Sunday, 1 December 2013
positive/negative learning experiences
I'm thinking today about positivity and negativity in relation to the characteristics of a learner and attempting to relate this to myself and my previous learning experiences. I've often felt reluctance to voice more negative thoughts as I worry about how it will be perceived but Boud, Keogh and Walker (1985) talk about this in Reflection:Turning Experience into Learning and when reading it I felt a kind of affirmation that what I had been feeling, in relation to past training experiences, was important and should be taken into account. They use the term 'emotional load' to describe the feelings that people often carry with them from previous learning situations, whether, positive or negative, and how these feelings can have a huge impact on someones present ability to learn in certain situations. Teachers will often never know about the past experiences of their students, so I'm not sure yet what to do with this idea but I feel it will help to be more aware of this issue in my teaching practice.
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Hi Rose
ReplyDeleteI thought I would respond to this as I blogged about this very thing this week having done my first ballet class for about 20 years – and with reference to your post this is what I wrote:
It is possible to negate being able to do a step by pre-setting a negative mind-set. I fell over in my Advanced RAD ballet exam over 30 years ago doing fouettes en pointe to the left – and the pirouette combination today included fouettes on demi on both sides. As we queued to start the left the negativity crept in, and even though I had pulled them off well to the right, I struggled to the left. I tried to flip the negative switch whilst I was waiting to no avail which made me ponder whether or not once the negative thought is there what can be done to change it. Was I not convincing enough in my own head? Was I not seeing myself succeeding in my mind's eye? I think I was guilty of both. The mind is such a super power and this was an example of how it can win. I need to consider this more in order to assist the students when they are in a similar plight.
I want to add that your post today made me recall something deeply profound that I remember from my training which was being told by my pas de deux teacher not long before I graduated that I would never get into a ballet company as my back was too weak. Fortunately I was able to ignore him and I did join a small ballet company for 9 months prior to appearing in 42nd Street for 2 years. After 42nd Street I played the ballet dance Meg Giry in Phantom for 2 years which required a fair ballet standard and lots of my work involved ballet, including a pop video and a children’s TV programme. However, I was always afraid of big lifts and often mucked them up in rehearsals although I got there by the performance and still remember his words today, over any praise I may have received.
I have also struggled with an eating disorder since the age of 15, and even as recently as a couple of years ago I had to gently suggest to my godmother that mentioning that I looked ‘well’ immediately made me think that I had gained an unacceptable amount of weight. Although she was aware I had ‘had’ the illness, I don’t think she realised that I might still have the odd tussle with it even now. I still get the odd ‘elephant’ day although I can rationalise it.
So, if I can identify all this baggage that I carry, there must be a roomful in every lesson I teach. Communication where I work is often less than satisfactory, with information sometimes not being imparted which leaves me vulnerable to making inadvertent mistakes in class, and that, along with not knowing every detail of every student’s background makes the studio a potential minefield. I guess that what we know we can consider, and what we don’t know we can only be globally sensitive about. I don’t think it is possible to avoid the odd faux pas if we are not party to sensitivities and baggage – as with everything we can only do our best. It’s like not telling a secret – if you don’t know it is a secret then it is just conversation….. if you are told not to tell then you know. I suppose it is ultimately up to each student how much they impart, or want to impart and to make sure they do so if we are to manage them correctly. It is also better for us to be informed – no-one likes upsetting anyone by touching on a raw nerve or a difficult subject. I also acquiesce that for some it is better to forget it all in class and just get on with it – it comes down to personal choice in the end.
Something to add to this, that I have been using in class with my final year BA dancers recently is the notion of a 'blank canvas'. Teaching release based work, where we usually begin the class with time to empty and de-clutter mind and body through breathing and imagery into improvisation anyway, I have become aware with this particular year group of the tendency for them to take everything they learn and experience on board very admirably, but also not to let go of what's perhaps less relevant or helpful to them personally. So I introduced the idea last week of seeing their bodies and the studio simultaneously as blank canvases. Asking them to think about starting each class a fresh, to allow their bodies to colour their movement as if for the first time, to allow their movement to paint the space, filling it with a richness in texture, depth, feeling, recognising that whilst we talk about layering and building on learning and experience, we also need to remain open to change and the new experiences that each class/day may offer. For those students that I've noticed to be quite 'held' in the movement, or reliant on particular patterns of movement, and less willing to explore beyond these, I noticed using the blank canvas imagery a greater sense of freedom in their movement, and a letting go (little by little) of previously held tension. As you both say, we do not know all of their past experiences, and in using this imagery I wasn't seeking that from them, but trying to encourage a letting go of the old, welcoming the new approach I guess.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting area indeed, potentially could be an area of research for you Rose as you move into Module two next term? Food for thought for now anyway...
Helen
I can really relate to these points. I think I prefer your idea to mine though Helen! As imagery is a great tool and one I don’t use enough. I say let’s leave all our ‘stuff’ at the door and that the studio is a safe place for us to be, and work where we can be ourselves with no ridiculous expectations or judgement and can make mistakes in work as that's how we learn. Most frequently when we focus on the physical actions the mental states seem to change and negativity disappears. This is where I see the magic of dance it has such positive effect on people. I taught a class that was really difficult. It was impossible sometimes to even begin any form of a lesson. Many learning and special needs within it and behaviour issues. Not bad behaviour more spoilt child syndrome with some. I had one boy who rolled around on the floor and flopped around chewing his jumper, his sister that thought it was funny, wanted to participate but lacked the confidence in the shadow of her attention seeking brother and a mother who was blaming the disruption of the class on the children with real learning difficulties because of their autism. Very high anxiety levels amongst the children, there were medication issues and school problems. To be honest the anxiety was were really rubbing off on me! It took weeks to get rid of the negativity it was like a jumble in the class. Each week I would try different approaches not knowing how it would turn out. It was really hard for me to not blame myself consistently when my plans failed and after many years of teaching I just couldn’t crack this one. I have realised now that it wasn’t defeat, but I did do what was best in reflection. I thought of my school as an organisation each different class (there is about 16) as having an energy and a personality which they do. I chose to move each student to a class that suited them. Some needed more of a challenge, some a more nurturing approach some to feel important, some to be with other boys. It has worked which is why I am really thinking about how education is delivered via curriculum and how rules are set or classes set by age and sometimes can stop fluidity and change for each individual that could have a positive effect on their learning. I think it requires thinking on how can we get the learning starting again not how to fit the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteThis really divides me at the moment…. SORRY I have swayed from the topic. However at the moment this is really bothering me as to what is right. I myself went through the ISTD system but do we need exams? In my recent experience I have been applying syllabus to my Tap classes and I have seen an improvement, but I like the idea of a diverse learning applying influences from many angles.
I went to “Move It”. The conference at Olympia last year to all the college stands and was really interested in how many students were taken on having raw talent and without qualifications and it seemed that nowadays it does happen. One boy said he was introduced to Ballet at 19 and now loves it so much he stated that he didn’t think he would have that passion if he had started it previously. When I went to college you had to have your exams…If it has become more accessible I am glad.
To go back to the subject… Negativity is something I battle with weekly, daily too. One of the main reasons in doing this MA I believe… Whatever I do it is never enough… I am seen by other people as being driven and hard working. But to me it’s like I am chasing something always. When I get praise it feels ok. It keeps me bobbing along…When I fail it can seem to have double the impact.
However in my heart I knew that the opening up to this level of discussion and thinking would sort me out so to say…. I think it is.