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Overall, I reflect on my placement at Esher College as an experience that helped me develop my professional practice skills in various ways.  During the first few days at the placement, I struggled to approach the students due to lack of confidence, as well as not understanding what my role involved.  I would offer advice to students if approached by them, but wouldn’t take the initial first step to contribute.  However, I later found a passion and excitement when helping the students.  I began communicating with students more often and suggesting several choreographic techniques that they could incorporate into their pieces.

My placement at Esher College gave me an insight into my future career as in September I am starting my PGCE with QTS course with a company in Oxfordshire.  When first applying for this role, I had lots of doubt and uncertainty on whether this was right for me due to my teaching experience being limited and mainly focused on working with younger children in an out of school environment.  The placement enlightened me more about what a role of a teacher is and the importance it can have on students' progression.  A source I studied stated ‘teachers are pillars of knowledge, shaping the future of our kids- they are educators, mentors, guides and inspirations’ (12 reasons why teachers play a crucial role in society 2024 2024).  This statement encouraged me to encourage the students to persevere with the work even when they were struggling.  But the word inspiration stuck out the most to me as that's what entices me the most when it comes to teaching and is something I aspire to achieve in my career.

Numerous things can serve as inspiration for dance students, igniting their enthusiasm, inventiveness, and commitment to the discipline.  Aspiring dancers look up to inspirational instructors, choreographers and professional dancers as mentors and role models.  As an aspiring dance teacher, the placement has instructed me on what I need to work on and what my strengths are that I can take on in my new course.  I believe that my confidence to approach students will help me engage with pupils better.  I also feel as though my passion for watching others achieve their goals will help me contribute better ideas and artistic suggestions to help students depthen their choreography and general work in dance education.

Being a better dance instructor is a never-ending process that calls for constant study, introspection and skill improvement.  To help develop my teaching skills and experience I plan to attend workshops, seminars, conferences and lessons to stay current on methods and trends in the dance industry.  I will be looking for opportunities to learn from seasoned educators and choreographers. ‘The industry is in constant flux, with new trends rapidly emerging, transforming and disappearing again.  As a dancer you must stay on top of these changes if you want to stay ahead of the competition’ (Marion, 2023).   As well as this, I will set aside time to reflect on my teaching techniques and student interactions.  I have established my goals for my professional development and noted areas of strengths and weaknesses, so using self-assessment tools will help me monitor my development over time.  One of my weaker points as a teacher and as a student is to be organised and keep on top of assignments and tasks.  So one of my goals for the upcoming year is to make sure I am organised and ready ahead of time, whether that is choosing suitable music, choreographing routines or lesson plans.  By maintaining an organised and prepared classroom, I am enabled to provide the students with a structured and encouraging learning environment.

One area I have developed during my placement at Esher College is my ability to adapt to individual students' needs.  One week at the placement, there was a small altercation between students.  The pair were very close friends and were in each other's pieces.  There had been a disagreement about the choreography because one student didn’t feel comfortable with the idea being presented to them.  Reflecting on this, I have understood that every student is different.  They all have lives outside of the classroom which could contribute to their behaviours in school.  This experience has made me realise that I need to acknowledge that every student is different and could have various requirements, learning styles and capacities.  By making adjustments to the choreography, we all mutually found a positive outcome for everyone.  This implied to me that as a teacher the importance of engaging with students emotionally will help form a more comforting connection with them.  By establishing a foundation of trust, respect and empathy with the students, I was able to learn about them individually and offer tailored assistance and motivation.  The students at Esher College had an increased motivation and engagement when we had created a welcoming and inclusive learning environment.

Overall, Esher College as a placement for me has taught me that there are certain areas of development I need to focus on before starting my course in September.  In order for me to develop as a dance teacher, I need to provide students with a memorable and influential learning experience.  I plan on making a commitment to lifelong learning, teamwork and student-centred teaching methods.

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I established early on in the placement that I needed to create a positive learning environment when attending the college, ensuring that my presence did not put any added pressure on the students.  By establishing this welcoming environment the young dancers were able to express themselves and take risks.  Another strategy I used throughout my placement was the ability to offer constructive feedback.  I gave the students supportive, detailed, and practical constructive criticism.  I focused my attention on the students' areas of strengths as well as areas for growth within their choreography, and provided advice on how they can continue to develop their ideas.  However, my input wasn’t always valued and wanted from the students at the college. This was the main challenge that I faced during my placement.  I continued to offer my advice to the students and listened to a Ted Talk by Brene Brown about the power of vulnerability.  She talks about how showing a vulnerable side of yourself can help people understand you and communicate with you better.  She states that ‘if you can't measure it, it doesn't exist’ (Brown, 2011).  This statement helped me put into perspective that I should have more confidence when assisting the students and that my opinion is there for their benefit.  It helped me gain more confidence to approach the students and offer movement/techniques to their piece.

One way that I overcame this challenge during my placement was setting out a plan for me to follow when offering my feedback.  It is crucial to provide dancers with constructive criticism in order to aid them advance their abilities while retaining their drive and self assurance.  One thing I wanted to ensure I was doing when offering feedback was to be specific.  I gave the students detailed feedback on both their strong points and places for improvement.  Intimidating feedback is less useful for them and can be confusing.  As a reflection of my feedback from the students, I suggested using levels within their choreography.  But rather than just telling them to add more levels, I told the student which levels to use and to have each student doing the same or similar choreography at the same time but having those different levels.  This helped depthen the movement, and also made her piece more complex as well as conducting more choreographic techniques.

Another way I overcame this challenge was by maintaining a positive tone and body language.  I used body language that exudes openness and encouragement while providing constructive criticism in a cheerful and encouraging manner.  I retained eye contact, spoke in a cordial manner, and refrained from using harsh language as these things could have demotivated the students.

I needed to ensure the students knew I was there to observe and help them succeed in the last steps of this A-Level and the importance behind dance in their education.  ‘The importance of dance in education is significant. It offers many benefits, such as improved brain function, increased confidence, and comprehensive growth in academics, emotions, social skills, and physical health. It can transform learning into a joyful and creative experience that fosters growth’(Marketing, 2023).  I established early on in the placement that I needed to create a positive learning environment when attending the college, ensuring that my presence did not put any added pressure on the students.  By establishing this welcoming environment the young dancers were able to express themselves and take risks.  Another strategy I used throughout my placement was the ability to offer constructive feedback.  I gave the students supportive, detailed, and practical constructive criticism.  I focused my attention on the students' areas of strengths as well as areas for growth within their choreography, and provided advice on how they can continue to develop their ideas.  I believe that creating this safe space for the students was an achievement for me during my placement.  I wanted the students to express themselves, take risks, and make errors without fear of criticism or mockery.  Building a respectful, accepting, and empathetic environment fosters trust from the students and allows them to more freely explore their potential.

Another achievement throughout my time at Esher College was having the skills to comfort the students on the day of the exam and help them reduce their performance anxiety.  Dancers are less likely to suffer from stage fright or performance anxiety when they feel comfortable and supported.  ‘Nobody likes to be judged, but as performers, we wilfully subject ourselves to, well, judgement. That can lead to fears of disapproval and not being liked by the audience. People also often feel like they lack control on stage and are vulnerable, which can heighten their anxiety’ (Daychak, 2023).  I realised early on that the students can perform at their best, proudly display their abilities and push themselves beyond their comfort zones when they know they are in a supportive and non judgemental setting.

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The Power of Vulnerability | Brené Brown | TED

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12 reasons why teachers play a crucial role in society 2024 (2024) Teachers of Tomorrow. Available at: https://www.teachersoftomorrow.org/blog/insights/reasons-why-teachers-play-a-crucial-role-in-society/ (Accessed: 21 April 2024).

Brown, B. (2011) The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown | Ted, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o (Accessed: 17 April 2024).

Collen, R. and Rose , C. (2017) Empowered Decision Making and Dancing in Real Time: A College Residency with JoAnna Mendl Shaw. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232173635_httpwwwtandfonlinecomdoiabs101080009140390909763 (Accessed: 17 April 2024).

Daychak, A. (2023) Great tips for performance anxiety treatment for dancers, Performing Dance Arts. Available at: https://www.performingdancearts.ca/how-dancers-can-overcome-performance-anxiety/#:~:text=Performance%20anxiety%20and%20stress%20don,and%20the%20possibility%20of%20failure.&text=When%20you’re%20stressed%2C%20it’s%20hard%20to%20be%20yourself. (Accessed: 19 April 2024).

Marion, J. (2023) Exploring the latest trends in the dance industry, RSS. Available at: https://www.morethandancers.com/posts/exploring-the-latest-trends-in-the-dance-industry (Accessed: 21 April 2024).

Marketing, T. (2023) The importance of dance in Education, Dance Classes in Dubai, Join Turning Pointe Dance Studio. Available at: https://www.turningpointe.ae/importance-of-dance-in-education/#:~:text=The%20importance%20of%20dance%20in%20education%20is%20significant.,creative%20experience%20that%20fosters%20growth. (Accessed: 17 April 2024).

Yap, A.C. (2016) How to teach kids empathy through dance, The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/01/learning-empathy-through-dance/426498/ (Accessed: 19 April 2024).

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For my final year, I completed a 30 hour placement at Esher Sixth Form College.  The placement involved me assisting the Year 13 students with their choreography pieces in preparation for their exam which was on the 6th of March.  For the application process, I created a cover letter to express my interest in completing my placement at the college as well as sending off my CV to show that I had previous experience with A Level Dance and creating choreographic work.  After sending off my application, I was contacted by the college to come in for an interview where I successfully got my placement there.

For the first few sessions I completed at the College, I spent most of my time observing what the students were working on (choreography pieces) and seeing how they worked.  I began recognising certain students and began to find confidence to approach the students with constructive feedback to help them improve their work.

Throughout the placement I have developed my proactive skills, specifically in decision making.  Making decisions involves weighing possibilities and selecting the best course of action based on logic and evidence.   I used effective decision making when assisting one of the dancers in the final week before the exam.  The student had been trying to incorporate a lift into their piece.  The lift they originally had was two of the dancers lifting underneath the other dancer and running whilst carrying her.  At first it looked very anticipated and a struggle for all of the dancers.  I began by encouraging them to try different lifts, including ones that were more stationary. The choreographer was unsure about what she wanted to do. I made the decision of the outcome of the lift being more simple but effective. Making decisions is essential in dance for a number of reasons. I used my decision-making skills to successfully contribute movement that conveyed the emotion, story and idea that the choreographer wanted to portray.  I recently read an article about JoAnna Mendl Shaw, which spoke about one of her site-specific projects which told the story of her natural horsemanship.  Her ‘unique approach of bringing an interspecies lens into the dance studio inspired marked changes in the dancers perceiving, attending, responding and connecting’ (Collen&Rose, 2017).  This  links back to how decision making is a skill that improves dancers abilities because her students began to explore movement and emotions in a different way, but made that decision on their own.  The dancers were made vulnerable by experiencing something they hadn’t done before and therefore had to make there own decision on how to correspond to the nature of the work JoAnna wanted.

Another student I helped during my placement was struggling to connect her music to the movement. I encouraged her to sit and listen to her music and think of any particular sounds that she could specify her dancers to perform certain movements on those sounds. There is a strong musical connection specifically in contemporary dance, which is why I wanted to help the student engage more with the music. In the end, I decided that some timing for the routine should be different to allow the rhythm to match the music as that is a crucial element of musicality, and would also help the student show the examiner a versatile range of dynamics when it comes to musicality. This was another example of using decision making as a proactive skill as it guarantees that the dancers will be in sync with the music, and help elevate the performance as a whole.  Overall, my experience at Esher College helped me improve my decision making skills as I had a responsibility to ensure that each student was on track with their choreography in time for the deadline.  Upon reflection, these skills were developed because I used mindfulness and focus to enhance the decisions I made.  Being aware and concentrating whilst observing the students work, led to my feedback being more engaged and genuine.  The decisions I made were deliberate and well-thought through as I was present.

Before starting at Kingston University, I studied A-Level dance at my sixth form so I empathised with the students regarding the challenges they faced during this time.  Empathy is the capacity to comprehend and experience another person's emotions, ideas, and points of view.  It is being able to empathise with and comprehend the feelings that another person is going through, in addition to being able to see oneself in their shoes.  Empathy makes it possible for people to emotionally connect with others, which promotes closer bonds, respect for one another, and a feeling of belonging.  It is essential for effective communication, handling conflict, and forming deeper connections.  Some days, I could see the toll that the stress of the exam was taking on the students.  One afternoon I sat and spoke to the students about how to balance her work.  I suggested making a revision timetable but also ensuring she had time for herself.  I also explained to her my experience with A Level Dance and the struggles I faced with it.  My empathy towards her helped the student trust me more when helping her choreographic process, as well as not being afraid to approach me for advice first.  I think empathy is a very important professional skill to have because it can improve connections you have with people you work with as well as ensuring people around you see a vulnerable side.  I think being empathetic in a school environment is even more important because you want the students to feel comfortable to approach you and to respond well to criticism.  According to the article The Atlantic, ‘Schools are increasingly using movement and expression as vehicles for teaching kids social-emotional skills’ (Yap, 2016).

As seen in my evidence section, the students' responses suggest that feedback I gave them was helpful and informative.  I believe that without developing skills such as decision-making and empathy, the feedback would be different.  I think by establishing that I had been in the same position as them before and also having the ability to make the right decision for them, the students respected me and wanted me to apply more feedback.

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A-Level students were in the middle of their choreographic project when Olivia started her placement. This project requires students to create a 3-4 minute dance for 3-5 dancers. This is always a challenge for students as they are used to more collaborative work whereas this project is individual. They must choose their subject matter from a question paper set by the exam board and choose appropriate accompaniment/costume/props. Students are not always grouped with people they know (due to timetabling problems) and so they often find the project challenging and feel like they’ve been ‘thrown in the deep end’.

Having Dance Degree students from Kingston University is useful as they are working at the next level and our students learn a lot from them and Olivia was a great help. Our students were sometimes shy to ask for help, but Olivia would quietly observe the students working for a while, and then when appropriate would offer suggestions/comments/ideas. She did this in sometimes subtle ways, and questioned them to check they knew ‘why’ they were choosing a particular movement or spatial pattern. This helped to keep them on track for the assessment criteria.

These sessions, as rehearsal classes, were probably not overly helpful at giving Olivia an insight into teaching dance at this level, and she only occasionally observed a warm-up and observed only one theory lesson, however, her contribution in the rehearsal sessions was very useful.

I would be happy to have Olivia back if she would like to undertake any further observations in the future, and therefore learn more about teaching dance at Level 3/A-Level.