Saturday 25 October 2014

Reflecting on my teaching practice

Having taught Classical Ballet to several hundred children over the years I realise I have to stay up to date with  my teaching methods.  Not just for the students sake - (anyone else noticed a change in child behaviour in the last twenty years?!) but for my own.  When doing any job or activity for an extended time one has to be careful of falling into constant patterns of sameness.  In this way the job you started because you loved it becomes a pair of old worn slippers - very familiar - putting them on the same way every day until one day you can't bear to wear them again because you find them boring.

I married a pilot 24 years ago and was so thankful for my teaching career, I have been able to teach in several cities in Canada, Austria and now Dubai - wherever there are children there is work!  However, save for the odd course and challenging myself finally academically by completing a BA by long distance I have to say that the thought of preparing students again for more ballet exams and recitals no longer excites me!  I have a portfolio of work this year that includes teaching ballet in three locations across Dubai, working as a mentor for new ballet teachers (this I really love doing!) and writing course work for a new performing arts college here.  I think its moving away from just preparing students for exams and recitals to developing my work outside of the dance classroom that has started to re-energize me.  I'm not sure where this Master's will take me - as a teacher in private dance studios I am already earning the highest hourly wage I can (I think), so it won't help me in that regard.  I would love to work in a university and will eventually go back to Canada but without any experience teaching students in that environment doubt very much that I will be a suitable candidate.

I suppose then I like the idea that this Master's will get me to reflect on my journey from dancer ( a very short 2 years due to injury), then teacher and help me to see value in what I have done.  I do have questions to explore : for example, why are students having trouble memorizing the steps for Grade 4 ballet: how can I improve my teaching to enable that?  is one.


1 comment:

  1. Some great thoughts right here for where your learning journey may take you next Louise, moving beyond the comfy slippers and treading new ground (not only geographically) but in terms of your developing interests through mentoring roles and curriculum design. Let's talk more tomorrow anyway, but some clear AOL and further research pathways here...

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