Task 2d Inquiry

I am currently writing this blog offline and planning to upload it later as I am sat at Gatwick airport with no internet! If only I had an ipad! Anyway back to the task in hand which is 2d Inquiry. I found this task quite daunting as the questions we are asking ourselves are not ones we often think about, although we really should. I am going to answer the questions suggested to us in the module hand book to find what themes and lines of Inquiry relate to me. 

• What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?

Not being in an acting job at the moment to make ends meet I do a lot of teaching. Mainly with 4-8 year olds. I am very lucky that as well as having a passion for acting I also have a passion for teaching. I am very enthusiastic about it, especially when I see them reacting so well to me. The other week I was doing a drama workshop with a class of reception children after I finished the workshop the teacher approached me to have a chat. She told me that one of the boys who never really engages in class or joins in was giving 100% to me and getting very involved. It was great to hear such positive feedback and to know that I have helped that child. The teacher then said she was going to insist the parents took him to our classes as it will bring out his potential and help him improve at school with is concentration and social skills. 

I admire all teachers. Having found myself doing a lot of work in primary schools recently I have become to be in awe of some of the teachers. I think education is so important with not only young children but everyone. But to be a good teacher its not all about teaching maths and giving homework its about being a good role model as well. I think its vital if you are going to be a teacher you must be a good role model as you want your students to look up to you. My friend and I were chatting the other day as she has just completed her Zumba qualifications and she was saying not only is she having to learn all the routines etc she is having to go the gym and tone up as she felt that if she is going to teach a fitness class in order to get the most out of her clients she needs to look good so the aspire to be like her. I couldn’t agree more with her, from personal experience when I have been to a class at the gym and the instructor isn’t looking good you think to yourself is there any point doing this as its obviously not working to keep them looking good? Which is not how it should be in my opinion. 

I hope after the course that I will be able to complete a PGCE in Drama in secondary schools and if I do become a teacher I will not only aspire to be good at my job but also become a role model for my students. 

• What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found away to work around the sadness or anger?

Recently when teaching in schools I have become aware of problem children. Nothing makes me more angry when one naughty child has to spoil it for everyone else. What makes it worse for me is when teachers are sat in on my workshops and just turn a blind eye to it. When I am taking my own classes if there is a naughty child who starts with me with in the first few weeks the normally have calmed down and I have stamped this behavior out of them normally using a 3 strike and your out rule as its not acceptable to spoil other children's fun normally they soon understand its not as much fun sitting on the bench and in order to join in the must behave.  I think its quite sad when children are either naughty or have no manners as I believe it normally has something to do with the parents and it upsets me when these basic things haven’t been taught to a child, parents should know better. I understand in some circumstances it is harder as a child may have autism or adhd but even then basic manners don’t go a miss. Sometimes I feel parents just give up and use those things as an excuse.  

I admire Jo Frost, supper nanny is one of my favorite programs. She shows parents how to deal with their children and fix’s it no matter what! Normally all the children's issues lie with the parenting techniques used when they were younger so Jo shows the parents how to change their behavior and normally the child’s changes with that. Interestingly when you watch the show when the parents don’t stick to her rules and changes the child's behavior resorts back to how it was and only when the parents change so does the child. Which goes back to what I said earlier and I firmly believe its the parents that are to blame! Obviously I don’t have children myself and my opinion may change when I do but I would be interested to see if any of you have kids what your opinion on this matter is, so please leave a comment below! 

• What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?

This question I found quite hard to pinpoint. I think because I have always wanted to perform since I was younger is difficult to say exactly why but I think its lies with passion. Being able to enjoy and love what you do while getting paid is amazing. When I am in work the feeling of getting up do go and do two shows is hard to explain, but just elating and knowing you getting paid for it is the cherry on the cake. I don’t think that many people would be able to say they love their job as much as we do. I also think that when we do get ‘The Job’ we appreciate it so much more after doing mortal jobs. 

I admire everyone in our profession as its not an easy business. We get rejected so much but because of our love for it we keep going. The amount of people who get told no on the Xfactor then say I can’t deal with rejection Im giving up is ridiculous its only one no. I always want to tell them try being rejected 5 times a week and see how you feel? I think we all have such a strong mind and determination anyone who has stuck at it deserves a medal. Its very easy in our industry to get beaten down when you hear no after no and give up but you just need a little bit of luck and get that one yes to turn it all around. I feel that sometimes we do not get the appreciation from ‘normal people’ doing what we do, sometimes they think we just prance around all day or stand and look pretty, but this is not the case. The hard grind we go though to get we are now is definitely not easy and I admire anyone who has kept going and like most of us it just waiting for that YES! 

• What do you feel you don’t understand? Who do you admire who does seem to understand it of who has found away of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you? 

I think its very hard sometimes in our line of business to understand why did she get the job and not me? I wish I could just see in to the casting directors head to see what they were thinking and their reasoning behind it all. Even sometimes you wont get an audition and its hard to understand why you didn’t get one? Do you need to re do your headshots? Or should I have put 5,6 not 5,7. But I think with these things we will never really know. Its more a matter of acceptance than understanding. We need to learn to accept that we will not suit every job or maybe in some cases the other girl was just better than you. I find it quite hard sometimes to accept these things especially when you can’t even get seen for a job that you would either love to do or think your perfect for. How ever I believe that if we can’t except them then we can’t move. So as part and parcel of what we do you just need to suck it up and deal with it. On to the next as we all say! 

I admire my agent when it comes to this as he is always there to say something helpful. Weather its feedback from and audition or just a simple “don’t worry darling something will come up soon” it always seems to put my mind at rest. With out him when dealing with all these questions I think I might go slightly crazy! Also I find talking to my peers on this matter always helps as it re assures you that your not the only one!

I do apologize for yet another epic blog! I will try and make them shorter. Its funny as when I first started blogging and saw massive blogs I was so scared thinking mine will be about 4 lines, instead try 4 pages! Whoops...Please feel free to comment below...Enjoy!