deviate from a lesson plan, should the necessity arise. As long as in your reflection you are able to justify your reasoning, and the subjects are achieving there is no problem. For example, the other day I told my children I wanted them to take 'jazz tendu' to commence. They hadn't been taught jazz tendu (something I would consider a fundamental for them to have covered by this level, even if they did not know it by name). Therefore, I spent time explaining how to achieve the position, how it should look aesthetically (demonstrating, giving them a visual reference) and what faults they need to be aware of to ensure they don't fall into any common traps. I then gave them time to organise the position, using various tools (the mirror, their peers, kinaesthetic awareness etc) in the hope it would begin to commit to muscle memory.
This wasn't on my plan, but in order to achieve the long game (strong technique, knowledge, and competency) I had to cut the short game (that days lesson plan).
Hope this reassures you?
Take care
Megan
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteIts really good to hear feedback from a teacher so experienced as I am new to teaching and still learning methods and strategies of teaching a big class. At the start of Septemeber I was shadowing other teachers which I found really beneficial however I am now taking classes on my own and am passionate about the children getting the most out of my classes.
When I say 'Do teachers get what they want out of every lesson' I have probably not worded this the best as I didnt mean getting stuff out of the class for ourselves, what I did mean was 'Do teachers come out of the lesson and all their objectives and plans for that lesson have taken place?' But you have now answered that for me with the 'jazz tendu' example which has reassured me that its normal for lessons to change to what you had in mind.
I would love it if you could answer a few of my questions and email them to me. As I am keen to see a variety of experienced teachers opinions on how they deal with situations.
This question in particular is on my mind this week:
- When a student/child is constantly distracting the class and demanding attention from you – how would you keep the class moving forward without wasting time constantly having to speak to the demanding child?
I teach a class on a Tuesday and I have about 3 children who constantly distract the class week in week out. I feel as though I repeat myself the whole class trying to move forward with the lesson but also having to stop and tell these children to stop messing around. It's hard to know how to deal with them. Part of me wanted to tell them they can't join in next week if they carry on behaving the way they have been all lesson but on the otherhand I want them to learn and don't feel that would be a good idea.
I would appreciate if you could give me some feedback on this and how you deal with situations or similar situations like this?
Thanks Megan, Take care.
Mel
Hi Mel
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog, i feel that we have similar lines of Inquiry.I think we will be able to have some great discussions during this Module!
On my blog you will see that i have just listed questions that i had and i know i have to narrow these and was wondering if you could have a look and see what you think?!?
"-Aspects of psychology for dancers?
- Psychological tools for performance enhancement and well being in a dancer?
- How different performers have different states of minds before and during performance?"
This section of your blog stood out to me as i am interested in the psychology of dancers, i was wondering what lines of inquiry you may have surrounding this area? I'm very passionate about the pressure of the industry and how this affects dances psychology. E.g Eating disorders, self-doubt etc
Heather X
Hi Mel
ReplyDeleteIs it a group of children, or just one child. I would handle the situation differently, depending on the answer.
If it's one child, and it's constant I would ignore the poor behaviour and praise the good behaviour (of everyone) as much as possible in the hope that they are just looking for attention and I can guide them in the correct direction. I would also have a chat with the parent and see if there is a problem elsewhere.
With younger children I often remind them all to put their "dance brain" in at the start of class and we go to the pretend cupboard and get out our pretend locked box etc etc. I can then "remind" them of anything I'd like them to think about during the lesson. Set out your expectations.
If one of my children older children/students does something I don't approve of etc I do speak to them about it - they might not know it is inappropriate. Once I've explained, I don't expect to see them doing it again. They appreciate my fairness, I appreciate their cooperation! If they don't cooperate, I'm not fair...
I think it's much more beneficial for the children to feel as though they have been rewarded, rather than reprimanded. Words mean a lot. Also, establishing rules and boundaries and sticking to them is vital.
I hope this helps? And if it makes you feel any better, I had a child who decided to sit under the table for nearly the whole lesson the other day. I got down on her level and had a chat with her, let her know I wasn't a witch and then left her to it. I checked a few times if she wanted to join in, but from across the room whilst I was instructing the rest of the class. She didn't, and I left her to it. 15 minutes before the end she came out and has been a dream ever since. Kids have bad days too!