Methods Of Practice – Portfolio

I will approach my work with an emphasis on being person centred, as the value of the individual is of great importance. It is essential that all participants enjoy the sessions and feel like they are gaining something from participating. This lends itself to being process orientated, with the practice having a strong focus on experiencing the dance. Evaluation will be a key focus in my practice, I will use my knowledge and experience in evaluating my practice, to adopt a creative approach in problem solving. The evaluation process and internal reflection will be ongoing, enabling me to aid the dance experiences of the participants. In my approach to my work I will combine this to be sensitive to the needs of my participants whilst being aware of my own needs and improving my ability to respond in the moment.  Lastly my approach will combine both maintenance and task orientated leadership, to find the right balance to ensure enjoyable and successful classes.

Methodology of practices: The practices I use will vary between classes. During GCSE classes I will follow the AQA specification to prepare the students for one written exam, one practical exam and two controlled assessments. All other classes will follow the ISTD guidelines, to teach students the different techniques to allow them to piece together their own sequences.

Complaints procedure: If a student, or parent, has a complaint there first step should be to talk to me directly in order to try and fix the problem straight away. If the problem cannot be resolved face to face I will then ask the student/parent to write a letter stating their complaint and the action they wish to be taken. If the complaint is within the GCSE class it will be taken to the department head or the Head Teacher.

Equal Opportunities: I aim to create equal opportunities by offering classes to all ages and abilities. Classes will be tailor made to suit the different ages and abilities, and will allow students to move between groups where necessary. I will not discriminate by race, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, disability, national or social origin or other status and do my best to accommodate the needs of all individuals.

Vulnerable People: When working with vulnerable people I will ensure I have a valid DBS check. If I have any concerns about a vulnerable person I will contact the appropriate authority. I will not employ anyone who is barred from working with vulnerable people.

Data Protection: When students first join the school I will ask them to fill in a registration form disclosing some personal data such as their name and phone number. The information on these forms will be transferred as soon as possible onto a private computer that requires a password. When the data is on the computer it will be encrypted and stored in a file secured with another password and the original data sheet will be shredded. Also the computer will have up-to-date antivirus software to cover vulnerabilities. Additionally personal data shall only be used by the company to make contact with the student when necessary and will be deleted from file within a week of the student leaving the company.

There are many different ways to evaluate a session, with both qualitative and quantitative methods available. The reasons behind the evaluation and the stakeholders involved may help in deciding the most relevant method of evaluation. Each stakeholder can also carry out their own evaluation with reference to their involvement. Arts Council England require artist to give information on their methods of evaluation before issuing grants. They outline nine main benefits of evaluation; 1, to help with planning; 2, to keep the practitioner on track and avoid disasters; 3,to help adapt and change; 4, for quality assurance; 5, to prove value; 6, for records contribution; 7, to help others; 8, to report to others; and 9, support future applications (Amans, 2008).

In the class I lead during a Methods of Practice session we conducted a qualitative evaluation with the participants, as the aim of the evaluation was to identify ways to improve the class. The participants were asked to gather in a circle at the end of the session and give one good and one bad point of the session, including what they would like to change. A number of students commented on the length of time spent on each section of the class, pointing out how there was more time spent on the warm up routine than the action motif. In future I would make the warm up routine simpler to allow the class to follow without being taught, allowing more time to focus on the action motif. The participants also pointed out that when the warm up routine started it was taught quite fast, without giving the students time to learn it correctly. However, when the pace of teaching was reduced students said they found it much easier to follow. In future I would make sure I taught at a slower pace throughout. One of the good points from the session as pointed out by participants was that when it came to performing their own motifs they were allowed to perform two at a time, which was said to take the pressure off and allowed them to feel more comfortable. Additionally by completing a self evaluation I outlined a few things I would change. Firstly when teaching the motif and warm up I faced away from the students, in future I would face them so they can hear instructions clearer. I would also spend more time on explaining action and space (the two topics we covered during the class) as I feel although each participant completed the tasks efficiently, they could not of fully understood the concept. The results will enable me to conduct the session better next time, allowing better use of planning to achieve objectives. Lastly, at the end of my next session I will also give out an anonymous feedback form. To allow the participants to give any feedback they may not want to say directly to me or in front of the group.

 

Bibliography

Amans, Diane (2008) An Introduction to Community Dance Practice,   Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. P 163 – 181

In An Introduction to Community Dance by Diane Amans, risk assessments are described as “The systematic examination of all aspects of practice to identify any hazards which have the potential to cause harm” (Amans, 2008). The risk assessment is an element of the duty of care; it requires the practitioner to think ahead, identifying anything which may cause harm. It can also be documented and retained for records.

Environment:

• The floor will be checked for any hazards that my cause injury (i.e trailing wires, sharp objects, spilt liquids)
• All belongings will be kept to one side of the room away from the activity
• The temperature of the room will be regulated where possible

Activities:

• A warm up will be conducted to increase the blood flow, to avoid injury
• Students will be allowed to adapt motifs to fit own ability
• Activities will be monitored at all times to ensure safe practice

People:

• Students will be asked prior to the class starting of any injuries the practitioner should be aware of
• Students will be asked prior to class to arrive in layers to regulate their own body temperature
• Students will be asked to remove socks to avoid slipping
• Students will be asked to remove any jewellery that may get caught
• Students will be asked to listen to the practitioner at all times with opportunities to ask questions and comments

Resources/Equipment:

• Sound system will be PAT tested
• Sound system will be set up at the edge of the room with no trailing wires
• Sound won’t be too loud so students can be heard over it if they have a problem

 

Bibliography:

Amans, Diane (2008) An Introduction to Community Dance Practice, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. P 163 – 181

 

Subject: GCSE Dance

Objectives: Applying the skills learnt into both chorographical and performative dance. To make a decisions on use of action, dynamics, space and relationships to portray thought and meaning through movement that informs creative intentions. To be able to create and structure dances.   

Lesson	Subject Matter	Objectives	Style	Logistics	Time	Comments
1	Introducing action and space (high, medium and low levels, pathways).	For students to gain a deeper understanding chorographical devices, in the early stages, of action and space.	E: Inclusion	Expect that students will feel uneasy and may cluster towards the back of the room. Encourage students to use whole space and rotate the ‘front’ throughout the class. Task sheets of the unit breakdown and definitions of action and space.	Three 40 minutes classes	Guided warm-up and cool-down in each lesson.
2	Introduce dynamics and relationships. Combine with action and space to extend motifs into a dance.	To understand and integrate all choreographic tools learnt so far and demonstrate them in the development of a motif.	A: Cued Response   E: Inclusion	A task sheet that includes key terms and a breakdown of dynamics and relationships.	Three 40 minutes classes	Guided warm-up and cool-down in each lesson.
3	Using stimuli to create movement motifs including chorographical devices. Developing from being taught how to use stimuli such as images and poems to creating own dances in groups, demonstrating motifs and developments from the stimuli.	To be able to use a range of stimuli to create a motif and development whilst effectively demonstrating chorographical tools.	E: Inclusion   J: Learner Initiated	Feedback sheets for the end of the week to outline how the students could make better use of chorographical devices. Equipment will be used in the form of photographs, paintings, images, poems to be used as the stimuli.	Three 40 minutes classes	Guided warm-up and cool-down in each lesson.
4	Introducing aural settings and props which may inform the development of group pieces.	To select appropriate aural settings and props to enhance the developmental pieces.	E: Inclusion   H: Divergent Production	Equipment to be used; props and music including IPods, docking stations, CD players etc.	Three 40 minutes classes	Guided warm-up and cool-down in each lesson.
5	Allow students to make final decision on stimuli, props and aural setting for their ongoing group piece.	For students to select and refine a stimuli which enables them to create a piece which is interesting and well structured.	B: Practice   C: Self-Check	Equipment will be used through the stimulus of their choice. Encourage them to work efficiently in the space whilst working in separate groups.	Three 40 minutes classes	Guided warm-up and cool-down in each lesson.
6	Introducing performance techniques.	To present a piece in performance that demonstrates the skills the students have learnt throughout previous lessons efficiently and creatively.	B: Practice   J: Learner Initiated	Encourage students to adapt from the group spacing into the larger space when performing, urge students to use the whole space provided encouraging them think about chorographical devices. Each group may have chosen to use props in their performance.	Three 40 minutes classes	Guided warm-up and cool-down in each lesson.