M1: 26 Jan 2019 - Eckington

I didn't start ringing that long ago. Certainly, when I did start, I had no idea that as well as the process of perpetually learning to ring 'more-and-better', I would end up learning to teach as well and so soon.

This prospect I have found very daunting. So, when I turned up at Eckington on Saturday, it was a huge relief to walk into a welcoming environment and feel very quickly that this was going to be 'Ok'. We were a very diverse group, with various stories to tell as to how and why we were attending the course, but we turned out to be a friendly group and very supportive of each other through the processes of the day.

Gill was our Tutor and she took us very clearly and capably through the theory and practical elements of the course which catered for our respective visual, auditory & kinaesthetic ways of learning. I think Gill's role, and certainly our learning, was made easier by the excellent teaching facilities at the Ringing Centre in Eckington.

The content and structure of the day was broken down well into sections, addressing both the broad areas covered by the term "bell-handling" as well as the specific details to be communicated to any future learner. The learning and the hands-on experience throughout the day exposed us to a complex set of subjects and challenges, whilst also suggesting the 'tools' we might use to address them.

It would be lovely to say I came away ready for the next challenges, but honestly I found that there was so much to take in on the day that I felt in a bit of a muddle. That is where the SmART Ringer website came into its own. I came home, logged on and read up, repeatedly going "ah, that makes sense", as I applied what I read to what I had experienced on the day.

In truth, the balance of the place, the people, the teaching, the content and the online resources have together made this a really well balanced and worthwhile learning experience. Thanks!

Hugo Lane