Module 1 Focus Discussion - Thoughts! So many thoughts! Too many thoughts?

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I found it very interesting listening to everyone's experiences and current professional practices. Apologies for not chipping in today. As I listened to all the ideas, my brain was exploding with lots of different thoughts and relatable experiences. I'm naturally a pensive person and I almost needed 10 minutes in between each speaker give my brain time to digest all the information.

Somethings that did resonate with me and my practice were what Ben and Lorraine were discussing about balance. When is it appropriate to demand discipline, pre-planned learning outcomes, and push the limits of the student and when it's appropriate to forgive technique and enable enjoyment of movement? This is something I've come up against with my teaching practice being part recreational, part vocational training, and part professional. 

Because I teach Professional Dancers, does this mean I expect more or less from my recreational dancers? 

Because I teach in vocational schools, does this mean I am less forgiving to the professionals who aren't delivering their best work? 

Is the art of ballet (among others) going to suffer because of the pandemic and focus must switch to mental well being, rather than strict training?

Another thought that dawned on me was relativity. I've been teaching dance for 10 years give or take. During this time, my personal learning has grown significantly and changed direction. When I reflect on how I approached teaching 10 years ago to now, it would seem to be very different. Is this because I am developing as a teacher? Or, is this because my current learning experiences are affecting what / how / why I teach. 

Teaching alongside:

Performing career (Expectational)

  • Performance quality, ethos and body language
  • Choreography retention and quick pick-up skills
  • Being the best / Standing out in the crowd

Personal Training Qualification (Transactional)

  • Muscle groups / Anatomy & Physiology 
  • Safe stretching techniques
  • Effective warm-up and cooldown
  • Goal setting 
  • Injury prevention

Dance Captain / Teaching Professionals (Coaching)

  • Swing training - multiple versions of the same dance (inc Notation & Mapping of Dance)
  • Audition preparation skills
  • Offering my feedback rather than enforcing it (Coaching style teaching)

DDE / Licentiate / Fellowship (Adaptable)

  • Analysis of movements and thorough technical discussions
  • Encouraging reflection and independent (self-sufficient) learners
  • Ensuring repetition and improvement before moving on 
  • Considering and nurturing different physiques and abilities
At the time, did I have the ability to differentiate between what I was learning and what my students needed to learn?

Is any one of the above more relevant to one particular group (recreational/vocational/professional) or standard I teach?
 
Is it relevant to pass on to my students because I'm the teacher and it's what is currently inspiring me? 

Did my current teaching practice inspire my learning or did my learning inspire my teaching practice?

So many thoughts have come out of that discussion so I'm grateful to all for sharing! I can understand why people refer to Module one as the 'Brain Chaos' Module.

Many thanks for reading. 

JB

Comments

  1. Megan PhillipsFebruary 21, 2021 at 9:54 AM

    Hi James,

    I feel completely the same way about jumping in to speak, I just need more time for my brain to digest and then start thinking again!
    I really like your thought on does doing so much in our careers take time away from other aspects of it? like teaching and dancing professional which is currently how my situation is!

    It's complete Brain Chaos here as well!!
    Megan

    ReplyDelete

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