Task 2d - Gaining understanding (third 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.

Questions I will attempt to answer in this blog:

• What do you feel you don't understand?
  
  
• Who do you admire who does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making you understanding it interesting or beautiful or has asked the same questions as you?

I have previously blogged about various things I don't understand. Some additional things I don't understand, which could be possible further lines of inquiry related to my understanding, or lack of it are:

• Are turns luck or technique?
  
• Why doesn't your body always do what you want it to?
  
• Anatomy beyond the norm (the hip bone's connected to the...)
  
• How can you excel in one genre, and fail in another?
  
• Why some students just don't 'get it'

I was a late starter in the dance world taking up Modern and Tap at the age of 11 and Ballet and Jazz at 13. However this didn't stop me excelling as I had a wonderful teacher who gave me a secure foundation in dance.  Despite throughout my formative years and as a student being a strong all-rounder with equal results in all genres Ballet is a discipline I chose not to major in many years ago, and although qualified teach minimal lessons instead choosing the Tap and Jazz (Modern) route. As a genre Ballet continues to intrigue me as it is where I feel the greatest deficit in my general dance knowledge lays. I question both myself and my ability a lot. 


During last academic year I decided it would be beneficial for me to attend regular classes and lectures in all disciplines and in addition I took a Ballet course during the summer to try and deepen my knowledge of the subject. During this time I was fortunate enough to work with some great professionals and gained a lot of knowledge, but there is so much still to learn. Some teachers that standout from last years experience are:


Jayne Cooper. Jayne is a DDI/DDE coach and inactive examiner for the ISTD. She also holds her Fellowship with the ISTD, trained at Elmhurst and is currently a JA coach for The Royal Ballet School's Associate Programme. Jayne's knowledge on the teaching of ballet is incredible, she is a wonderful dancer and I could listen to her talk for hours. I undertook my DDE training with Jayne, and therefore spent a lot of time in lectures. Some of my favourite lectures with Jayne were:

• Turns are technique
  
• Hitting highlights
  
• Getting ready for pointe work
  
• Training outside of the syllabus
  
• Training turnout
  
  

I admire Jayne's confidence in her work, and the extent of her knowledge. She helped to highlight and fill some huge gaps in my knowledge.  Jayne's lessons were mentally exhausting, but incredibly rewarding. 


Amanda Frescura. Amanda has lectured in anatomy and physiology, is qualified to teach Pilates and Ballet (L.I.S.T.D) with the ISTD and trained at The Royal Ballet. Lessons with Amanda were more practical based than Jayne's lessons and we were given a many corrections to take on board and maintain. I found Amanda's lessons difficult yet took away a lot of knowledge from these classes which I use everyday in my own practice. Amanda explained that there were just certain things my limited facility (which I think I have developed through lack of use over the years) in Ballet wouldn't let me do, and ballet at Advanced level was always going to be a struggle. She pulled me up on a lot of faults I had developed over the years and helped to enhance my knowledge of:

• Execution of movement
  
• Vocabulary
  
• Kinaesthetic awareness/proprioception
  
• Co-ordination of ports de bras

I think I have professional respect for Amanda, rather than admiration. She has achieved a lot, and very well. Personally, Amanda did not inspire me to dance or reignite my love for Ballet, instead giving me valuable additional tools and skills to transfer into my everyday teaching practice.


Kathy Plaster allowed me to dance, without judgement, and I have always said she could teach me to count peas and I would enjoy it. I love everything about her lessons. I felt that my personal development as a dancer was best when I was with Kathy. She allowed me to put into practice, without fear, what I had learned in other classes. Kathy has also been my main mentor in my advanced dance and higher level teaching qualifications in Modern and Tap, both genres in which I have excelled. There are so many reasons why I admire Kathy:

• She is my oracle
  
• She has given her life to her school/college
  
• She is a great teacher
  
• She has extensive knowledge on dance
  
• She believes in people

Whilst studying I discovered that my anatomical knowledge is lacking, past the basics required for the job. I was desperate to find reasons as to why I was no longer able to execute my ballet in the way I previously had as a student. One obvious answer is maybe I was never as good as I thought I was. Whilst trying to improve my turnout and general hip mobility and flexibility I had a conversation with a friend, who happens to be a personal trainer, about the bone on the inside of my thigh between my groin and my inner thigh and how I was was stopping me getting any further in the box splits. There is, of course, no bone there. I just have what we as dancers would call tight muscles. Between Lisa Howell and Adrian Pell I have gained a greater understanding of both anatomy and flexibility and how knowledge, correct training, massage and yoga can fix pretty much anything. I find this all fascinating and would love to look into this further, along with how different countries look at the training of strength and flexibly within the industry (not Ballet specifically), how they help their dancers to achieve in this area, what is proven to work and how strength and flexibility go hand in hand.


Something I have particularly struggled with in my training as a Ballet teacher is asking the pianist for specific music. Having been fortunate enough to have a pianist during both my initial and further training and having worked with a pianist for many years in the early stages of my career I am good with the classroom management of using a pianist, and am able to sing what I require whilst marking it through so the pianist understands. Having studied both the flute and piano in my youth, and having an A level in music I also understand time signatures but am unable to ask for, say, a Polonaise, and count it. However this experience was not as broad as the teaching qualification required and this aspect was setting me back in my training – I needed to be able to state the specific rhythm I wanted.


During the Ballet course this summer we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with a very experienced ballet pianist. Kate (I am currently unsure of her surname) was fantastic in her explanations, and was able to provide immediate examples of how a particular rhythm sounded. She understood dance far more than I understood music and immediately knew whether something would work on a certain rhythm. This really was an unmeasurable experience.


In my experience there are also things you once understood but loose along the way. The importance of posture is something that I have always known and always taught and referenced in class. However during my Licentiate examination the examiner said to me “that child will never get an 'A' with posture like that” I was devastated as the examiner had no idea how far this child had come in a year, or how hard she had worked. The girl in question has a very difficult body and had done so well to get to where she was. This made me think about whether I had worked hard enough on posture in general over the years? Did I fully understand its value to movement? I thought I did. It is interesting that the school I am currently working at talks almost non-stop about posture. Am I noticing this because of the criticism? Or is higher emphasis placed on it here? It is certainly something I took on board.


I often struggle understand why a child can't achieve something which I might consider basic at that level. I have enough experience to know what is and is not achievable for an age group and to have a variety of ways to help different learners. I also know my students well enough to understand their limitations and capabilities. But sometimes you have a child who just can't get something. There are also times when things just look strange and I can't work out why, or think of a way to correct them.


I once read on twitter, under the @LaineTheatreArt hashtag #BabsQuotes with reference to Barbra Evans F.I.S.T.D “I don't know why but you just look weird, sort it out” And thought to myself, I don't know how many times I have thought this whilst teaching. Barbra Evans is an incredibly well respected teacher at one of the UKs leading dance colleges. She is also holds the Fellowship qualification (highest teaching qualification available) with the ISTD. I obviously don't know if this quote is factual and have never met the lady, but it makes me feel so much better that a teacher at this level working with some of the most talented students in the UK doesn't know what to do on occasion and allows me to understand and accept that I don't need to have all the answers.

Task 2d – Ethical Code of Practice (second 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.

In the section below I have looked at the questions referring to my Ethical Code of Practice.

According to www.businessdictionary.com an ethical code of practice is “A written set of guidelines issued by an organisation to its workers and management to help them conduct their actions in accordance with its primary values and ethical standards” However for the purposes of the BAPP we are talking about the personal reflection of ones own Professional Practice.

The questions I am going to attempt to answer in this blog are:

• Do you see practice that makes you question your ethical code of practice or your personal sense of relatively appropriate behaviour?

• To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more generally in society?

• How do you decide on the appropriate ethical response in a given situation?

Gone are the days, in my experience, that the Ballet mistress throws items across the room or hits someone with a stick. However dance remains a discipline as well as an art and a classroom requires rules and boundaries. The practice of dance and its teaching have always been very hands on despite the level you are working at. I believe there to be a distinct difference between discipline and physical contact with the fusion and confusion of both being categorically unethical in any situation. That is not to say that discipline does not rule in a dance studio environment, that there is no physical contact or that they are not used concurrently, but that it should not be used as, and is not, one and the same thing.

Whilst undertaking work at other schools, I have in the past seen behaviour that I might consider detrimental to businesses, although not necessarily questionable towards the children. Having noted this behaviour and its potential perception by others, I've passed comment privately to the principal for them to deal with as they see fit. For example, people smoking in view of the entrance to the studio, the body language of staff sitting around in public areas and the tone in which colleagues are over heard addressing each other, and at times, the subject or content of their conversations.

As a business owner in the UK I had very clear policies on behaviour and discipline for both staff and students and in addition ensured every parent signed an enrolment form before their child joined the school. This form contained a section regarding expectations and personal contact ensuring everyone was clear about the practice of the latter and the reasons behind why it was not just necessary but essential in the studio environment. I personally have never had any situations arising from physical contact with a student, but I know of teachers who have, and it has affected their confidence. Physical content within dance is a necessity.

Within my classroom, in the speed of the moment but very definitely not in the heat of the moment I often move children around by their arm if they are in the wrong place, turn them by their head if they are facing the wrong direction (I have been told that 'you must not move a student by their bun' or similar is in the RAD code of conduct), give them a gentle push in the direction that I wish them to travel in if they are not moving fast enough/travelling enough or physically save them from the path of danger by various means, but I do not consider this ethically questionable. In these instances the children can see in my body language, facial expressions and if I am talking can hear my tone. Usually this will happen if they have not fully understood a vocal instruction or physical demonstration. They know there is no malice in what I am doing, Would I do most of this to someone in the street? No. I'd have no need. They are not under my direction or creative control and their safety is not my responsibility.

As a 'student' partaking in CPD courses I would fully expect to be poked and prodded and maybe even lightly slapped by the director of that course, in an appropriate situation. That is not to say I believe it to be ethically correct but it is accepted and it would never occur to me to complain or question it. I put my trust in my tutors the way others put their trust in me.

The major difference that springs to mind regarding discipline within the dance world and the outside work is the almost constant negative comments regarding someone's work, regardless of the level at which they are studying/performing. Students and professionals alike are often told that what they are doing is not good enough with one of the main reasons being because dance uses muscle memory meaning it is important to learn and execute correctly: time spent now is time saved later! I have been on both the receiving and giving end of this (sometimes hard, sometimes heartbreaking) criticism. This includes the need to comment on, for example, the aesthetics and employment of someones muscles, their subjects expression and the quality of their work. Students often see this as being 'told off' or 'picked on' and they would almost certainly consider it to be them being disciplined by authority as opposed to perceiving it as needing to be more disciplined within themselves and their own approach to their practice. One of my teachers always used to say “Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent...Learn it once, learn it right”

As a member of an awarding body I am bound by their 'Code of Conduct'. Obviously this is down to interpretation but I believe myself to be a fair, honest and trustworthy person with good principles which I integrate into every aspect of my life. The ISTD's fundamental principles are:

• Integrity
• Objectivity
• Competency

I don't think I consciously consider the principles of the ISTD's Code of Conduct when responding to a situation; instead responding the way I believe best at the time based on the knowledge I have of the current situation and my previous knowledge and responses.

Reflecting on my general practice both within and outside my classroom; I have admitted for many years that my expectations of both the children and myself are high. At times I can be overly hard on my students and classes aren't always 'fun', although usually enjoyable. I don't consider 'fun' to be an important element of training past the initial stages of gaining a child's interest. I am quite 'old school' in the conduct of my lessons, if you questioned my students I think (or hope) they would say I am strict yet fair. I believe it works: The students keep returning, I continue to get results and the parents are all 'on side'. Everyone understands that everything I do is for the students development.

During a dance class due to the fast pace of the class, often I am reflecting in action with my response. If the situation is between two students and I have not seen what has happened I always enquire as to the circumstances, outcome usually being both parties apologising and everyone moving on swiftly so as not to dwell and maintain the pace of the class.

When speaking with parents outside of the classroom decisions are not necessarily as immediate as within the class given that we are usually one on one, I have more time to think about their concerns and I am able (time permitting) to structure my response, however I would consider this to be somewhere between reflecting in action and reflecting on action.

In an event that has not been brought to my attention during class (or I have not had time to deal with the parents concern at class) and instead has the situation has been brought to my attention in email format I am able to think more critically about the situation and reflect upon the facts I have been presented with allowing me to reflect on action. I personally feel I a give a better response to most situations outside of the classroom (good or bad) via email as I have had time to think the situation through from all angles before replying or offering suggestions.

One of the biggest difficulties, in my opinion, for any teacher is dealing with students that they just don't like, or that have been problematic for some time. For me, these children have been few and far between over the years but there have definitely been some memorable ones. I personally have never (knowingly) let on that I do not like a child. Conversely it is important that favourites are not shown – we all have personalities we are drawn too, dancers whose styles we like, students who just have the right body or students that are good but it remains important to ensure that each child feels valued and safe within the classroom environment. Valued and safe is not to be confused with unchallenged in any aspect.

For me, the greater questions here are: To what extent do expectations/standards differ within dance to those which might be demanded generally in society. How are these expectations perceived and met by those upon which they are imposed e.g Teachers, Students, Parents etc. And what are the ethical considerations surrounding these issues. 

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? 

Task 2b....Part b!

I wasn't completely clear on what Task 2b was, as I explained in Task 2b confusion - HELP! So I thought I would attempt cover all bases with Reflective journal, Task 2b, part A, and this blog. Let's hope.

The problem with not knowing something, is that you don't realise that you don't know it. That is, until you need to know it and realise there is a hole.  The problems that come with realising you don't know something are huge.  Take not knowing how to spell something, for example.  The dictionary is there.  You (hopefully) have the knowledge to go to the place to find out, but what do you do once you're there? If indeed you do not know how to spell something, where do you start?  Your current knowledge extends to the means to find the dictionary and potentially first letter. You could probably even take an educated guess at the second and third.  But what then?  Let's take scissors, for example. How would a dictionary every help you to spell this word if you did not already have the knowledge that 'c' was the second letter. I genuinely spent five minutes earlier trying to establish how to spell discipline. The answer these days is, obviously, Google. 

I have noticed of late that I have some gaps in my knowledge of terminology.  These were not gaps that were apparent when teaching ISTD Ballet in the UK. Although as a teacher my ballet classes are, and have always been few and far between.  And I have always, if I'm honest, thought of my Ballet steps etc in Jazz terms and translated them, almost like a foreign language (and this has served me well for a number of years!) However the school that I am currently working with teaches the syllabi of the RAD and not the ISTD (where I hold my qualifications). Nevertheless both are Imperial Ballet and even as a late comer I studied both, up to grade 5 (circa 1998) after which I moved to the syllabi of the ISTD to take my majors. 

Each week I teach two Ballet classes, along with a full programme of Tap and Jazz. The differences between the awarding bodies are slight, but definite. On the most basic of levels, I need to remember to refer to my arm positions in numbers. It also seems to me the RAD do not differentiate between their ronds de jambe a terre and their assembles soutenus, although I am yet to clarify this as it makes little difference providing I am clear when setting my choreography.

I am fortunate enough to be working with a Licentiate of the RAD and she is able to clarify anything I notice in class, I think of her as my 'Ballet Google'.  I have other Googles too.  The principal of my old college is my Google for most things dance related and my assistant here is my Google for all things China related.

Last week I asked the girls for a pose assembles soutenus en tournant at the end of an exercise.  I know that my pose assemble soutenus are correct because I spent all of last year studying for the ISTD DDE Ballet examination and went on the ISTD's residential ballet course (a very brave move for a Modern and Tap - er)  this summer and we had to analyse the movement (amongst a lot of other steps!) individually in front of the class during the week. The girls were missing out the circular movement and I so went through the step, action by action, including directions with them to resolve any uncertainty.  

In the same class they were also unable to execute echappes sautés battus femme beating on both the journey out, and the journey in with or without a change of feet.  I was particularly surprised by this as it would be expected at Grade 5/6 level in ISTD and these girls are Advanced 1 RAD. 

The following day I spoke with my boss, and discovered:

- The RAD do not circle their pose assembles soutenus en tournant

- The RAD do not expect echappes sautés battus femme beating on both journeys either with or without a change of feet until Advanced 2.

This week I went back in and apologised to the girls.  But given that it is a competition class stressed the importance of being able to adapt steps and having knowledge of what is required by other bodies/a vehicle to assess yourself against.  There is also the possibility that when they move on, as many families do here once their contract is up, they will not be able to find an RAD school.  We are therefore giving them the best possible broad ballet education we can. 

Following this conversation later in the class I taught and asked the girls to perform the 1st Set Allegro from ISTD Intermediate Ballet to see how they faired, and asked them (as would be expected) to dance this four times. I was surprised to see them struggling with their stamina. Since taking on the Jazz and Tap programme I have already established a strength and flexibility class  (as I believe one without the other is useless) on top of their Jazz and Ballet timetable, and will now look to increase their cardiovascular work throughout the week. Cardiovascular fitness is often a problem in dance, and I believe this is due to the anaerobic nature of the discipline. The girls had no problem technically with the work, even when asked to dance the allegro through (after a brief moment) another four times, beaten. 

Below is a list establishing the 'What, Where, Why, When and How' I have taken away from the above 

What didn't I know?

- RAD execute steps differently

- RAD have different expectations at different level

- Girls need to work on stamina

Where did/do I find the resources to improve my knowledge?

- Speak with my boss

- Current knowledge

- Use the internet

Why didn't I know this anyway?

- Because I am only qualified with the ISTD and ballet is my weakest subject.

- Because I have only been teaching the girls for four weeks and I am still learning their abilities and limitations

When did/will I put this knowledge into practice?

- During the girls last lesson

- in there subsequent lessons (not just with me, I will speak with their other teacher and see what can be achieved)

How can I help the girls to work on these things/improve my knowledge?

- Give more cardiovascular work in each lesson - making exercises longer for stamina

- Ensure I am clear with my explanation and demonstration so they are able to hear and see what I require

- Clarify their execution with them, and check with my boss if unsure

In this case of this blog, I have spoken to the girls involved and asked them if they would be willing subjects.

Task 2b...Part a!

I feel good about my ideas on task 2a and I'm confident I made the right choices, however as described in Task 2a - Reflective journal I struggled a little with writing my journal in the different styles.  Being incredibly strong minded, I have to admit to, on occasion, not being very open to ideas which are not my own, or that I do not see as beneficial.  Especially when not able to talk them through with someone who thinks they are a good idea! Nevertheless, I attempted to write my blog in the styles suggested.

Some of the styles were fairly straight forward, and not a long way from my own style, again described in Task 2a - Reflective journal 

The first four styles: Description, Initial Reflection, List and Evaluation were just isolated version of parts of my own style.  Graphs, charts and diagrams at least lead me to learn how to make a flow chart.  I found these all useful in their own right and although I have not changed my style because of them I at least understand the way I choose to write. 

"What if?"  And "Another View" however, were less helpful. I don't have the time in the day to reflect on every situation that could have arisen.  I understand that this is useful for some processes e.g Risk Assessments or when trying to puzzle through an event that has not yet happened for example, how best to run the whole school rehearsal of a show?  "What if we tried...?"  What about if...?" "What happens when...?" but in the instance of an everyday journal could be detrimental to my sanity... and time consuming (never-ending). 

Another view is interesting, and I like the idea of looking at the day from the perspective of someone you have had a professional disagreement with, but teaching dance is an isolating job and I am rarely around other adults to have a professional disagreement - I also, on the whole look at most situations as a conversation arriving at a collaborative outcome, and not a disagreement. I know if I wrote from the perspective of the children they would sometimes wish I wasn't being so hard on them, or from the perspective of the parents they might wonder what exactly I was shouting about this time (often, but not always, I am just shouting over the music so the children can hear me). But I already know this, I've already reflected on it. In an update to Facebook before the summer I wrote:

"I'm always really hard on my kids; they might not always love me for it but it always pays off. Today the examiner said: "Their teacher deserves a medal, they really knew what they were doing" Well done guys, you survived me and I survived your exam"

and after an examination session a few weeks later:

"Another examiner congratulated me yesterday on the high standard of work at M.A.Dance..."

I have recently changed jobs, however the principal at my current school and I have very similar teaching methods.  Maybe it's our level of training, or maybe it's our personalities. I often joke that here is the first place I have ever been considered 'the nice one'. We have standards to maintain, and a work ethic to uphold.  The work ethic here is phenomenal - but if a member of the team falls below par the whole team is affected. Conversely, whilst enforcing these standards I always make sure the children know when they have succeeded, or exceeded my expectations and I congratulate where appropriate; a recent example being a child who missed her show rehearsal.  The ethos of the school is about being a team, and understanding what that entails. We have a rule where if you miss class, you are not choreographed into that section. The child took it upon herself to get together with the other students outside of class time and learn the work she had missed in case there was the opportunity for her to be in the section. This is the kind of behaviour that is encouraged and rewarded. The parents and students are all looking at the long game, and they stand by us. 

Task 2b confusion - HELP!

I am confused as to what is required by Task 2b.


During the main body of the reader, the task that is given is as follows:


"Having done this exercise was there anything about the events or about yourself that emerged.  Were you surprised by anything? 


The different boxes are all ways to begin thinking about an event so that you can try to deepen the way you write your reflective diary. Was there one way they really made you think? Is there one you might use again? 


Was anything useful for the way you plan or reflect for work / your practice? 


Blog about this, title your Blog ‘Journal writing experience’." 


I think I have that all but covered in my Task 2a - reflective journal but am happy to repeat, entitling it Task 2b and answering these specific questions.


However in the summary at the end of the reader the instruction given is:

"Based upon the Reid and Moon framework critcally reflect upon a specific day.  Blog about this titled 'journal writing experience'.  


Within this blog consider any ethical considerations that have affected your thinking but remember to anonymise where appropriate and review the way that you sepak about confidential matters when speaking on a public forum.  


Comment on other people's Blogs and share your experiences."


So now I am left confused, and would be grateful of any ideas you have: 


Are we supposed to be just taking one day from our journal and blogging about that?  Should it be done in a specific framework? Who is Reid?

Task 2a - Reflective Journal

Before commencing my journal I blogged about my ideas on what format to use.  Two weeks into my journal journey and I am sure that for me, using the computer is the best medium.  I have had to search for ideas (which app to use) and learn some new skills along the way too.  I didn't know how to make a flow chart, for example, and I had no idea different shaped boxes meant different things. 

Many times over the last two weeks I have felt like I was just going through the motions of writing my journal.  I like to talk things out, and so I have always done a kind of verbal/mental journal, speaking with my contemporaries, colleagues and superiors about issues I have had, things that I need clarifying or things I thought went well. I had therefore puzzled through the days events either in my head or with colleagues long before I got to write my thoughts in my journal, already forming questions and answers, possible further problems and solutions. I couldn't see how a journal was going to benefit me.  This whole process of writing things down is very new to me.  I have never even kept a diary or calendar and have, to my knowledge, never failed to attend an appointment/class or arrive on time for a job despite working different hours every day for the last 12 years.  I think I have quite a good memory.  Something I have always done, however is communicate professionally in a written format, even with my colleagues.  I always use email to create a visual trail of anything I am saying, often sending written correspondence after a verbal conversation.  This has proved invaluable at times. 

When studying the reader I really identified with the way Robert Kottcamp had put forward Donald Schon's idea of reflection-in-action as ‘online’ and reflection-on-action as ‘offline’. In an excerpt from Reader 2, Kottcamp states that reflection-in-action is harder to achieve

"...differentiation between reflection-on-action

(reflection on past event) and reflection-in-action (reflection in

the midst of an ongoing action). The latter type is the more difficult

to achieve, but the more powerful for improvement of practice

because it results in “on-line” experiments to adjust and improve

one’s professional actions...."

I believe this depends on your previous knowledge and experiences. As a both as a dancer taking and retaining corrections in class and dance teacher adapting my plans, steps or choreography as the class unfolds, I am well practiced in reflection-in-action and it is something we are assessed on in qualification. Sometimes my lesson ends up so far away from the plan I entered the class with, and this is fine. Classes are often moving at such a pace that reflection-on-action, even for the teacher, is more difficult as essential elements can be forgotten or misremembered. 

During the past fortnight I have been keeping my journal, writing in it throughout the day.  I wish we had been asked to start this process earlier, as I feel 3 weeks is not long enough for true reflection given the number of tasks. I gave myself a week to establish the routine of writing, and then this last week I started trying out the styles of journal writing suggested in the Reader, leaving me 7 days to complete the four tasks. Over the course of the second week I have discovered that without meaning to I kept returning to my own style of writing - a kind of list/initial reflection/evaluation/description hybrid depending on the time of day I was writing. I signed up to www.listography.com but didn't feel this was for me. I didn't feel it allowed me to gain enough detail to fulfil the brief. 

However, I have written lists at the start of the day not just as a way to remind myself of everything I wanted to do but to make myself feel, or make myself realise how much I have achieved by the end of the day. I used to get terribly frustrated as I would make my lists so long and feel like I was getting nowhere.  I made a New Years Resolution one year to establish just how long an hour was and exactly what you could fit into it.  It's really not very long!  Two people gave me advice during the time:  The first piece of advice was to always write "make a list" as your first task and then you feel good straight away.  If I am handwriting a list I still do this! The second piece of advice was to not make your list too long, but have a reserve list of things you could move onto should you complete your initial list early - I suppose an alternative here would be to prioritise your list with numbers. These pieces of advice have really helped me to become more efficient and have stopped the negative feelings I had when I didn't complete tasks on an unrealistic time frame. Some days I like to start my journal with a list of things I know are happening or I would like to complete, and how I would like things to pan out and reflect on this later. 

Right at the beginning of this task I made the conscious decision not to edit my journal.  This was for two reasons:  The first is that it would just take too much time!  I usually like to write and re-write until I am happy with my work.  The second reason being I felt an unedited version would be more raw and allow me to learn more when looking back.  The unedited version might even help me to reflect on the situation from a new angle as I'm trying to figure out what I meant. However I am unsure about how I will feel about this when I have to use an except for public viewing.  Would editing be acceptable then?  Providing I did not markably change the content or add further thought without referring to the expansion of my reflection since the initial stages I don't see there would be a problem. 

Some questions I have always found useful throughout my professional development are: HOW? WHEN? WHAT? WHY? and WHERE? These questions have allowed me to expand on my thinking.  For example: How did the situation arise? When did I first see it unfolding? What could I have done to change things? Why did I react that way I did? Where can I take things from here? But it could be as straight forward as just adding "did it happen?" after each of these.

Regarding anonymity, I am yet to establish a suitable practice within my journal. Because I have chosen to use the computer as the medium for my writing, the security is higher than a note book might be.  I have therefore allowed myself to write quite freely about situations within my professional life, and my thoughts and feeling on them.  I do not know how I would go about anonymising people if I were to use an excerpt from my journal as the situation would always be recognisable to those involved should they stumble across my work.

What I have found more useful than writing the journal itself, is being able to reflect back on the entries days later. Reviewing the importance of an event or assessing what my students and/or I have achieved and re-reflecting on it.  Something I am considering is completing a written review of my journal each week enabling me to reflect on the week as a whole highlighting areas of importance and further ideas, maybe in bullet point format allowing me to set myself further goals.