This piece of literature links into almost every potential line of inquiry I have. Within these sub titles I picked out 3 points which I feel with more research will help with my inquiry.
It talks about:
-Process and goals within a class setting.
Optimizing the self within community: Recognize individual differences and optimize individual potential; encourage students to work in collaboration with peers.
Question - How would you teach a class of students/children at different levels with different capabilities and skills? Without holding the more capable students back but also not making the class too difficult and advanced for the less capable students?
Here I would need to recognize individual differences and optimize individual potential to allow all students to make sufficient progress and reach their own individual potential.
-Influences affecting the dancer
Empowering the self: Recognize and positively reinforce the dancer for personal qualities and contributions to the class; empower students to feel good about their bodies and their self development.
Question - How would you get the best out of every student without focusing all your attention on the students with more potential than others?
Realising and recognising that students have potential in different areas. Some may have more potential technically but that will not stop me from recognizing a student who lacks in technique but has a personality that shines when he/she dances. I am sometimes drawn to dancers who I see have a huge amount of potential and that is why I asked the above question. However giving positive feedback to students based on their own individual potential will ‘empower students to feel good about their bodies and their self development’.
-Structure and content of the class.
Mixing and matching: Provide opportunities to learn or process information in various ways across learning tasks and situations, including somatic and analytic strategies, and contextual variety.
Question - What strategies and methods does an experiences teacher have to help with the continuous improvement of students?
Discovering boundaries?
Motivational strategies?
Creating an enabling environment?
Creating positive relationships?
If students aren’t processing information as much as I would like them to then providing opportunities to learn in various ways could prove to be successful. Every student is different with varied skills and capabilities, so if one student picks up a skill or processes information with a certain method of teaching it is not to say every student will learn this way. The piece of literature states that ‘one day a combination might be approached analytically, that is, breaking down the material and examining it’s detail and components. The next day the teacher might use a somatic practice to address the material from a kinaesthetic perspective. To deepen the experience, the material can be explored through various states: feeling, sensory, and physical.’ Expanding learning styles would help the teacher to recognize the students preferred method of learning such as visual (seeing a demonstration), aural analytic (hearing an explanation of how to do a phrase or execute a skill), or kinaesthetic (learning through touch or sensation). Teachers can encourage the use of a variety of strategies to learn material, and to increase the speed and accuracy of learning strategies.
The literature is broken down into sections:
Process and goals of the dance class:
SMART planning:
One point within this paragraph that I highlighted was ‘The teacher needs to understand what is age-appropriate in designing the class, and establish a process over time that acknowledges both physical and motor development for that age group. By stating the daily and long-term goals, the teacher provides a context that determines how students can realistically succeed and observe their improvement’. Teaching all ages means I have to plan an appropriate lesson suited to the age group I am teaching. What I spoke about in a previous post on my blog was that I was struggling with the year 2 and 3 class that I teach. I think it was down to me making the class too hard and maybe the atmosphere being too strict. Students who also teach on the course left comments on my post with some pointers of how to structure a class for this age group, making me realise that it is so important to understand what is age appropriate. For example using the routine with my year 6 class is never going to work on my year 3’s.
Decision- Making by objective:
‘Identifying specific objectives encourages students to express their personal goals for individual progress in conjunction with the goals and tasks established for the groups’ This process of establishing personal goals can be self-empowering as well as motivating. The piece talks about how teachers can provide opportunities for individual and group decision making. For example, when learning new material the class can be given a choice of whether they wish to review the material presented or whether they wish to add complexibility. ‘Even if the class wishes to add complexibility, an individual student can be given the choice to continue working on the simpler phrase’. This teaching style is consistent with the student-directed approach described in Mosston and Ashworth’s spectrum of teaching styles. I was given feedback to one of my questions from an experienced teacher - ‘How would you teach a class of students/children at different levels with different capabilities and skills? Without holding the more capable students back but also not making the class too difficult and advanced for the less capable students?’
‘It’s actually very common for me to find myself in front of this type of class, as street dance/commercial is not a ‘Core’ subject on the time table such as ballet/jazz etc, therefore I do not have the privilege of splitting the classes into A and B groups. This often means that I can be teaching up to 30 students all with varying dance backgrounds. My first year students are typical of this mixed level grouping, with the majority having never experienced commercial street before and a handful of advanced street dancers who are at vocational college mainly for the more technical side of their training. In light of this, it can be difficult to meet all students’ needs in one class.
How I work to overcome this is to teach a block of commercial choreography, one that challenges musicality, dynamics, levels etc and break it down so that all students have a better understanding of how each move should feel (kinaesthetically). There will always be some students who are slower to pick up the routine therefore once choreography is broken down; I put them into smaller groups to go over it. What I’ve done in previous sessions is to give my more advanced group the challenge of choreographing a further 16 counts whilst I work with those that are struggling with the style/dynamics/weight placement etc. I have then sometimes challenged advanced students further by then asking them to teach their choreography to rest of the students. This way, those struggling to pick up the choreography get the chance to work in a more intimate group under my guidance until they are more confident, and those who appear to be flying through class then have to think about putting together their own choreography whist also paying attention to the musicality, flow etc.’
How I work to overcome this is to teach a block of commercial choreography, one that challenges musicality, dynamics, levels etc and break it down so that all students have a better understanding of how each move should feel (kinaesthetically). There will always be some students who are slower to pick up the routine therefore once choreography is broken down; I put them into smaller groups to go over it. What I’ve done in previous sessions is to give my more advanced group the challenge of choreographing a further 16 counts whilst I work with those that are struggling with the style/dynamics/weight placement etc. I have then sometimes challenged advanced students further by then asking them to teach their choreography to rest of the students. This way, those struggling to pick up the choreography get the chance to work in a more intimate group under my guidance until they are more confident, and those who appear to be flying through class then have to think about putting together their own choreography whist also paying attention to the musicality, flow etc.’
The piece of literature talks about how ‘The teacher can provide information that allows students to understand and embrace individual differences in both anatomical physique and dynamic movement qualities’ The feedback above shows how the teacher does exactly this by allowing the slower students to be broken down into smaller groups under the teachers guidance to go over the material, whilst also giving the more advanced students the challenge of choreographing their own material. This is allowing each student to understand their individual needs and embrace their differences.
Ritualizing respect
‘Observing an atmosphere of quiet encourages dancers to support and respect others’ learning processes; it is not so the teacher can control their behaviour. An atmosphere of concentration and focus promotes optimal learning, and creates a sense of community rather than competition’. I am forever encouraging my students to be quiet whilst others are dancing across the room, allowing them to learn to respect their classmates.
It states in the statement above ‘An atmosphere of concentration and focus promotes optimal learning, and creates a sense of community rather than competition’ this raises a question to me whether it is always healthy to create just a sense of community or whether there should also be elements of healthy competition?
The piece of literature goes into detail about influences that affect the dancer’s progress:
-Mentoring
‘Regardless of teaching style, the teacher is perceived as a role model’
-Nurturing the learner
‘Taking time in class to explore principles of good alignment is more beneficial than simply adjusting a student’s pelvis during a particular exercise’
‘Another goal of a dance class is expanding learning styles and strategies’
‘Dancers need encouragement to nurture self-esteem and to instill self belief’
‘The teacher can provide praise when improvement is demonstrated and constructive criticism when changes and corrections are needed’
-Creating fun and challenges for all
‘The teacher’s task is to find a balance and promote an atmosphere of joy and stimulation’ (This links into one of my above questions ‘How would you teach a class of students/children at different levels with different capabilities and skills? Without holding the more capable students back but also not making the class too difficult and advanced for the less capable students?’
- Empowering the self
‘ While it is the nature of dance training to develop self critical skills, constant negative thoughts and belief systems interfere with concentration and the willingness to take risks. It is also essential to allow discussion of external influences that affect internal dialogue, such as media, dance culture expectations, and previous learning experiences. For example, some dancers have experienced insulting corrections and public humiliation in previous learning environments and these events can leave lasting inhibitory impact on future progresses
- Focusing on the task
‘Teachers can encourage students to focus on the task through a variety of strategies. For example, by acknowledging and respecting the attributes and accomplishments of each individual, teachers can reduce the compulsion for students to compare themselves with others and encourage each dancer to remain focused on personal development’
- Thinking about learning
‘It can be useful to assist each dancer in understanding the benefits of the various learning styles and how the individual can broaden one’s approach to learning new material. The teacher can pose questions that encourage dancers to observe how they learn: Do I hear music through rhythm or melody? Do I learn material through shape design or spatial information? Am I visual or Kinaesthetic in how I absorb new information? How do I learn best? It is empowering for students to learn about their own learning styles.
I have picked out some main points above that I feel will not only develop my teaching practice but will allow me to look deeper into my chosen inquiry. Structure and content of the class is one of the most important aspects for teaching, ‘A good dance class builds progressively from the basic knowledge and skills to a wide array of abilities that support the complexity of the art form. In each aspect of dance training, the teacher needs to identify the basic foundation, and then build upon that knowledge base’ The literature talks about developing body awareness, enhancing body image, embracing the safe and sound and creating enlightened practice. This piece has gone into detail of strategies and methods that will help with dance teaching; it also brushes on aspects of psychology which all links into my initial lines of inquiry. It concludes that students essentially want to progress, work at their optimal level, and be their best. In an environment of mutual respect, open discussion and self-motivation can be encourages. The results are rewarding to both the teacher and dancers. The teacher acting as a guide in providing an environment that challenges and stimulates dancers to achieve their highest level of mastery and at the same time inspires the dancers to honor the body and elevate the spirit.
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