Teacher Focus

As I have highlighted how within my inquiry I would like to interview and observe a teacher at the community arts centre, I want to understand from them how as a teacher working there allows them to be apart of the function and purpose of the inquiry.

Looking into Module 3, I am beginning to struggle with the amount of literature that I need to find to contribute towards my findings. Thinking alongside the teaching route, I began to look at books which have been written which support the idea of a teachers influence. 

'The influences of teaching - reflections of teaching and leadership' By John Merrow

Although I found during this read it is obviously focusing on teachers within the curriculum and not too relevant to my focus on dance teachers within the community, however I understood what he was meaning by the importance of the teachers influence no matter what subject or situation. 

Merrow states that “the recipe for success includes some mix of strong leadership, committed teachers, an integrated curriculum, the willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and accepted practices, and the moral imperative to care for and about all of our children” (p. 154). 

The book itself is a strong way of calling out to all educators and is promoting the idea that teachers need to step up and improve the action taken to influence children in education. It stands out to me specifically how any teacher is seen to be a role model and has a responsibility to act on decisions, but mostly to be there as a influential figure to all.

Through my questionnaire and observation which I will carry out, I feel I should incorporate relevant questions to how the teacher feels a role of responsibility and are these standards set from higher positioned colleagues. Within any job role there will be a set description of what is expected however I feel as a teacher you are driven to inspire and influence students.

Leading onto more specific to my my inquiry, its has come to my attention that literature on my topic actually falls short in addressing what the community dance centres purpose and function means to any specified community. PDSW dance is local to me, and its community of practitioners I am envisaging will play a part in my future practise while I develop my freelance work experience with them. Therefore, it seems logical to undergo my proposed enquiry not only for the benefit of my personal stance, but also to other establishing freelancers in the South West of England specifically. 

There also seems to be a gap in any researched evidence to support the idea that whatever ‘it’ is that dance means is irrelevant. In the future, I aim to promote awareness of dance opportunity, therefore encouraging participation in dance through working towards increasing its accessibility. It seems necessary therefore to angle research to support teaching dance in a way that stimulates any opportunity for participation in dance, regardless of the dance subject or style, regardless of the dancers backgrounds, and regardless of the subject or theme of the work covered or choreography composed. Through the community organisation I so far understand that this is the idea, purpose of its existence, and I aim to prove this through my artefact that comes with apart of this module.