TO TRAIN OR NOT TO TRAIN (in African Dance) that's the question

One of the things that I wasn't expecting to hear what the idea of not being necessary to train if one is pursuing African dance forms. I found it very interesting to reflect on and it has brought further thought. Is this an idea that western dance institutions have?... Do African dance practitioners believe this to be the case also?...Is there something lost by training in these traditional forms a sopposed to just immersing ourselves in it?...more food for thought.

For most of my peer to peer training during Salsa and Kizomba / Semba specially I often heard said that these dances shouldn't be taught as they lose their "true" feeling and authenticity. While I really don't want to discuss issues of authenticity, I often discounted these ideas as coming from those that justified their own shortcomings by this parameter only. Since my dance experience also includes formal training, I questioned myself if perhaps my reaction was due to my own western assimilated perception of what dance and dancers should be structured by. Was I being too western in my approach and not allowing for the natural flow of the student to understand and learn the form?...Was I being too structured and creating too much rigidity and perhaps even changing the natural layout of things by my own formalized approach?...

I'm already fully aware how I may have influenced the Kizomba / Semba form around the world by introducing contemporary elements to it at the time. While I was conditioned by a new reality of making the style accessible and collaborating with a partner who didn't have the "authentic" style I may have inadvertently opened the doors to being culturally non-empathetic.

Then, a few days ago I participated in an online conference at the last minute, with a circle of prominent (mostly) African based choreographers and was happy that this question came up and was discussed. There were those who felt that some training is indeed required where others felt that teachers and choreographers may achieve their goals through different paths since formal training is not always available to them anyway. An interesting comment was made about how traditional ceremonies and festivals in Africa who still require plenty of choreography, teaching and preparation, and those applying those skills are nevertheless great choreographers and instructors without any formal training whatsoever. So, why train then?...

While listening to all the amazing experience present at this conference, what stood out for me was the idea that train matters, yes, but intention is the key. If you train in the village to work in the village, it's ok. But if you train in the village and want to work internationally with different choreographers...it might be more challenging if you don't have the right tools. 

How does that translate to an environment of Afro-Latin communities living in the diaspora however?... The intergenerational dialogue naturally made through dance and the arts that exists in a village habitat facilitates cultural transmission and legacy. As that has been widely removed and lost by living in the diaspora, how do communities start valuing their own identity and culture without comparing it to western values?...

 

 There has been many accomplishments in creating dance frameworks that support African, Caribbean & Latin dances such as Acogny technique, L'Antech, Eddie Torres, Danza Contemporanea Cuba, Umfundalai technique, to name a few. These cultural leaders have codified Afro-Latin dance forms and by doing that have made them more accessible. But accessibility can also be tricky. How accessible does one need to be?...I don't see any Ballet teachers making Ballet accessible in order to be followed. 

A close friend and dance promoter also commented to me in conversation that she didn't understand the need to have a platform that creates standards in African dance. According to her this is very "controlling" and reflects a colonialist mindset. This comment took me by surprise and triggered further reflection.

One of my concerns in teaching Afro-Latin dance forms is the lack of standards. Anyone can literally become a teacher. It certainly doesn't happen if you want to become a Jazz, Ballet or Contemporary teacher. How can we level teaching standards and talent in Afro-Latin dance forms versus qualifications in the educational framework on western society?...Well, in fact I recognize the MAAP course as a distinct take on this! 

I'll continue to explore these themes and look at all the bubbles of questions still popping up. 

 ETHICS, ETHICS...what does it all mean?

Most of us are not fully aware what does ethical considerations fully mean, but, we also quickly know when something is not right, or fair, and often bodes down to how the "rules" we live by can impact us directly, from how we access health support to how we treated at work. 

It's often when something affects us directly that we start realizing that there is something bigger at play and that we ought perhaps to consider the impact of what we do and say. The fist lockdown in the UK in March 2020 allowed people to suddenly have time to reflect on their lives and those around them. This created various movements towards environmental awareness, xenophobia and racism which rose collective awareness. Suddenly, thousands of conversations were happening online regarding these issues and consequent conflict and friction ensured which divided families and friends altogether but also brought people together working towards what they believed. These movements were so strong that led to demonstrations and even some change, for example in how supermarkets use plastic packaging. 

Currently, the Covid-19 virus situation has created an environment of distrust in various governments across Europe as the people watch how, "Draconian measures" are being implemented and justified. The ethical considerations during these dangerous times refer to how leaders use this emergency status to pursue nefarious and financial goals that benefit the individuals in power. The impact on this could be felt in generations to come as health systems are less supported and may reduce people's life expectancy.

For example, the use of data in the Track & Trace system touches on issues of privacy and freedom and are akin to measures imposed by authoritarian regimes. The collection of body DNA samples justified by proposed novel cures, appear to cross borderline principles defined by the Nuremberg Code - a set of research ethical principles achieved at the Nuremberg trials at the end of the second world war. One of the main takeaways from the Nuremberg trials was the idea of consent, which interestingly, we are still dealing with and learning about, 50 years later, in various areas of life such as sexual harassment for example. The agreement to these principles for the Nuremberg Code wasn't an easy result, it was achieved with much sacrifice, death and trauma to the world's population and still to this day there are many philosophical and research studies who try to understand how human nature reaches such depths of barbaric behaviour while at the same time being able to create wonderful beauty and joy.

However, is there a situation (such as Covid-19) where we are justified to cross those ethical considerations and /or abandon them altogether for the sake of improvement of a situation or conflict resolution?... Perhaps we can ask another question: Can we find solutions that don't compromise those ethical considerations? Are they being put aside for the common good? Who is accountable and how will it be penalized if there is abuse? OK, that was more than one question!...

Are the people informed enough to know how to defend their democratic principles?... Ha...information is a key component also. But that leads us to another set of ethical principles, since big Media groups belong to only about 4 major corporations who chose to spew their own propaganda in order to manipulate people to win elections and influence people. How and where can one get objective information and how can we discern "good" from "bad"?...

The advent of social media algorithms as shown in the film "Social Dilema" leads us to another non-ending rabbit hole of ethical questions. Technology that is designed to manipulate and control human behaviour infringes on our human rights and privacy yes, but, are WE not responsible for our behaviour you may say?... After all, we can choose to follow the algorithm or just press another video no?... Well, yes, of course, the problem is, that companies are clever and once habitual behaviour sets in its much harder to change it and big companies know this.

“It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” - Mark Twain

Early in March, when the emergency status was being passed in parliament, a young MP gave an emotional speech declaring how he hoped that these measures would swiftly be back to normal once the situation changed. I wish I had that link, it didn't seem important at the time, of course, like so many others I didn't realize the full impact of what those measures truly meant. Awareness is key. Once you understand how important ethical considerations play a role in your life the more equipped you are to apply them. It is by realizing the importance of ethical considerations that we become aware of how systems in society work to benefit certain groups and individuals or not. 

Ethical principles have been regularly challenged, changed and improved (from a western democratic perspective) throughout the years but it's important to remember how so much of these philosophies still affects us today on a conscious and subconscious level. The racist science of the 19th century has embedded ideas in the common psyche of human beings and is still present today in people's attitudes, as well as within structural systems that treat black people differently for example. The same philosophy and racist science viewed African-Diasporic dance forms as something backwards, not understanding it as a whole. These forms and people of African-Caribbean descent are still institutionally treated as inferior, often ignored and under funded regardless of the immense pool of proof and influence to contemporary forms of dance and visual arts - See Ted Shawn's "Native American" amongst many others.

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I used to watch "Star Trek" often as a teenager and it affected my understanding of other cultures. Their main "prime directive" was the guiding principle in their exploration of the Universe and it often conflicted with their exploration goals of the Universe whereby it was constantly debated if they should or shouldn't interfere in alien cultures. This ethical consideration often conflicted between what they thought was against the rights of different life species and at times interfered in rituals they thought barbaric but were in fact necessary according to the species rites of passage for survival or such. It was fascinating. How much are our guiding principles of life benefit only us as a group or allow other cultures to benefit also and integrate in our life systems?...

While Hegel defended a need for conflict in every major human change in history, perhaps this time we can prove him wrong and Covid-19 can be the catalyst to help us make the necessary changes with a more holistic approach. More dancing is clearly needed! 

Our ideas of compassion, empathy and freedom are being challenged. In my views ethical considerations exist to facilitate a more fair and integrated society, where people can build on equality, inclusion, freedom and diversity and experience fuller, fairer land balanced lives. 

 A REVOLUTIONARY SUMMER PART II  - The role of art in activism.

The Summer of 2020 might go down in history as the "burning Summer". But, whereas the Summer of 69 is remembered fondly as a peace gathering of thousands however, this year's live protests and online communication have escalated into severe tension, mental instability and desperation. Still, it is said that when fire burns it also creates space for new things to grow.

While trying to make meaning of all that was happening around me and with society in general, I started questioning another aspect of my role as an artist. The rise of misinformation in the media and government communication and the Black Lives Matter protests forced me to reflect on the impact of my work in the sector. While my previous work had been more focused on movement, bringing awareness to my sector and empowering other artists, I found myself searching for my voice and the affirmation of my values through this enormous conflictual noise. How could I support a fairer society?...Is my role as an artist to comment?... How vocal should I be regarding the issues happening around me?...

Watching actors like John Boyega deliver a passionate speech in the BLM protest in the park almost brought tears to my eyes and when Jane Fonda got arrested again it stirred feelings inside me as an artist that I felt I needed to address and understand. The young actor John Boyega risked his career and put himself in a position where he could have lost many opportunities, yet, he put himself on the line to give voice to the protests. He set the bar high. Jane Fonda who is an accomplished actress and is over 80 years old, showed how age doesn't count when it's time to fight for what we believe is right. 

Online, my dance community was posting articles, photos and memes about the Black Lives Matter protests and broken statues. It was a revelation to me however that many of those who purported to offer dance workshops in any class of African diasporic movement were very quiet. 

Despite its salacious political nature and roots of funding, the BLM movement is in its basic essence an issue that affects us all, it's a human issue, not a black issue. If a group in society is being treated more unfairly than others it reflects on everyone economically and morally. But, to those who work in areas where they benefit from black culture, it's perhaps even more essential to ensure they show support, or, so I thought. So, while trying to make meaning of all of these conversations I was at the same time shocked with those that were happy to enjoy black culture, but not necessarily support black people. 

Artists generally consider themselves agents of change. Whether promoting change in movement, body confidence, climate change or simply providing a platform for awareness, joy and entertainment. Currently, however, in the circumstances we are living art based activism has never been more relevant. There are numerous examples of how the arts intersect with activism. I read an article from The Guardian back in March about artist Ai Weiwei (Ai Weiwei: ‘An artist must be an activist’, 2020) whom I wasn't aware of before, commenting about arts and activism. 

I also remember looking at the painting of Jean - Michel Basquiat "Defacement" once in an art book, reading about it and thinking how his political paintings might have affected his career. "Defacement" translates to English as destroying the face of something, so it implies a strong meaning. The painting is about the killing of Michael Stewart, another graphic artist of the time. According to the Guardian article (McClinton, 2020), these two artists shared a circle of friends despite not being close.

“I think Basquiat was aware that this was not just about Michael Stewart or even him, but that there is a history of state violence against the black body” – Chaédria LaBouvier

   "Defacement"                                                            "Slave auction"

While participating in numerous live discussions and conversations it became more and more clear to me that my role first and foremost is to be a human being, not an artist. But, as a human being who is also an artist and a leader in my sector I feel I have a certain responsibility to my audience. 

In order to communicate with integrity however, I need to decipher truth from false information - not an easy task in the current period we live in. 

It can be said that artists are not there to make waves, but simply to entertain. History has shown, repetitively though, that oppressive regimes often try to muzzle artists work and voices and label them as dangerous in order to pursue regimes of repression, so, it appears that the artistic voice while seemingly unimportant and not essential to society is a powerful and highly impactful tool to the development of empathy between people. The more I reflected on the idea of empathy, the more I understood the meaning of artistic work.

My Spring & Summer 2020 journey led me to understand myself a little more, it challenged me as an artist, forced me to admit mistakes when posting on social media, pushed me to find my internal "artivist", but mostly,  it truly inspired me to be the artist I would love to continue to become. 

Bibliography

The Guardian. 2020. Ai Weiwei: ‘An Artist Must Be An Activist’. [online] 

McClinton, D., 2020. Defacement: The Tragic Story Of Basquiat's Most Personal Painting. [online] the Guardian. 

 A REVOLUTIONARY SUMMER PART I - JOY

Wow. It has only been a couple of months since we took our long Summer break and it feels like a lifetime as passed by. I want to talk about Covid, and BLM and the creative industry and so many, many things that have happened in such a short space of time but I'm going to talk about Joy.

Our lives have turned upside down, if feels like the world is burning and the foundations built under us are crumbling down at a fast pace. We went to sleep and woke up in a complete different universe. The concepts of learning, interacting with others, work and pleasure have been violently ripped apart and its anyone's guess if current society will survive such change, or perhaps the key word is "how" will it survive. 

Most of the teaching was transferred online. Many artists were resistant to teach online, since it loses so many aspects of our human communication as well as concerns over health & safety of learning body mechanics. Others started without a worry in the world (I think these were mainly the Instagram generation!) adapting to the "new normal" as required and being quite successful at it.

The creative industries have been put on complete hold and the nature of how essential the Arts is has not even been questioned. Despite being one of the largest contributors to the economy It was put at the bottom of the list of priorities, period. 

I've often questioned the meaning of my own work throughout the years. As we are living in an era of information/dis-information - knowledge is at the tip of our google and online fingers, so, what is my role as an educator really?... One of the greatest meanings that this crisis has showed me as a dance artist was how important it was to cultivate joy. Joy. Yes, just like that lovely character in the 2015 Disney film "Inside out". Remember how preciously she holds those balls of energy?... During the lockdown I aimed to cultivate a lot of Joy in my teaching delivery online. Where would people be without joy?... Can people cope without Joy in their lives?... How long can you live without listening to music, enjoying colours in a painting, clapping or swaying your head to a basic rhythm?...

It sounds like such a simple thing. Almost too simple to be truly important. Often the smallest and simplest things are. Yap. The virus is a very, very small "bug" but look at the amount of wreckage it has caused!... 

The amount of depression related cases and mental illness post lockdown has shown that human beings are true social beings. Of course, we already knew that, nothing new. The difference is that we are living it now. We are physically, emotionally and spiritually living this experience and the lived experience leaves far lasting impact than theories we study.

Cultivating Joy has been of the utmost importance to me in order to maintain a semblance of sanity and feed into faith, courage and hope in all areas. The revolutionary Summer of 2020 has been tough but it has helped re-assess the importance of Joy, the importance to connect with the basic elements of water, air and earth, and ironically this forms an integral part of the holistic way in which African and Caribbean forms are set up. Despite being used, abused and appropriated, these forms are probably best equipped to transform into the "new normal" of a new world.

IN SEARCH OF TRUTH

In a current time where the daily “fake news” assault on our communication channels is infectious and where structural processes of journalist investigation have deteriorated over the years through corruption and political interests, the search for “truth” has become almost a commodity and our ability to critically analyse a story has become essential in understanding how socio-economic structures make decisions on policies and influence the population for personal and/or financial interest.

Unfortunately the current public school system hasn't been built with a focus on providing a curriculum that fosters critical thinking, hence the process of discerning between facts, opinion and fake news is quite complex.

While writing my enquiry proposal and reading available literature I re-confirmed my thoughts on the notion that throughout my practice, the issues that I have had challenges with when engaging with students or organisers as such emanated from an ideological framework constructed mostly during colonisation and ruins of civilisations with a western dominant theological and methodological paradigms that I wasn't allowed to question or challenge and that, in addition, I may also have internalised those same values without much question.

Having read various literature, specifically on indigenous culture also revealed the nature of subjectivity and that “Reality is not something ‘out there‘, but rather something that is local and specifically constructed ( Polkinghorne, 1983).

The more you pull a thread, the more you find of course!
Still much to understand and do but truly excited at what I may find!

References

Polkinghorne, D., 1983. Methodology For The Human Sciences. Albany: State University of New York Press.

LOOKING AT KATHERINE DUNHAM

Following this module's suggested tasks I'm going to reflect and comment on a dance piece created by Katherine Dunham (1909 - 2006) - dancer, choreographer, author, educator, anthropologist, and social activist.

Although Dunham was mentioned during my dance college years in London, I was more aware of her work through dance experience. I never had an opportunity to study her gift to dance or be involved in any project dedicated to her so I thought I'll address that and make my tiny but heartfelt contribution to one of the greatest names in dance history.  

Katherine Dunham had one of the most successful careers as a dancer. She created and toured her company and in 1935 she was the recipient of an anthropology travel fellowship from Julius Rosenwald and the Guggenheim, which allowed her to travel to the Caribbean to study dance. Watching the PBS dance documentary online about African American dance made me look at her work again with new eyes. I'm quite certain that Katherine Dunham's approach to dance as well as her own notions of knowledge in why black people dance the way they do were transformed after her one year immersion study in the Caribbean. 
She then proceeded to transmit these new epistemology to her own company as well as negotiating her place with film directors and such. 

Reading about it It sounds like her approach to dance changed perspective to something more holistic and formative including introducing her company to the spiritual aspect of the dances by telling them to "learn the steps of the Gods". This was so far fetched from what dancers were allowed to define dance at the time that some company members didn't think that what she was showing them was dance anymore!
The concept behind "spirit" in dance, varies widely but it's generally considered to mean something beyond the anatomical expression of the body. Avoiding religious beliefs, let's just say It's somehow a way to define the unique way the body experiences itself in the world.
Spirituality in dance isn't usually discussed or considered although it's been a constant factor in so - called "primitive" peoples dance forms ( Highwater, 1985) I believe through her study and life work Dunham helped alter these viewpoints.

Her immersion into Caribbean culture and the use of film and photos was also crucial in developing new ways and using artefacts for making meaning of her observations. It was in fact quite unique that upon her finishing her studies in the Caribbean her presentation included so many photos and film, instead of formal written reports. As a researcher she seemed present and involved and she made meaning of what she observed by analysing the movement she saw which led her to create her own dance movement technique based on body isolations. Her approach was ethnographic using a narrative enquiry , I belief, while exploring case studies particularly related to Haiti movement.

It seems that to Katherine Dunham the notion of movement was something malleable, evolving, that was also dependant on smell, touch, contact with the floor, the elements, music and song. To me, that Dunham had a very organic experience with a non-positivist approach to dance contrary perhaps to the "fixed" methodologies she had previously learned as a dancer prior to her trip. Worth noting that her previous knowledge also integrated the limitations of what black dancers of her time could aspire to do on stage. Her unlimited curiosity for learning however led her to push the limits of previous knowledge in dance, which was considered certain and absolute, specifically ,but not exclusively, to the dances of the African diaspora.

Watching her piece "The Barrelhouse blues"brought me early memories to the late 70's in Angola and early 80's in Portugal.
In Dunham's piece the movement appears quite simple, sassy and fun but there's a hidden complicity that I'm able to recognise, similar to the dances I used to watch with my elders. There was a song at the time that used to "close" the party. It was a very long, slower song called "Ti Bom" by a congolese singer called Coupe Cloue, which was very popular on the radio waves of Angolan homes.
Watching the older folks dance it, I saw the sensuality but also the sadness, the weight of their shoulders, the tiredness and the joy, all expressing themselves simultaneously through rhythmical contractions and changes of weight. It's an image that stayed with me. 
Barrelhouse blues reminded me of that complexity of expression and feeling, so, it was interesting for me to read that the dance critic of the time - John Martin - criticised her piece simply as "hot, sexy, passionate" but ultimately vulgar. 
Was it because said critic couldn't relate to the "lived experience"of the blues in the body of the two black dancers?...
This aspect resonates greatly in my practice of Afro Latin dance forms as these dance styles are still depicted with the same superficial appreciation, while at the same time these styles are used, promoted and transformed with those new values, by dominant cultures.

These ideas also make me think of the concepts of Phenomenology - the study of lived experience  as opposed to the world as a reality separated from the person ( Laverty, 2003).
This methodology is highly opposed to what I read on cartesian dualism. Phenomenology attempts to create meanings from everyday existence and uncover new/forgotten meanings. 
It's worth mentioning also that Dunham experienced new dance knowledge by being part of a community of people. This rhizomatic model of learning is not driven by predefined inputs from experts but in this model, community IS the knowledge in itself, spontaneously shaping and constructing movement nuances ( Cormier, 2020) and serving as an epistemological alternative to western rationale.

I loved delving into Katherine Dunham's work and trying to imagine how she created meaning out of her experience while researching in the Caribbean. It was inspirational and made me look at my future enquire proposal and with more ideas in mind. 


REFERENCES


PBS Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN0G7xItwo [Accessed 28 Feb. 2020].

Highwater, J. (1985). Dance (series). New York: Alfred van der Mark Editions.

dave, V. (2020). Rhizomatic Education : Community as Curriculum – Dave’s Educational Blog. [online] Davecormier.com.

Laverty, S. (2003). Hermeneutic Phenomenology and Phenomenology: A Comparison of Historical and Methodological Considerations. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2(3), pp.21-35.

READING AND MAKING MEANING OF CONCEPTS

So, while trying to make meaning of what meaning making is I'm already making meaning of things...got it?...I've been reading and trying to understand the concepts this new module of study requires.

While I'm excited at the prospect of conducting field work, I understand how important it is to acknowledge how this work will be conducted and how this may or may not influence my own findings and conclusions. Looking at my practice, I need to identify what particular area in my field of practice I don't know much about > would be interested in finding out further > believe would add value to my current practice and interest.
Once identified, I would also need to identify the research model that best applies to my research proposal so, more reading.
Some of the research models are very similar and have only some variants between them and discovering so much discourse on the philosophy of best practices and viewpoints can only mean one thing: more reading. Currently reading on Phenomenology and Hermeutic Phenomenology as well as Naturalistic enquiry.
On top of these considerations ethics plays a very important role in ensuring safe practice for research subjects, researcher and may influence the content of research itself, so...yes you guessed it: more reading!!

Also having great pleasure in exploring the body of work of artists that have inspired me such as Alvin Ailey, Bill T. Jones and Katharine Dunham, amongst others which I'll make theme for my next blog.

Whilst I take time daily to read on related bibliography and themes I'm finding the complexity of the various learning philosophies often define as abstract concepts difficult to relate to my daily practice. My expectation was to learn about learning methodologies that relate direvtly to dance and although learning applies to any subject I find reading about this interwoven complexity of learning philosophies of acquiring knowledge something that rarely applies in field practice. So, I guess I need....more reading.

...WHAT DOES MEAN MAKING IN ACTION MEAN?

So, I downloaded Module 2 handbook and started reading it. And here I go, "boom!" "kapaw!" "puff!" feeling like I went back to point zero, trying to decipher what it is I need to focus on. So, I booked my Skype presto.

Sometimes academic writing just leaves me puzzled and ready to pull my hair!...When you think you start to understand things...
Earlier in September last year I attended a talk at Southbank with Akala - Author/Activist/Musician and his guest panel. It was a great talk. One of the things that I retained was something Prof. David Killingray, one of the distinguished panel members, said. He mentioned that academia ought to change its language in order to be more accessible to people. Buddhism did it. Buddhist texts were initially held by monks and were quite complex to study. It took another monk in the 13th century - Nichiren - that decided to simplify it in order that all people could practice it.
...I guess I'm just not used to not understanding what I read straight away. Is this meaning making in action? When you connect the dots while in action? No idea.

I was excited however to read about the classic philosophers. I did my A level in Philosophy and never thought I would utilise this knowledge for anything much aside from a basic understanding on how these philosophers influenced thought through time. I've often used Socrates saying " All I know is that I know nothing.." many times in my life as a reminder of my own continuous professional development and I translated Descartes " I think therefore I am" into a modern version of "what I think, manifests physically". So, reading Adesola's PHD extract was quite satisfying whereby it was a warm reminder of philosophical debates at school that only me ( the nerdy girl) and a couple of other students would participate in a half asleep class.
As I was reading it I also realised that I was, of course, interpreting it through a fresh lens due to my own acquired life experience, 20 years later! Was that meaning making in action? No idea.

Hopefully some of my questions will be answered and next blog will be more constructive. At the moment I'm looking through a binoculars lens and seeing an arid space filled with words and definitions that jumble together in a bowl of potential.

BACK TO THE BOOKS!

...did I ever leave though?...The MAPP course doesn't take a break in your head because even on holidays you find yourself thinking about what you wrote, what you read and how you're integrating all these thoughts and ideas in your own practice and in everyday life.

Last term was really tricky for me in terms of understanding what was required of me, having enough time to read relevant bibliography and connect all the dots. I still haven't connected all the dots as the dots keep moving and changing (!). I guess that's a good thing. Knowledge is fluid and constantly moving.

I feel that I am now reaching a point somewhere in the middle - as suggested by Adesola's blog - whereby I'm in a routine of thoughts and actions and regularly searching and curious about new books and articles that will engage me.
Student engagement at MAPP still seems really far off at the moment, at least in my experience as I haven't been able to engage with more than one person last term, and only over essay practicalities. I'm hoping that can improve this term beyond me reading other people's blogs.

I'm looking forward to the exciting road ahead and to more learning experiences.