Evaluation of work placements

‘Just 4 Kids’ Parties

Aim: To help facilitate games and exercises for young children in a fun and exciting way, learning suitable disciplinary methods. 
 
Objectives:

• Create fun activities for the children which are well thought and organised                  
• Make children and parents feel welcome by introducing them to myself and the space                 
• Get the children to join in games by supporting and reassuring them
• Praise the children when they complete exercises and be firm but not intimidating when they are not listening to instructions

My Reflection:

When I initially decided to undertake this work Placement I was nervous, as I had no experience of working with children before. I was unsure of whether I would have enough patience and energy! I was also worried about whether they would listen to me and want to join in with the activities.

 I wanted to learn what was required to run a successful business and assist Vicky Nagy with her parties, by setting up activities, liaising with parents, getting the children to join in and making sure they were safe, face painting and generally making sure the party was running as smooth as possible!

I encountered many new social situations which I found initially hard to deal with , I had to except that not all the children would be open to having their face painted and therefore did not force anyone to have one, I also learnt that the children need a lot of attention , praise and energy!

Things I learnt whilst on the work placement:

1. How to run my own business and take into consideration tax/money etc - I discussed this with Vicky and asked her how easy or hard running and up keeping your own business is!
2. How to interact with young children- I learnt that I can speak to them on my level and not patronise them by speaking in a 'baby voice.' I also learnt how to get the children to pay attention, and join in with games in a friendly and non intimidating way.
3. How to liaise with customers/clients on a professional level which is friendly and approachable.
4. A lot of time preparation is needed to run quality workshops for children, Vicky supplied her own balloons, arts and crafts materials, face paints, music, prizes, party bags and present for each child.

My Strengths

·         Listening to tasks asked of me

·         Fulfilling tasks quickly and effectively

·         Friendly and approachable

·         Professional

·         Punctuality

My Weaknesses

·         Loss of energy at times

·         Lack of experience facilitating games

·         Lack of experience with children

I feel I fulfilled achieved my aim and objectives. I helped facilitate games and exercises but would like to be more actively involved in the future, as I now feel more comfortable both around children and dealing with social situations which include praising/disciplinary.

I really enjoyed the experience and would love to help out again. Next time I would like to take on a more leadership role as I now have experience of how to deal with children and parents. I am looking into developing my own skills as a performer and would like to liaise with Vicky to learn how to perform magic tricks, make balloon animals and Face Painting professionally.

Career options

This placement has made me realise that I enjoy working within the local community and interacting with children. I would like to take on more of a teacher role, than entertainer, perhaps teaching children drama and singing. I loved meeting new people and making the birthday parties memorable for both the children and parents!

Stagecoach          

Aim: To get my name and face recognised by Jan the principal of Stagecoach. 

Objectives: 

• To undertake work experience with stagecoach
• To work to the best of my ability and maintain high levels of energy
• Introduce myself personally to Jan and tell her about my interests within stagecoach
• To tell Jan what I am currently studying and what I hope to do in the future

My Reflection

Stagecoach is a company I have always wanted to be a part of/work for so I was excited about my placement working as an assistant to Vicky Nagy who is a teacher there.

My roles, were fairly simple, setting up things needed, and keeping an eye on the children, but my main objective of undertaking the work placement was to find out more about stagecoach, and meet the boss Jan to discuss potential work opportunities.

I was nervous to meet Jan, and wanted to make a good impression.

Meeting Jan, I explained who I was and what I did, and managed to get another 3 days paid work experience with stagecoach!

I faced some challenges along the way dealing with crying children and ones who did not want to co-operate, also keeping them quiet behind stage during dress rehearsals and performances.

The children however had bubbly, live and energetic personalities which made the experience fun and kept me on my toes!

Things I have learnt whilst on the work placement:

1.    How to present myself as a professional and network

2.    How to work with children in a teaching environment

3.    How to deal with challenges quickly and effectively

My Strengths

·         Listening to tasks asked of me

·         Fulfilling tasks quickly and effectively

·         Friendly and approachable

·         Professional- networking myself

·         Punctuality

My Weaknesses

·         Lack of experience with children

·         Partially deaf- couldn’t hear vocal cues for children

·         Not assertive enough at times

I feel I fulfilled my aim and objectives as my main aim was to get my name and contact details out there to Jan the principle at Stagecoach. I have been very successful in doing so, as I have now worked for stagecoach 4 separate times, each time I was paid for my help, so Jan must have obviously thought I was capable and right for the job otherwise she would have not asked for my help again!

Career Options

This placement has made me realise that I enjoy working within the local community and interacting with children.  Having now made a successful contact with Jan, I could look into getting a job there after I have completed my qualifications at university and obtained a CRB certificate. I would like to become more of a personal assistant to Jan than a teacher at stagecoach, dealing with accounts, publicity, and anything else the job Intel’s. I do however love working with children and would settle for a teaching assistant role if one was needed!

 Statement from Vicky Nagy

Elly Bowden has been my assistant at both ‘Just 4 Kids’ Parties, and Stagecoach Theatre Arts.

‘Just 4 Kids’ Parties

Elly has been my assistant now for a few times during parties with large numbers of children. She had to help me to set up for each party, laying out the arts and crafts items in a certain way on the parachute. Yet again she was well organised and listened well to my instructions. During the parties she took part in the games, party dances, and handing out prizes. She even ran a couple on her own. Elly is very confident so did this with ease. Her easy going personality worked well with the guests and they didn't find her intimidating at all. Elly was talkative when doing the face painting, which helped her build a rapport with the children.

Stagecoach

As part of Stagecoach Elly's roles are as follows: Helping to focus the class, tying shoe laces, preparing juice and biscuits for the children's snacks, assisting with class work and games, and leading the children from one class to the next. Elly was also part of the end of term show, where she had to help backstage to send children on the stage in time to begin their scenes, and to keep them quiet in the Wings. Elly was very efficient in everything she did, asking questions all the time to make sure everything had been done correctly. Obviously working with children can take a lot of patience, and Elly seemed to be very tolerant, meeting the needs of all of the children. She has a very calm nature, so naturally both classes found her very approachable. She is not afraid to take on challenges and I found her very easy to work with. 

Overall Impression.

Although Elly hasn’t really worked with children before I felt she did very well to stay patient and was not afraid to make a fool of herself dressing up as a pirate. Her attitude was very professional, and she was very easy to work with. If Elly would like to do more of this in the future she should be even more dynamic during the parties. As I have been a children's entertainer for a few years now, I have learnt that children respond very well to me being quite bubbly, a bit 'silly' and lively, keeping this personality throughout, regardless of whatever has been happening in my personal life. With more experience I'm sure Elly could do well in this kind of work as she is very adaptable in any situation. Because of her calm and easy going personality, Elly will make an excellent teacher to any age group. 

Healthy Lifestyles Project:

Aim: To undertake in professional filming and learn what is required of an actor.

Objectives:

·         Attend all 3 days of filming

·         Talk to the director/camera man about their experience within filming 

·         Undertake the project with an open mind 

·         Ask other actors how they feel after filming both mentally and physically

·         Experience the project first hand as an actor

·         Read the script and project outline

·         Talk to the pupils about the project- did they find us funny/approachable

My Reflection:

When I decided to undertake this work placement I was excited that I would be challenging myself but apprehensive, as I will admit I do not live the healthiest of lifestyles and thought my role in the program may be slightly hypercritical. I soon realised the program encourages individuals to make active decisions to change their lifestyle something which I have now done, to benefit myself as a performer.

I had never done any filming previously so was nervous about what would be expected! I wanted to know what was required of an actor when filming. I learnt that I had to speak slowly and clearly, repeating lines and actions. I also had to make sure I did not over pitch with my voice, all whilst portraying a 10 year old; this was difficult as I did not want to coming across as patronising to the pupils watching!

The days were long and tiring, and became repetitive repeating scenes over and over; the process left me feeling physically and mentally drained.

That all said I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and working with the pupils who took part in the filming. The pupils aged 10; all had very different personalities and made the experience fun and exciting. They surprised me with how well behaved they were and really my job enjoyable!

Things I have learnt whilst on the work placement:

·         Filming requires you to repeat lines slowly, and from different angles

·         Filming is both mentally and physically draining

·         It is vital for actors to maintain high energy levels and concentration through filming

·         Filming hours are often early starts and late finishes

·         Filming requires the actor to maintain the same ‘look’ throughout the process for consistency.

Strengths

·         Challenging myself

·         Entering the project with an open mind

·         Punctuality

·         Professionalism

·         Remembering all lines/actions

·         Teaching children a dance routine

·         Listening and fulfilling tasks asked of me

·         Friendly and approachable

·         Enthusiastic/Energetic

Weaknesses

·         Loss of energy at times

·         Lack of confidence – dancing

·         Characterisation- (as scenes were stopped and started again)

·         Lack of experience

I feel I have achieved my aim and objectives, having taken part in this project I now know that filming is not easy and requires a lot of energy, commitment and concentration. I managed to speak with both other peer members and the director about their personal experiences and have gained both valuable knowledge and contacts for the future. Having read the script prior to filming I had a general outline of what would be required of me and knew how to prepare myself mentally and physically for the days ahead. Most importantly going in with an open mind meant I had no prior opinions/feelings about what to expect and therefore I let go of my inhibitions and enjoyed the project fully!

Career Options:

This placement has made me realise that I enjoy working within the local community and interacting with children. I however did find filming very tiring and would not partake lightly in the future for filming projects.  

Kent’s Cavern:

(I had an initial aim to make contact with Kent’s Cavern and secondary aim for my job role there)

My Initial Aim:

To get my name and face recognised at Kent's cavern so there is potential for job offers within the company.

Objectives:

·         Contact Kent's Cavern and ask if there are any job vacancies

·         Leave my Name and Contact Details on the Email

·         Introduce myself to James Hall- Kent’s Cavern Manager

·         Arrive at Kent's Cavern and have an Interview

·         Show off my skills and training I have within the arts which I feel will be invaluable to my job role.

·         Maintain a friendly and approachable persona

My Reflection:

During the Christmas period I wanted to get a seasonal job, which could be used as work experience and decided to contact Kent’s Cavern. I took the initiative to email the general manager and ask about job vacancies. At the interview I was nervous as only grammar students are usually employed but came prepared making sure I had a portfolio ready and was dressed smartly arriving early.

(Aims and Objectives for Job role)

Aims: To stay in character for long periods of time, and get families into the Christmas spirit!

Objectives:

• Turn up to work early in order to give myself time to get into costume and get into character
• Set up the activity space making sure all stars and gems were hidden ready for visitors
• Clean up sand from sand boxes and the chalk board as well as crossword after each tour had left, ready for the next tour
• Interact with children and their families , staying in character 
• Being friendly and approachable at all times 
• Believing I AM Elly the Elf!

My Reflection:

Before my first day working as an elf, I was taken on a tour of the caves and experienced the Santa tour, this enabled me to make a background character story, I used the information gathered to relate back to the tour once they children came to visit me. I mentioned Santa's invisible dog , who had caused havoc and hidden all the children's wishes , their job was to help me get them back into the wish jar. I also told them how Cristobel the fairy was my best friend , taking some glitter out my pocket and showing them her fairy gems hidden in the sand to make the whole story that more believable!

The role was challenging as I was required to stay in character for long periods of time, the children often asked me questions so I had to improvise and use my story telling skills. At the end of the day I was often left feeling mentally and physically drained! I really enjoyed interacting with families and getting everyone into the Christmas spirit, the environment was friendly and comfortable making me feel relaxed and confident to act dynamically.

Things I have learnt whilst on the work placement:

·         Children require a lot of attention, praise and interaction

·         How to stay in character for long periods of time

·         How to network myself professionally

·         How to lose inhibitions and fully submerge myself in a role

·         How to improvise quickly

My Strengths

·         Punctuality

·         Listening and fulfilling all tasks asked

·         Friendly and approachable

·         Energetic

·         Staying in character for long periods of time

·         Professionalism

·         Acting and improvising skills

My Weaknesses

·         Loss of energy at times

·         Lack of confidence – initially

·         Lack of experience – working and interacting with children

I feel I fulfilled both my initial aim and objectives as I secured seasonal work with Kent’s Cavern and my aims and objectives for the work placement. I was praised for staying in character and received positive feedback from both staff members and general public! I feel confident securing work with Kent’s Cavern again in the future!

Career Options:

This placement was one of my favourites, although challenging, I really enjoyed the experience and liked the fact I had a character which I was able to create myself. I thoroughly enjoyed engaging with the general public and would like to work within the community in future with more educational purposes. I am hoping to contact Kent’s Cavern and see if there are any tour guide roles available as I feel my drama skills would be invaluable and make the tour exciting and dynamic.