Module 2: Principles of Professional Inquiry - Task 4a

After reading through Reader 4 and attempting to brainstorm some ideas and issues for inquiry, I found myself torn as to which avenue to take. I am both a teacher and performer. Looking at my career at present and on a short-term basis, although I am still teaching, my priority lies with performance opportunities; however in the future I plan to commit fully to teaching and owning my own dance school business.

Through reading other's posts and the related comments and advice I understand we should avoid looking too far into future plans regarding issues and inquiry. But for me teaching is a constant in my currently unpreditable life. Although an inquiry into the performance element of my practice would help 'to  

investigate and sustain successful practice or define more personal issues';I feel sometimes in the performance industry there is no rhyme or reason to how, when, why or who gets a job. From personal and second-hand experience it can be the most trivial of reasons. I have however decided to use my professional training and performance experience to 'look at my (teaching) practice in a new way' and steer my inquiry in the teaching direction. I feel the 'solutions' and clarity that may result from an inquiry in this area would prove more useful to my professional practice and hopefully may provide new ways of approaching my peformance practice too. 

Here are a list of questions that sprung to mind:

- Is dancing from a young age a good way to instill discipline into children? Does it have an impact on their
behaviour in other areas of life?

- Should the emphasis in dance teaching be steered more toward technique or performance and personality?

- Can performance be taught or is it a natural talent?

- Does attending dance/musical theatre lessons provide children with more confidence?

 - The more commited and enthusiastic the parents; the more commited and enthusiastic the child?

 - Does attending a fulltime stage/dance school improve a child's opportunity for a successful performing career?

- Are more academic children more likely to be better dancers/performers?

- How do you keep children coming to class and keep them enthusiastic about what they're doing (especially when practicing grade and syllabus work)?

- Is exam and syllabus work vital to improving childrens tehnique? How do you keep them motivated when they are a long way from achieving their next exam?

- How many children ever actually reach their full potential?

- Is it sometimes a good idea to have mixed ablility classes? Does this give the weaker children more to aspire to or make them feel immidated? Would they work harder to improve of fall behind?

- As a teacher should you push children you see potential in or treat every child equally?

- Is it enevitable you will have pupils who are favourites? Will children pick up on this?

These are my intial thoughts anyway. Has been really helpful and and got my thinking reading all your posts.

Pleeeeaaaassssee comment and let me know what you think!!!