M1: 21 January 2023 - Redgrave
It was a freezing January day when we gathered, well wrapped up, in the cavernous church at Redgrave on the Suffolk/Norfolk border for the Module one course I had arranged when the weather had been fine. There was a warm welcome waiting though, plenty of hot drinks and a cosy ringing room.
Tutor for the day was Lesley Boyle who quite a few of us already knew and we all loved her friendly, informal and positive style. We got going quickly and romped through some Powerpoint slides before getting stuck into the practical exercises which I think are the high point of these busy days. I often notice how a slight awkwardness at the beginning of these exercises very rapidly gives way to a wholehearted engagement with the task in hand and I can sense a real buzz when people try them out for themselves and realise how helpful they are going to be in their own teaching.
We had a great group of people mainly from Suffolk and a few more from Cambridgeshire and Essex. Lesley and I had (as indeed had the participants) put quite a bit of effort into thinking about mentors. Some of the participants were already part of a recruitment and teaching plan which makes things a lot easier if there is a concrete prospect of being able to get stuck straight into teaching. Having run several of these courses before, the content was not new to me but I was delighted to see the positive impact of the course upon everyone.
The local Tower Captain and his wife were extremely hospitable with homemade flapjack and cake generously dispensed and despite the cold temperatures, Redgrave made a great location for this course.
It was great to meet new and enthusiastic teachers and with a whatsapp group formed to enable us to continue to share experiences, questions and ideas, we feel confident they will go on to become excellent teachers.
Ruth Suggett
Course Tutor: Lesley Boyle
Teaching Bell Handling
Practical advice for teachers, right from the first lesson.
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