Task 2d - General thoughts and themes so far (First instalment of task)

Task 2d seemed huge to me and once I started writing I did not stop.  As a result I have made the decision to post the answers to the questions posed in the task in instalments in the hope they will be more manageable to all.  In each post I will specify the question(s) tackled.

• What questions do you have?

The questions below have been formed by my thoughts during the last quarter, and many have been highlighted by my diary entries, some have already been answered, some are works in progress or on going questions and others are ideas I would like to pursue.  I arrived at these questions by using a series of 'spider diagrams' or 'mind maps': 

My General Approach

• Am I too hard on the kids/myself and are my expectations too great?
  
• Do I give enough/too much verbal instruction?
  
• Do I demonstrate enough/too much?
• Do I deal well with unexpected situations? How often do these arise?
• Am I prepared enough? How could I further prepare?
  
• Is my subject knowledge great enough? What CPD could I do?
  
• Is my knowledge of what is going on outside of my classroom i.e school policies, venue policies, show information good enough?

Music

• How did I go about choosing music for shows/class?  Is there a difference? What are my sources?
• Should I listened more carefully to the music I chose to be sure there are no count anomalies, inappropriate lyrics or other potential problems?
• With specific regard to show music, should I have made final edits before starting the choreography?
  
• Are there courses on Apps - for example Garage Band? Is my knowledge great enough on this area?

Choreography

• How did I choose the music? How have I chosen music previously?
  
• Where do ideas come from?
  
• Is it okay to watch YouTube etc to get ideas?
  
• What if your ideas don't work? - How late is too late to start again?

The Studio

• New venue: is it the right place for me?
  
• New ventures: am I brave enough?
  
• Communication: is it going to be a problem? 

Working life balance

• How much work am I doing outside of the classroom unrelated to my classes? eg, meetings, dinners, visits.
  
• How much work am I doing outside of the classroom related to my classes? eg choreography, music editing, planning.
  
• How is one effecting the other?
  
• How much additional time am I giving to the studio outside of the above? eg going in on my days off, taking on extra lessons.
• How much time do I spend trying to figure out ways of working technology? e.g. how to change the design on my blog, how to use 'tempo slow', which is the best device to use for which task.

Things I would like to introduce to the studio

• Current schedule: Re-jigging the timetable to add additional classes for the children e.g strengthening. Push children forward. Get children off the waiting list.
  
• Examination system: Can I get an examination system over here? Approach the ISTD
  
• How/Why would an examination system be beneficial?
  
• Where can I take the Jazz programme for competitions - Look into Asian competitions and their requirements
  
• When would all of this be feasible?

General questions

• Why are foreign students more flexible than those in the UK?
  
• What training systems are in place in other countries?
  
• What are they producing that the UK isn't?
  
• What is the UK producing that they aren't.
  
• What differences have I noticed between the Asian and Western dancer?
  
• Could I arrange a trip to America this summer to train/watch some classes there?
  
• Training: What CPD do I want to undertake this year/What qualifications do I want to work for? Is this honestly feasible?
  
• What summer schools should I send the students on? What is right for them?
• When will I stop feeling like I'm going to get found out?