The Recognition of Learning Module - Activity Number Five

Job Descriptions - From then to now...

What was my job description as an Actor?

My role as an actor was to provide entertainment and present a believable character in an imaginary yet believable siutation at that moment. To transport people to another world and help them escape the one in which they currently live in and present situations that affect people in everyday life and highlight how events can change people's lives, whether that be in a positive or negative way.

 

"Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances."

Current Job Description

Acting Teacher at Kayleigh Carina Performing Arts School

My role within the school is to provide quality tuition in the practice of acting in order for the children to develop skills specifically in the Dramatic Arts. My other key role is to direct the children in upcoming shows and productions, preparing them for performing through rehearsals, classroom explorations and set homework where they can make there own explorations. It is my job to encourage young people and help them build their confidence, social skills and educate them about the performing world.

Tutor at Explore Learning

My role is to tutor children from 5- 14 years old in Maths and English tuition as well as act as Creative Writing Co-ordinator. My aim is to aid young people in developing their maths and english skills so that they progress in the National Curriculum.

 

Here you can see the specifications for my role as an Explore Learning Tutor. In summary I have to:

·         Monitor academic and social progress

·         Provide feedback to parents

·         Working with 6 children at a time

·         Give children support and encouragement

·         Work closely with centre managers

·         Ensure the curriculum is tailored to that child

·         Create a vibrant, positive, enjoyable atmosphere

10am Skype 'Coffee Shop' chat with Adesola and Megan

This Skype chat with Megan and Adesola was so useful and talking to Megan and listening to her discuss the stage of Module Two she was at after completing Module One already was incredibly insightful. Just hearing Megan talk about what she had found was really interesting and got me thinking about learning and transitioning.

 

Transitioning

 

How? What? Where? When? Why?
 

"What would I have liked to know, now that I know about it?"
 

From Acting to Teaching
 

I wasn't concious of this transitioning, but I soon realised it was about what made me happy. Transitions might be forced and others might not be but it's about that transition and development of knowledge.

A great example of me using my skills as an actor to enhance my teaching is my knowledge of the benefits of an ensemble and how my teaching approach is different from that of other teachers. I like to view my group of students as 'an ensemble' which benefits the whole group. This enables everyone to be equal, however I've noticed that when I have to discipline the children, I switch back into more of an authority figure. This I've found makes the children behave much more, because they love the fun of the ensemble and therefore try and behave to get the ensemble back!
 

Adesola's Points
 

What is the 'best?'
 

There's more than one definition of 'best.' People in school view the best as being able to correlate what the teacher has taught them and get good scores, but it can also be about being happy. It's about knowing yourself. Knowing your capabilities and strengths and weaknesses.
 

Which begs the question, "what is success?"
 

I've had this discussion with my friend Zara, who I went to drama school with said to me shortly after drama school, "it's being happy."
 

She was the person who introduced me to Explore Learning and the love of teaching children and has realised the importance of 'knowing yourself' and following your passions. She had soon realised that being successful isn't always materialistic.
 

So many actors and audiences view an actor's success by Oscars and awards and being in massive feature films, but just because you haven't appeared in Star Wars, does that make you any less of a successful and good actor? Really, that is no reflection on your acting ability, because you may not have been in the right place and the right time and had the same experiences and opportunities that those actors have had. You don't have that actor's nose, eyes, colour hair etc etc. As the saying goes, "if your face fits..."

Changes

 

Adesola pointed out that when reflecting on my new found love of teaching, that even though this is poignant, things STILL might change. For now teaching makes me happy, but who is to say that it will be my set career? Adesola said that it might go from teaching to then realise 'no...performing is what I should be doing!'
 

Discussion of Modules
 

Module one is reflecting on how your own experience have informed your own learning but Megan was at module two it's about reading into literature and other people and their views on how they've learned.
 

Summed up in one word the modules are:
 

Module 1 - Analysing

Module 2 - Forwarding

Module 3 - Developing
 

This whole course is about making an enquiry.
 

Actor Ralph Fiennes said in The Actor's Studio:
 

"It's about the journey, not the destination."
 

This phrase has rung so true to me.
 

A great way of summing up 'the journey' is shown in this video of 'The Mirror.'
 



 

 

I saw this video on Facebook the other day and it's been running through my head ever since. How we can see that glimpse of ourselves and what we used to be, but how we have changed so much that there is no going back. As Adesola said, "what would I have liked to know about this, now that I know?"

 

 

The Recognition of Learning Module: Activity Number Four

Writing my

Professional Actor CV

 

I spent some time today annotating my personal Actor CV and my findings were really interesting. The main finding I had was that the skills I had acquired as a result of undertaking the particular activity all appeared to form into one. I didn't just use Text skills to undertake a role in Restoration Comedy or TV skills to help me with my Disney Commericals. I used mask, comedy, physcial comedy, Commedia and Clowning.


My Actor CV Reflection


Any actor will have a particular set of unique skills in their professional toolkit and one element in this mix which was incredibly important to me when acting as a professional was my CV. The CV highlights every skill you own and therefore is unique. Nobody has done the all the same things that you have done, no one has experienced everything that you have done and therefore, nobody is YOU. Only YOU can be YOU. We had a CV lesson during work week at Drama Studio, a week that was incredibly useful, because we could get a real taste of what the industry would entail and we could really focus on selling what was unique about us.

 

Structure of the CV

Header

The header is without a doubt the first thing you will see when you look at the CV. It has your name, your photo with specific appearance details, details of your agent, your contact details and your other professional contact networks. It is the first thing that an employer will see so it's important to have an outstanding and engaging headshot, a nice bold font and colour for your name so that it is remembered and is vital that every bit of contact information is clear and correct.

Mid-Section

The middle section includes all the roles and jobs that you have undertaken both professionally and whilst training. This is a great way to show off your skill set and the type of roles you have explored which all relates to an actor's versatility. It also gives an insight into all of the workshops undertaken which can be incredibly useful in reflecting and showing an actor's professional development and wish to enhance and build on their existing skills. The workshops element has been extensively helpful as much of what I have done with the children has been as a result of the workshops I have done when in training and after training as well. Workshops are great ways of seeing how ensemble work and group games can bond a group and break barriers between people.

Footer



 

The footer is the lasting impression, so it's important to list anything you want to leave a director or potential employer with. These can include other skills including combat knowledge, movement abilities and accents. I also decided to add that I was a National Youth Theatre member which meant that not only did I have experience working as an ensemble but I also worked on stadium arts and continued to remain a member to show that I was remaining active in the profession and would hopefully continue more experiences with such a well-known organisation. Points such as the National Youth Theatre present something that shows a particular ensemble work ethic and shows that I would have had to work with a various people at different points.

 

Teacher CV

 

How have I used my Professional CV and it's positive aspects to enhance my Teaching CV?

 

Training and Professional Experience

 

 The great experiences I had working professionally and the benefits of training professionally meant that I could show potential employers and teaching recruitment companies how much knowledge I had both in the acting field and working with children. I spoke to recruitment companies and asked them what I could achieve next in order to fulfill my teacher training. Of course, they told me that teaching was a degree profession, but due to my experience and training as a professional actress, I was told that I would have no problem in getting a job as a teacher once I had gained the qualification due to my skill set and good amount of work that I had undertaken with children.

 

Work Experience

 

I think it's been incredibly important to remain in some form of work since graduating and when reflecting on my work and career journey up until now, my work with children had enabled me to really expand my knowledge of working with young people. When not undertaking acting jobs, I've used my acting skills to partake in Media Sales and speak to people confidently on the phone as well as support children in the classroom. All jobs have meant that I've had to deal people of various ages and has therefore broadened my knowledge of people's strengths, weaknesses, fears, doubts, hopes and dreams. It has also meant that I have been able to help them achieve and overcome their troubles, whatever that may be.

 

Now I have been able to add another job position to my CV and show that I have aquired skills in teaching both lesiure activities, such as the Performing Arts, as well as teaching the National Curriculum. Having these two jobs have enabled me to develop children through the medium of drama and as a result enhances my lessons and makes them incredibly fun and engaging. I undertake dramatic and storytelling games within my Creative Writing classes so that the children are constantly engaged within the group and this has done absolute wonders for the entire groups creativity.

 

 

Main Positive Points of my Professional Acting and Teaching CVs

 

• A variety of different job roles
• An involvement with workshops to improve skills
• Interests that enhance knowledge of my profession
• A consistent involvement of different jobs
• A constant development of skills with children
• A clear list of strengths



The Recognition of Learning Module: Activity Number Three

Reflective Exercise

Reflecting on a real situation
 

Nature of Learning Event:

Helping an autistic child find their voice.
 

Kayleigh Carina prides itself on being suitable for all ages and abilities and before the end of last term, I met a girl with autism who wanted to try out the mini performers class I ran. She would only come in with her mum and do the classes, which I of course, allowed, as I knew it would make her much more comfortable. However, throughout the sessions I could see that for someone who barely talks, she was joining in with the other children shouting, 'what's the time Mr Wolf?!'

 

This gave myself and Kayleigh an idea which I discussed with her mum. What would happen if she was put amongst older ones, perhaps in the main theatre school? I also met another autistic girl, who found it very hard to socialise but was thrown in with the older ones during Joseph and appeared to be enjoying her time there so much...that she ran onto the stage and started joining the older ones!!
 

Her mum said that her daughter often learns through watching the older children and I was therefore interested to see how these two girls would be after combining the mini group and main theatre school together.

 

 

What we my expectations and what actually happened?

It was the first week trialing the two groups together and I started off with the Name Game, a game that I do in all my classes where the children say their name, do a dramatic action and say one thing about themselves. This week I asked them to talk about what they had done during the holidays. I expected the girls to sit out or refuse to say anything or share with the group due to their autism making it incredibly hard for them to interact and express what they would like to in the group. I certainly didn't think one of the girls would leave her mum and join the group all at once and assumed that if she did join the circle, her mum would have to accompany her as she took part.
 

 

She saw the group dynamic and before I knew it, she had wandered into a space in the ciricle. I eventually got to her and rather than leave her on the spot, kneeled along side her and asked her what her name was. She said her name and when I asked her what she had done during the holidays she said, 'I went swimming.' This was an incredible for her and her mum who was totally gobsmacked! She had shared something with the group and wasn't phased by the people surrounding her. It may have been small...but it was MASSIVE.

 

 

 

 

 

When the Name Game reached the other girl, she took a moment and then burst out into a star shape shouting out her name! She was so lively and having so much fun. It was completely out of character and it was amazing to see her loving being in a group situation. It was lovely to tell her mum what she had achieved and I loved how, despite finding it difficult to join in with games like 'Captain's Coming' still wanted to help me judge when I asked her if she would prefer to do that instead.

 





Explain why the incident developed differently from how you expected.

 

I could see that both girls were itching to be a part of the group and I quite frankly thought there was a big chance that it would be the complete opposite and that both girls would want to shy away from the group because there were so many people. I think that common interests played a massive role in the girls joining in because other children were mentioning things that the girls also enjoyed doing, such as the swimming. I also think that by seeing other children enjoy themselves without their parents, it showed them that they could survive without her mum being there and therefore could communicate herself.

 

 

How will you handle similiar situations differently in the future?

 

This goes back to what I was saying before about the benefits of group situations and learning through others. The child appears to feel less pressure when in a group and sharing those common interests is something that I will aim to include, because no matter what their disabilities, children are children and love the same or very similar things. I will also make a habit of not dwelling on a child's insecurities, but simply move on and carry on exploring things as a group rather than individually. I will also continue to open interests up to the floor and let the group comment on the discussions.