2017. november 6., hétfő

Sharing ideas


I have realised that we hesitate to speak during conference calls. We are teachers and we are used to speaking and dancing in front of our students but when we become students, suddenly we turn to silence.


…..silence…..


I decided to take a look behind 'the silence'. I observed my experiences and feelings in order to understand why I become so shy. 


When I read Adesola’s blog, I became very excited about the topic: ’The role of women in acting’. I could prepare myself and I combined that with the topic which I was supposed to speak on before, choreography contra technique in teaching.


At the beginning of the conversation I felt myself prepared but a bit frustrated because of my speech. I am not good at public speaking even in my native language but speaking in English can make expressing myself more difficult.


…silence…


I felt so embarrassed during the silence. It was so frustrating, for example, like being in front of the judge during an examination. I felt that every second made me feel worse and worse….


….silence….


I felt that I had to do something even if I could not react to the topic, that was before me. I started to speak about my topic and after a while I felt myself feeling better and better. It freed me and made me feel safe and confident which I did not feel before. Every sentence that I said was like a sequence of movements in a dance. I could not stop, because it was so good. I opened up and the reactions from the others made this feeling stronger. I have realised that everybody became more confortable in the conversation and this was the break-through in the chat, for all of us. 


I think that the hindering factor is that when we are unsure about what is going to happen, we position ourselves like a student who is entering a new class and takes a place in the last row. According to Magda Kay the writer of the article: 12 ways to build confidence, "the reason for it is that we don’t want attention on us". (Kay, 2014) This hidden position can give the feeling that ’I am in safety’ but this is just an illusion, an insecure reaction, it is obvious we can not hide ourself. We should look for positive feelings and be confident instead of creating the illusion of being safe.

A challanging situation can positively affect us, if we give ourselves small goals. Magda Kay also explained that small goals give the feeling of success and this provides self-confidence for us. I have to mention that this also can create an enjoyable athmosphere for everybody, even if we do not know each other. 


I think that it is a good experience to discover ourselves and to get to know each other. We are in the same learning process and sharing ideas can help us to improve, and listening to other people may provide us with the ability to understand our students better.



Kay, M. (2014). Psyhology for Marketers. Retrieved november 6, 2017, from 12 ways to build self-confidence: http://psychologyformarketers.com/12-ways-to-build-self-confidence/

4 megjegyzés:

  1. I could have written this... I feel exactly the same! But for me there is also the fact that I feel unsecure because I can't see anyone. I think body language is also very important when it comes to gaining confidence speaking in front of a group. Thanks for sharing and being so honest!

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  2. We all in the same boat Barbara. I feel this MA course has helped me tremendously to articulate my feelings verbally and realize a very hard core 'Truth' that unless a learner can express their learning effectively, what they know will not be recognized..so we all are in the process of learning..'how to learn' and act of expressing that learning!! Please do write about the topic you wanted to speak... in your blog. Thanks.

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  3. Great Critical thinking reflection. I love the comments too. Thank you all for being brave. Adesola

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  4. I so realte! I find the Skype talks so difficult and they remind me of how I felt before I went on stage. The build-up prior to taking that first step on stage was always one of anxiety and I feel the same about the discussions.I agree with Maite not being able to see anyone is restricting. As dancers we are used to expressing our feelings and emotions via our bodies and not to see each others body language for me is difficult. I too, totally understand when you mention about public speaking. I loath speaking infront of people and have often wondered how I could transfer some of my confidence I have as a teacher and had as a performer over to this area. I didn't manage to join the Skype in November but as I've mentioned in a previous post I really want to improve this area that I am so weak in. The Skypes for me are a valuable tool that will lead up to the presentation, (which I have never done before) so it's for me to engage, listen and contribute!

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