August 2020

Finding a private school for your child can be a stressful and confusing experience. There are just so many factors to consider and choosing the right one can give you a headache. It isn’t as simple as browsing through their website, enrolling them in the school and showing up on the first day to hand them over to the teacher. Visiting the school should be an essential part of the selection process.

1. Preparation

Before you arrive, make sure you carefully plan the visit. Ask them can you stay for a half day or even a full day if possible. You want to get a proper feel for the school, and this won’t be achieved unless you stay for a couple of hours. When visiting private schools in Bangkok, see can your kid interact with other students and get involved in activities. In addition, have a list of questions you can ask when speaking to teachers and coordinators.

2. Students & Classes

To get a feel for the school, you need to observe the students when they are in class. The best way of learning about the school is to see the kids interact with their fellow students and teacher. Ask can you sit in on a class and take note of the dynamics between the instructor and students.

3. Teachers

When choosing an international school, the teachers will be a big part of your decision. When visiting the school, make some time to speak to them and ask them a range of questions. See what kind of training they have received and how much experience they have in education. Also try to find out about the turnover ratio.

4. The Campus & Your Child Reaction

Explore as much as the school as possible and see what type of facilities they have to offer. It should be a fun learning environment with lots of different nationalities. While walking around, don’t forget to gauge your child’s reaction. Ask them how they feel about the school and if they would like to study there.

If after the first visit, you have any doubts or you’d like to dig a little deeper, don’t be afraid to schedule a second trip. If the school had no problems the first time, they should be the same again. A first-class international school will be as accommodating as possible, understanding the difficulties each parent face when they have to select a school.

Are you ready for retirement? Have you been working as a first responder for many years and retirement has announced itself upon you? If you have gotten all your financial affairs in order and you don’t need to worry about money when you retire, make sure you haven’t forgotten about the non-financial aspects of retirement. Luckily, there are a growing number of coaches there to help.

Research the Subject – There are many ways to find out about a first responder retirement coach, but before you do, think about retirement yourself. What will your life look like if you choose the right coach? If you are faced with firefighter retirement or you are a police officer who worked their last shift, a retirement coach can help you plan for the future. When you meet with prospective coaches, you can discuss your ideas and see what they have to offer.

Criteria – When picking a retirement coach, you should have a list of things you are looking for. For example, if you are a first responder, you may wish to work with a coach who understands the profession just as well as you. If they used to be a firefighter or police officer, they will be able to give excellent recommendations on how to cope with retirement. It is important to consider their experience and training in the subject.

Schedule a Meeting – Once you have narrowed down your search to 3 potential retirement coaches, get in touch with them and arrange a meeting. It is advisable to select coaches who work both in person and virtually. Let them know you are considering all three and ask about their strengths and weaknesses.

Ask Questions – Create a list of questions that you can bring along to the meeting. You should find out about their approach to retirement coaching and see what process they like to pursue with each client. A quality coach will have excellent listening skills, so test them the moment you meet. Ask them about the process, this allows you to learn about their organisation and how they operate.

Hiring a good quality retirement coach who has a background in working with first responders is always going to be beneficial. They’ll understand the difficulties you are faced with and they will help to design a plan that ensures a satisfying life after work. It is important to be careful and only consider highly trained, experienced professionals.

Ballet is by all standards the most graceful dancing style that exist in our world today. Full of poise and elegance, it is undoubtedly the foundation of all dances.

Ballet has been around for centuries, with a long and interesting one history. It has evolved according to the different cultures of the world that has embraced it. Since its inception, several ballet methods and styles have been established.

Some of the earlier ballet methods include theCecchetti method, the Bournonville method and the Vaganova method. These methods have paved the way to modern ballet and newer methods that have been integrated into the ballet we know today.

Let us look at some 20th century ballet methods that are in the ballet industry today.

Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)

Established in London in 1920 by Genee, Karsavina, Bedells, E. Espinosa and Richardson, RAD is an international dance examination board that is also known as the English style.

It is one of the youngest ballet methods, this method is also widely spread in Northern America and parts of Asia.

One of the most prominent aspect of RAD teaching method is its emphasis and attention to detail. It is known for its slow progression in difficulty between levels, with complicated steps only taught once a maximum level of technique is achieved.

Basic exercises such as plies and tendus are employed consistently throughout the lower grades to progressively improve the turn-out of students. Students will be able to learn harder steps more easily if there is sufficient time spent in achieving optimal technique before introducing newer and harder steps.

There are two training programs for students under RAD- the Graded Examination Syllabus and the Vocational Graded Syllabus.

The Balanchine Method

Developed by George Balanchine, a graduate of Vaganova Ballet Academy, is a more recent ballet style.

Balanchine took inspiration from the neoclassical style, thus his choreography was more focused on the dance rather than on a plot.

The method trains dancers to utilize more space in less time. It puts emphasis on athletic dance quality with extreme speed, jumps that increased in height, and lines that were lengthened.

New York City Ballet was one of the first companies to employ this method, and it is one of the most widely used methods in the United States.

Currently, it is taught at the official school of New York City Ballet, School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, and at many schools across the USA.

These are but a few ballet methods that are being taught in modern ballet schools today, to find out more about any of these methods why not sign up for ballet for kids, teens or adults.