M1: 22 September 2022 - St Columb Major
For Module 1, the suggested pre-requisite for attending the course is, that a teacher should, as a minimum, have sufficiently good bell control to be able to inspire confidence in the other ringers.
This was my first visit to St Columb Major. I drove round the town’s one-way system...Turn left, turn right, turn left into the car park behind the church’, but as I approached, the church disappeared. Then I was spotted, welcomed, found a quiet corner and guided towards the table of perpetual refreshments by Denise Tremain and her helpers. Everyone looked confident, but as the day progressed, we were all going to be challenged.
These comments were made by one trio, facing each other in the ringing room for the first time as ‘Teacher, Learner and Observer’. It demonstrates the flexibility that is needed when we are teaching and the importance of finding the right approach.
‘This ART way of teaching learners to raise and lower is much easier than what I’ve been doing all these years.’
‘We just have to remember how to do it.’
‘It’s more difficult than it looks.’
There were four groups of 3 students at St Columb,and as we rotated through the roles, the observation post proved its’ worth. Phil Tremain, our Course Tutor, had taken the key points for each session from the-‘Teacher’s Guide to Learning the Ropes’ and noted them on file cards, these were easy to handle and would be a valuable addition to the Teacher’s Pack or even sold afterwards as an ‘Extra resource’. Tucked in behind Phil, giving the occasional reminder or standing in as a ‘dummy student’ for the demonstrations, Les Boyce was the other half of Phil’s Tutor/Assessment Team which gave us this Masterclass.
One question left hanging at the end of the day was how do we recruit new ringers? While this is not the purpose of ART, nor of the Training Day, the fun, fellowship, support etc. we experienced in St Columb has to be a guide.
Thanks to everyone who took part including the pilot of the huge plane that flew low over the rooftops and guided me back to the A30 – nice touch Phil!
Jane McCutchan
Course Tutor: Phil Tremain
Teaching Bell Handling
Practical advice for teachers, right from the first lesson.
» Find out more about Module 1