Reflective Readers

After reading about reflection and the readers views on different learning perspectives. I have found it useful following Kolbs 'Reflection After Events' and his quote “Much important reflection can occur once the immediate pressure of acting in real time has passed.” I took this and it encouraged me to keep a reflective journal, which made me think about my weekly events and learn from my experiences.

I found it clear that my learning technique is one used by David Kolb Reflective Observation. An example of where I have used this is with this course, I gained tutoring from reading others blogs, this gave me the knowledge and confidence to start blogging myself.  Having worked within schools for two years I have gained valuable experience to take away with me for my own teaching career.  I find watching someone else and seeing how they use a particular syllabus i.e GCSE/dance/warm up, I can take away their ideas and use them as a guide for my own classes.  Looking at Howard Gardners theories I use Interpersonal intelligence alot when teaching teenagers, this can be a hard time for many of the girls I teach and they come to dancing wanting to have fun and use their talent. I have one particular student who has an important audition coming up we have been working on preparing her dance and monologue for this and so far it has been going well. On this one evening she just wasn't engaged and her temper kept getting the better of her.  I asked her to sit down and take five and asked her if she wanted to talk about anything, she started to reel off a number of things that had been getting to her over the week and I was able to relate to this. By using Interpersonal Intelligence I was able to help her release some of the tension she was feeling and settle her mind, by doing this we were able to carry on with the lesson and the student came away feeling more confident with the work and happier in herself.  When thinking about VAK, I put this best into practise when learning syllabus work.  With any grade or work you are able to purchase booklets with all steps and timings, I find these difficult to work from, I would much prefer to use the kinaesthetical way.  Being able to work alongside someone teaching you the steps gives me more confidence when taking it away and using it in my classes.  By learning my preferred VAK I have made it clear to myself to try and go on as many training days as possible where you learn the set routines and valuable experience without this my teaching level wouldn't be to a standard I would be proud or happy with.