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Dance Class

Last week I participated in a Dance class as part of the module “Teaching across the Curriculum”. The class begun with warm-up exercises which involved copying the lecturer doing some stretching activities. This relaxed the group a little and eased us into the dance aspect of the class without it being heavily intimidating.

We then got into pairs and had to create various ways of travelling from one side of a room to the other. This was a fun way to work with someone new and also made it less scary as we were working with someone else.

Towards the end of the lesson we were teamed up with another pair to form a group. We then had to combine the travelling techniques we had used with the other pairs to make a sequence of dance. Once we had done this we presented it to the class. 

Initially I was nervous about this class as I thought it was going to be really high intensity dancing. However, the whole atmosphere of the class was very chilled and relaxed which made it an enjoyable experience. I feel that I have picked up a few “tricks” to be able to teach a dance lesson. 

Why I want to teach

I am passionate about teaching because not only are teachers needed to provide children with skills and knowledge but they are also vital for giving children a nourishing environment for them to strive and grow to their full potential. I find it highly empowering to be able to influence other people’s lives in a positive way. Through different experiences I have observed the crucialness that teachers play in providing children with a safe and nurturing place to learn. Some children do not have safe and nurturing environments to learn in at home. Research has shown that children tend to achieve more when they are in positive and encouraging environments. Therefore it is key that teachers can provide this. This is the main reason I want to become a teacher because I believe that I have the ability to inspire others to learn.

During my most recent placement I was given the opportunity to work with children who required extra support due to different circumstances. It was highly rewarding to me that I was the one who was able to give them the extra support to encourage them to want to learn. Within this time, I had one particular child who struggled within a classroom environment therefore I provided extra support to him out with the classroom. It was clear to see that he worked extremely well in a different environment and his learning developed a lot more. He became a lot more social and due to the extra support he began to work well in the classroom. This motivated me to work harder so that I could become a strong support system for any child who may need it.

Welcome to your WordPress eportfolio

Welcome to your ePortfolio. This is where you will document and share your professional thoughts and experiences over the course of your study at the University of Dundee and beyond that when you begin teaching. You have the control over what you want to make public and what you would rather keep on a password protected page.

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Teacher, Lorraine Lapthorne conducts her class in the Grade Two room at the Drouin State School, Drouin, Victoria

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