Task 3A

Hello!

So current networks that I have:

Twitter/Facebook

I think these are probably everyone's most used sources of networking these days. You can keep in contact with people who you may have thought you would lose contact with. As well as that, I have found a few of my teaching jobs via Facebook. I am a member of two groups on there that are 'Dance Buddies' and also 'Dance teachers in need'. This is another network in a network as I have lots of contacts should I need cover for any of my classes, help on some of the work etc.

Meeting People

I think this is also a very good way to network and build lasting relationships and contacts. I mentioned this above regarding various groups on Facebook that I am part of. Also back in the day when I used to audition, meeting people and helping each other, in regards to other auditions we had seen that would be good for them and other things. Also the majority of my stable teaching jobs in 3 of my schools are from recommendation and word of mouth, which is great for my self esteem, as I must be doing something right!

Linked In

Now I have an account for this, but I have probably been on it once. During the rest of this study, I would like to be more involved in this as my dad has it, and he is living on it 24/7.

Middlesex Uni

Obviously this is only recently, but I have become part of an online network which is this study. Its great, and I spend lots of time reading the blogs of some of my college friends who I didn't even know were doing this, and I hope to do more networking and make more friends!

The main thing that you have to consider in these sites, and especially in front of people is how you act towards them, or what you put on your sites. As I said, a lot of my work has either come from Facebook, or from word of mouth, and I probably wouldn't have got those jobs if my behaviour was not correct. In my old job (Screwfix/B&Q) they actually employed people just to watch what you put on social networking sites in case you put something that you shouldn't have. I always believe you should watch your behaviour on those sites, as I have seen people come and go from jobs due to what they put. I believe in that, and also punctuality :) (I hate being late for anything - it makes me worry!)

As well as them, I would like to have my own website, showcasing my abilities as a dance teacher/choreographer. It could include status updates from my Twitter/Facebook. I need to do a showreel as well, which I could put on there then. I think these are going to be my ongoing goals which I can record on this blog.

Steph xxx

Task 2D

Hello! It has been a while, but life has gotten in the way but I have now found some free time so I am going to write to my hearts content as I feel I am WAYYYYYY behind!


What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire and who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
In all honesty, I find I get really enthusiastic about music. I can listen to a certain piece of music, and I see myself performing steps or I can see a group dance and where the patterning should be on certain counts. I use Shazam a lot on my phone, if I hear a piece and think to myself 'oooo that would make a good dance solo/group etc' and need to know who it is by so then I can look them up at a later stage and see what else they may have recorded. I also spend a lot of time looking on Youtube on 'So you think you can dance' and now also 'Dance Moms' and see what songs they are choreographing to. I think one of my favourite pieces of music from 'Dance Moms' is this piece which Maddie and Chloe dance to called 'Confessions' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf4eFNXkTCU  My dance teacher at my local school I went to, before embarking on dance college, still makes me admire her even now. Just watching her choreograph a class, or picking music for a show or competition, is incredible. She can choose a piece of music and it will be perfect for the dancer or group, and her choreography imitates that also. I am so pleased that I had the opportunity to dance for her, and she is someone that not only I look up to, I inspire to be like her. Here is one of her pieces that she did 2 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjRr62vh5BU

What get you angry/sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness/anger?
I have read a few blogs now to see what everyone has written on this task (a sneaky bit of concrete experience!!!) and there is a similar theme to this question which I do agree with. What makes me angry/sad is the way this industry has become. I am not the tallest person in the world (coming in at a petite 5"2!) but I have always been determined to prove what I'm worth. I think that got drummed into me when I was slightly younger, in my last years of dance school where I was auditioning for colleges. My dance teachers would always say 'steph you are short, make yourself known and GET TO THE FRONT!' And I kept that throughout my college years and when I was auditioning. I knew some point down the line I would teach, as I have always enjoyed it in the past, but as I left college I had dreams in my head that I would do a cruise or something that would allow me to travel the world! But that was short-lived, as some days I would get right down to the end, and then no one would contact me, or I would get into the room and be cut after 8 counts. I knew what I was letting myself in for doing this career, and you have to learn to be strong and not take these fallbacks personally. At the end of the day, that casting director/employer is looking for a certain type of person, some days you'll fit the typecast, some days you won't. But I am fortunate that I have a job now that doesn't require me to be a certain height, or hair colour, or have a particular skill. The person I admire the most in this certain situation is my best friend and old housemate. She was in the same category as me regards to height wise, and we used to spend a lot of time together wondering what we would do after college. But she is such a determined woman, and will seek out her dream job, and that is what she is doing now. She is on her fourth cruise now and is living her dream, and I couldn't be more proud of her.

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?
The thing I love the most about this job is when I see a student progress not only in their technique but also their confidence. It is such an amazing feeling which bounces off the whole class. The person who I admire that also I feel loves their job for the same reason I do is not only 1 person but I think every teacher in whatever industry. They do that job for the same reason I do it, because it is their passion and they love to see their student achieve and reach for their true potential.

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? (Eg. What level of physical contact would you deem appropriate/inappropriate from another professional that you would find unacceptable more generally and why?)
I like this question as everyone can have a different answer as they have a different perspective on it. For example, in my opinion, I think that in our profession, we are very confident with our bodies and wouldn't find it a problem to get changed in front of each other. However, in another group of friends disassociated with the profession, they would find this situation a little awkward. In regards to discipline, in dance it is very different to say in a normal school class. In a couple of schools that I teach at, we don't have the best facilities, so sometimes in order to show the students how to feel a certain position so they can use their muscle memory to remember it, I have to move them physically with my hands. In a normal school this wouldn't happen, but as my kind of teaching is more physical, that is my reasoning towards it. In any given situation, I have to respond with professionalism and tact, which is probably similar to a school teacher. As we are both employed by someone else, it is not only our names/reputation's on the line, it is the company/school's as well. Sometimes it isn't the answer that the recipient is looking for, but unfortunately you cannot please everyone.




Steph xx

Task 2C - Reflective Theory

Hello,

I've been pondering over this Task for a number of days now, reading and rereading Reader 2, and also other peoples blogs to see what ideas they have come up with, and also trying to think to myself, do I really know what reflective practice is?

I do think I have a better grasp on the concept of reflective thinking, as I am trying to see what I do in regards to it in my everyday life. Being a teacher of such a skilled disciplined genre, I see now not only how I see reflection, but also how much students that I teach see it and also other teachers around me. 

When I was younger, at school we were educated on VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic learning) Gardner, 1983. I think initially, my thoughts were that because I danced and did something physical, that automatically made me a kinaesthetic learner. However, reading Reader 2 and especially Kolb's 'learning cycle, it teaches me that what I originally thought I used to do in regards to reflective practice I don't actually do, but I do a lot more. For this Blog for example, I was using concrete experience as I was looking at other peoples blogs for inspiration. If I myself am dancing, or am learning a new dance, I use reflective observation as I used to find it easier if someone did it first and I copied, or active experimentation - I tried to achieve what my teacher wanted and she would reply with a yes or no answer :)

Now, years on from dancing, as a dance teacher, I think I use both reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and also active experimentation However it does depend on the type of students I am teaching, one school I teach at on a Saturday they are slightly older, so active experimentation is great, as I can say 'lets try this' and they go for it. However some on my classes earlier on in the week they rely on reflective observation due to the fact also that they don't have mirrors and so cannot correct themselves by looking but by feeling. 
Schon's idea of reflection IN action (RIA) and reflection ON action (ROA) is displayed in my everyday teaching as well. If I am choreographing for either my self or others, i tend to use RIA as I like to make the steps up 'on the spot' and then change if it doesn't look right as I see it. To me, the steps may look good in my head as I'm making it up at home, but not to other dancers who are not the same build, height or the same technically as me. I think I have some students who use ROA as they like to know what music I am using, so then they can practice steps they have learnt, and also gives them great opportunity to improvise and make their own ideas to share with me. I really encourage student participation, I want 'my' dance to rather be 'our' dance and I think as some of my schools that I teach at haven't has the chance to do this it makes them more focused and engaged with the class.
Tharp's idea of muscle memory I really enjoyed reading. 'The second time though, however, or trying to explain the steps and patterns to the dancers, she will hesitate, second guess herself, question her muscles, and forget.' I enjoyed this part as I feel very similar to her. As she has been employed to 'Walk into the room and come up with the goods'. Muscle memory I feel is quite difficult to achieve, especially for a young dancer. A school I teach at do not have the luxury of mirrors, and therefore, are having to rely on my imagery that I use to describe how they should feel when in a certain position and also muscle memory. 


Im going to end this blog post with a quote from Tufnell and Crickmay (2004) 
'Without a sense of the body, of sensation and feeling, we lose connection to what is around and within us, to the immediate and present moments of our lives.'


Steph xxx

Dance exams

Hello everyone again,

Well yesterday one of my dance schools were doing their dance exams including me as I was going in with little pre primary ballets - and I'll tell you, I was more nervous I would mess up than they were! 

Everyone was great, all came out smiling and saying how nice the examiner was. There was a few saying they messed up on certain things, but I'm sure it wasn't as bad as they say as these children are passionate about dance almost as much as I am!!

I do enjoy the exam days however, all the children look so nervous before hand, and it's up to me and the other teacher to relax them and reassure them they know what they are doing. And then the next emotion is relief when they finish and leave the room, and a sense of joy and achievement when they receive their results.... So I am looking forward to when they arrive :)

Steph xxx

Task 2a

Hello again,

So writing a journal. When I was younger I always wanted to keep a diary from jan 1st to December 31st but I could never seem to do it. Either I used to forget where I put the diary or got bored of writing exactly the same thing day after day! 

But this time it's different. I've been reading reader 2, and looking at all the different ways we can put across out feelings and thoughts on paper. And I am looking forward to showing you some excerpts :)

I just wanted to finish by showing you a photo of a thankyou card a student gave me yesterday - this justifies why I love and do this job :)

Steph xxx

TASK 1c - Youtube Video

PHEW!!!!!

THANK GOD THAT IS OVER!! I don't really enjoy talking on a video, as I start talking really fast and then stumble over my words. So this was my 8th attempt hope you all enjoy :)

Steph xxx

http://youtu.be/gUy8JEbQJUM

Task 1d - 2d Images

Hi again,

It's Friday! Horray!! I'm at home, fire blazing, glass of wine and a chocolate eclair! What could be better!

Anyway... lets get back to the matter in hand. 2d images. I always believe in the phrase 'A picture is worth a thousand words' as I have so many picture frames of collages of pictures that remind me of good, fun times with friends. They also could remind me of special times with family members, and they also help in regards to advertising - in regards to performers headshots, which in my case need updating all the time as I have a fascination in changing my hairstyle/colour all the time!

I do think it is a shame in this day and age that we have to be careful who we record/take pictures of, especially in regards to dance teachers. I would love to show you some of my dancers work, but now you have to have so many rules and procedures it is a shame. I used to participate in dance competitions, and my parents would have loved to record me to show family/friends, but unfortunately we had to have a fully qualified professional photographer in the theatre, and recording was strictly not allowed. But these rules are set in place for a reason, and they must stay.

So I have instagram, which probably everyone in the world has at the moment until something else slightly better comes out :). With Instagram you can edit pictures to your hearts content and post them on Facebook, Twitter or another social networking site. At the moment the majority of my Instagram is of cakes that I have made (another pastime I have) but I do have some pictures of the 2012 Olympics which I was so fortunate to participate in :) so I will post some of these up on here now for you to all have a look and comment if you wish. My instagram name - SJONES2810 :)

http://instagram.com/p/ORUoqxgYjB/

http://instagram.com/p/ORUoqxgYjB/

http://instagram.com/p/ORUoqxgYjB/

Steph xxx