Thread: Calling all Teachers

I set up a Teachers Group. I thought it might be good to have a separate (and more private) forum for teachers to be able to raise issues that they may not necessarily want on the main forum boards. Click on my icon to PM me for an invite if you're a teacher. Or ask here.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

I set up a Teachers Group. I thought it might be good to have a separate (and more private) forum for teachers to be able to raise issues that they may not necessarily want on the main forum boards. Click on my icon to PM me for an invite if you're a teacher. Or ask here.

Sent you a message - what a great idea!

Great idea - also sent you a message!
D

I think I sent you message...but the screen just froze after I sent it, so I'm not sure...

Hi Bea,
I sent you a message also, and the screen froze for me too!
Anyway, please count me in, excellent idea!

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

I think I sent you message...but the screen just froze after I sent it, so I'm not sure...

Originally Posted by *maria*

Hi Bea,
I sent you a message also, and the screen froze for me too!
Anyway, please count me in, excellent idea!

I got both messages and you should have the invites.

Thanks, will be looking for it......

Great idea -- me too, please!

Hi Bea,

Do you mind if I join? I've only just started on my teaching path - teaching family and friends, but I hope to have my own group by the autumn (when my girls will be more independant and mobile).


PS I love your beautiful avatar pic!

Hope you're well!

Nikki
http://www.raqs-sharqi.com
"The Art of Oriental Dance!"

Well, I don't want to freeze my screen ..g.: so I'll just ask like this.

Thanks in advance

MEISSOUN

OK, disregard the previous request from the 'bow-down-before-me' level poster and invite this humble noob instead!

May I join? I'm not a teacher yet, but I'm very interested in teaching. The more I can learn before I actually begin the better.

I'm not so sure I like the idea of groups breaking off to form separate discussion threads. To be honest, I don't fully understand how groups work, but I am concerned that I'll have to start looking in multiple places to view discussions on the same sorts of topics. I'd prefer if, as much as possible, we could keep discussion going in the more public forums like this one, so that the wealth of knowledge that exists among Bhuzzers is shared (for the good of all bellydancekind), and so we don't start fragmenting into uninviting splinter groups.

I would like to join as well, please add me.

Not sure how the groups vs. public forum thing will work, but there's no harm trying it out.

Sent you PM...also had the screen freeze up on me...would like to join the teachers group!

Hmmm, Jewel has a good point about splintering/fragmenting. I hate the thought of little cliques forming all over Bhuz.

But OTOH, I've often wished I could ask for advice from the other teachers on Bhuz without having to worry that my students are reading all about my concerns.

*waffles until head explodes!*

sent message...not sure if it worked?
~~~Alana~~~

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

I'm not so sure I like the idea of groups breaking off to form separate discussion threads. To be honest, I don't fully understand how groups work, but I am concerned that I'll have to start looking in multiple places to view discussions on the same sorts of topics. I'd prefer if, as much as possible, we could keep discussion going in the more public forums like this one, so that the wealth of knowledge that exists among Bhuzzers is shared (for the good of all bellydancekind), and so we don't start fragmenting into uninviting splinter groups.

I was conscious of this when I set up the group. But I decided that there would be some discussions about teaching that we're all happy to conduct in public, but there are also some times when we'd like to talk about stuff to do with our students (who may well be lurking here) or raise issues that may reveal a degree of ignorance that we don't really want to reveal to the world at large! It's not trying to take discussions away from the main boards, just giving them a more private space, in addition to the public one.

Originally Posted by Uulady

sent message...not sure if it worked?
~~~Alana~~~

Yep- invite on its way

Please count me in too. I can't do the message thing from work. :)

OK, before I get all carried away...

I set it up as a Private group, but someone kindly PMd me to say that she could read the group thread, despite not being a member. So obviously it isn't as private as we might like. Apparently all that "private group" means is that only members can post on it, it's still open to general viewing. (Which wasn't quite what I had in mind when I set it up, but we'll have to see what we can do about that.)

I'm a very very new teacher, but I can't see the problem with having discussions in public. Teachers are HUMAN after all, and it's quite OK to show this.

How would teachers feel if there was a closed, private group for students only where "we'd like to talk about stuff to do with our TEACHERS (who may well be lurking here)"


Just a thought.....I'm not having a go at anybody, just thinking about it.

Nikki
http://www.raqs-sharqi.com
"The Art of Oriental Dance!"

Originally Posted by beafarhana

I was conscious of this when I set up the group. But I decided that there would be some discussions about teaching that we're all happy to conduct in public, but there are also some times when we'd like to talk about stuff to do with our students (who may well be lurking here) or raise issues that may reveal a degree of ignorance that we don't really want to reveal to the world at large! It's not trying to take discussions away from the main boards, just giving them a more private space, in addition to the public one.

Originally Posted by raqs-sharqi.co.uk

I'm a very very new teacher, but I can't see the problem with having discussions in public. Teachers are HUMAN after all, and it's quite OK to show this.

How would teachers feel if there was a closed, private group for students only where "we'd like to talk about stuff to do with our TEACHERS (who may well be lurking here)"


Just a thought.....I'm not having a go at anybody, just thinking about it.

Nikki
http://www.raqs-sharqi.com
"The Art of Oriental Dance!"

Well you'll find that your students think you are SuperHuman!

And we have the get-out that we are also students (we never stop learning!)

Originally Posted by raqs-sharqi.co.uk

Just a thought.....I'm not having a go at anybody, just thinking about it.

Nikki
http://www.raqs-sharqi.com
"The Art of Oriental Dance!"

By the way, Nikki, I can't seem to access your profile, to send you an invite. I don't know if it's a bhug (love that term ) or if you haven't set up your profile properly yet. I'll try again later.

good point Nikki. However, I also believe that when you're teaching you owe it to your students to be the teacher. If your in a sticky situation that you have to solve it's better to leave your students out of it. For example: if I have a problem with another (local) dancer, I'd rather not involve my students because I don't want to bias them about the other teacher or let them know aout my personal issues.

I can also imagine that it's the other way around: if a student has a problem with her teacher she might want to ask advice before going to the teacher in person.

Originally Posted by raqs-sharqi.co.uk

I'm a very very new teacher, but I can't see the problem with having discussions in public. Teachers are HUMAN after all, and it's quite OK to show this.

How would teachers feel if there was a closed, private group for students only where "we'd like to talk about stuff to do with our TEACHERS (who may well be lurking here)"


Just a thought.....I'm not having a go at anybody, just thinking about it.

Nikki
http://www.raqs-sharqi.com
"The Art of Oriental Dance!"

It's a good point.

But there's a huge difference. Students get to choose their teachers. If a teacher appears to be criminally insane, the student can stop attending her class. ..g.:

I sent you one. Do I need to alter my profile? I don't really know what I'm doing on this new format yet. Maybe you need my e-mail address?

jahbie@blueyonder.co.uk

know

Originally Posted by beafarhana

I set up a Teachers Group. I thought it might be good to have a separate (and more private) forum for teachers to be able to raise issues that they may not necessarily want on the main forum boards. Click on my icon to PM me for an invite if you're a teacher. Or ask here.

Originally Posted by jahbie

I sent you one. Do I need to alter my profile? I don't really know what I'm doing on this new format yet. Maybe you need my e-mail address?

know

Whoops managed to miss you- sending the invite now.

I don't need your email (or anyone else's). But generally I'd want some indication that you're a teacher, on your profile or somewhere.

Hi Bea,

Thanks for the reply!

I'm having trouble with my profile - I've asked for some help as it could be something I'm not doing correctly - I'll let you know when I finally get it working! When I try to click on it, my browser just gets sent back to the Bhuz homepage.


Nikki
http://www.raqs-sharqi.com
"The Art of Oriental Dance!"

I just love your professionalism Mekyria!

I know how difficult it can be having problems with local dancers and other teachers. When I first started dancing, the local teachers all absolutely despised each other (yes really!) and were only too happy to slag one another off in front of their students. I was really quite shocked at a) their lack of professional attitude and b) the nasty things they said. As a result, their was NO community in the area and all the various groups were segregated and never had any interaction, which was a real shame.


Anyway, it is a long boring story, but I learned something from them...how *not* to run a class and how to conduct myself as a teacher!

Nikki
http://www.raqs-sharqi.com
"The Art of Oriental Dance!"

Originally Posted by mekyria

good point Nikki. However, I also believe that when you're teaching you owe it to your students to be the teacher. If your in a sticky situation that you have to solve it's better to leave your students out of it. For example: if I have a problem with another (local) dancer, I'd rather not involve my students because I don't want to bias them about the other teacher or let them know aout my personal issues.

I can also imagine that it's the other way around: if a student has a problem with her teacher she might want to ask advice before going to the teacher in person.