Invitation example: Teaching the Teachers course

A course for all those who need to develop their ability to teach ringers
14 - 16 September 2007
at the Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbys

This weekend course is suitable for all ringers who have mastered the basics and wish, either now or in the future, to make a contribution towards running a tower by teaching, or helping to teach other ringers. It is particularly suitable if you find yourself in charge of a tower because no one else can be found to undertake the task, or if you are hoping to revive the ringing at an inactive tower.

Objectives

The course aims are:

to give practical tuition in the skills required to teach other ringers
to give insight into the process of managing and sustaining a band of ringers
to encourage interaction and sharing of ideas
to give the impetus for further development

The course is modular. You take two of the teaching modules and the Tower Management module.

Tuition

Tower management (all students)

This module covers tower objectives, organisation, management, recruitment, training, church liaison, tower leadership and running ringing sessions.

The module is taken by all students together, and consists of two sessions. The first session is a discussion-based seminar, led by a facilitator. During this session you will be encouraged to contribute both questions and ideas from your own experience. The second session is a role-playing game that simulates the decision making needed to run a ringing practice, taking account of the participants' abilities and needs. You will be split into several groups of six to eight people for this exercise.

Options

Teaching bell control

You will be taught how to teach a new recruit to handle a bell safely and gain good bell control. The group is limited to four students, led by a tutor and assistant tutor.

The module lasts five hours, broken into two sessions. During the first session, you will have all techniques demonstrated. During the second session, you will be given hands-on experience of teaching 'guineapigs' who have never handled a bell before, under the close supervision of experienced tutors.

You are expected to be a competent bell handler yourself, but you do not need previous experience of teaching.

Teaching raising & lowering in peal

You will be taught how to teach ringers to raise and lower in peal, and how to develop a band's ability to do so successfully. The group is limited to four students and led by a tutor and assistant tutor, with the help of other ringers where needed for practical exercises.

The module lasts five hours, divided into two sessions. The first session covers teaching ringers to raise and lower in time with another bell. You will have the opportunity to practise this with learners acting as guineapigs. The second session covers leading up and down effectively in peal. You will have the opportunity to practise this, with helpers completing the band.

Teaching beyond rounds

You will be taught how to train and develop ringers through the important stage between ringing Rounds and ringing methods. This includes teaching and calling call changes, the principles and practice of Kaleidoscope ringing, detecting and correcting errors and coaching learners. The group is limited to four or five students and led by a tutor and assistant tutor, with the help of other ringers where needed for practical exercises.

The module lasts five hours, divided into two sessions, both of which include practical ringing activity. During the second session, you will have the opportunity to teach and coach a learner who is at the stage to begin ringing call changes and/or Kaleidoscope exercises. The detailed content of the practical sessions will be adapted to the needs of you and your fellow students.

Teaching method ringing

You will be taught how to teach elementary method ringing, including specific techniques to aid learning, and how to recognise and respond to the problems that learners may have. The group is limited to four or five students and led by a tutor and assistant tutor, with the help of other ringers where needed for practical exercises.

The module lasts 5 hours and is divided into two sessions, both of which include practical ringing activity. During the second session, you will have the opportunity to teach a learner a method that he/she does not already know.

Elementary conducting

You will be taught how to call straightforward touches of Plain Bob Doubles & Minor and will start to explore how to observe and use coursing orders to make sure the ringing is right. The group is limited to four or five students and led by a tutor and assistant tutor, with the help of other ringers for practical exercises.

The module lasts 5 hours and is divided into two sessions, both of which include practical ringing activity during which you will have the opportunity to call touches.

You will be allocated to two options, based on the preferences on your application form. We will try to give all students their first and second preferences, but depending on how the numbers split, it might not be possible to give everyone their second preference.

Outline timetable

Friday - Registration is from 5pm onwards. The course begins with dinner at 6.45, followed by the introductory session on tower management for all students.

Saturday - Sessions start after breakfast, and continue into the evening, with different groups moving to towers as appropriate to their options.

Sunday - Sessions start after breakfast, and end at 5.00, at the tower where your final session is held.

Accommodation, food and travel

The Hayes Centre is operated by The Christian Conference Trust whose mission is 'to provide good quality conference facilities at an affordable price, for Christian, Charitable and Educational conferences in the UK'. It is ideally situated in the Amber Valley in the heart of picturesque Derbyshire with easy road, rail and air links. It is just 5 miles from Junction 28 of the M1, 3 miles from Alfreton Railway Station and a 30 minute drive from the East Midlands Airport.

You will be in an en-suite room with bathroom suite, towels and soap, telephone, tea/coffee making facilities and a�hairdryer. Rooms have exceptionally high standards of d�cor and furnishings. Free wireless Internet access is also available throughout Lakeside and the Alan Booth Centre, where you will be staying.

Breakfast: Orange juice and cereal or fresh grapefruit is followed by a traditional cooked English breakfast with toast. Tea and coffee is also served.

Evening meal: A three-course dinner is served at 6.45pm - starter (often a choice), hot main course with vegetables in season and dessert, followed by tea or coffee.

Lunch: Lunch on Saturday will be taken at venues convenient for the towers used. Lunch on Sunday will be at the conference centre - either 'family service' or a self service buffet, with choice of desserts, followed by tea or coffee.

Licensed bar: The conference centre has a staffed bar offering a large range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments at reasonable prices, including many draught beers.

Cost

The cost of the course, including en-suite accommodation for Friday and Saturday night, all meals and refreshments taken at the conference centre, all tower donations and course fees is £175.

Key features

Key features of the course are:

focused on the needs of ringing teachers
small groups, for maximum individual benefit
high ratio of tutor to student (1:2), for individual attention
good quality accommodation
small course (numbers limited to 16 students)
open to all who can benefit

Further information and application

For more information, please contact: Geoff Horritt, 64 Downlands, Royston SG8 5BY, 01763 246018. Email: .

To apply for a place on the course, please download and complete the application form, and send it, with a cheque for the full course fee to Geoff Horritt (address above). Cheques should be made payable to 'The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Ringing Course'. We will not cash your cheque until we can confirm that your application has been successful.

The closing date for applications is 16 June 2007.

If you'd like a copy of all this information in PDF format please click here.

See also an article about teaching courses published in The Ringing World in May 2007.

the central council of church bell ringers