Tonight I spoke with a history professor at U of M that I had as an undergrad. He's one of those rare professors who is an especially great teacher. He always has a thought provoking question, and the best part is that he seems just dying to ask it. And that's why I trust his advice on teaching. Here's the gist of what he said:
Teaching is acting. Not in the sense of playing a part, but in the sense of discovering who you are and existing in your fullest presence while you engage with your students.
As I remember from an acting class that I took as a teenager, presence is the most essential element of acting. It enables actors to connect genuinely with other actors on the stage. It is when actors have presence that they can react and respond to one another in a spontaneous, natural way. Ideally, a single script is new each time it is performed.
This seems incredibly relevant to teaching; if teachers can exude presence, they invite students to join them. Through this genuine interaction comes genuine learning.
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Hey--I've found my acting translates well into teaching too. Not only does it provide me with the ability to be a dynamic force in the classroom, but it develops a dialogue with the students. I see it more as improve than an enacted script as we are constantly playing off each other in ways that transmogrify and enrich the enviroment.
ReplyDeleteWow... I wish I had your history professor. I might have enjoyed history more =).
ReplyDeleteTo jump off of what Betz is saying, I agree. I think that teaching is a huge part improvisation and another huge part planning. As a teacher, you must plan everything and at the same time expect everything to change.
Hey Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI think that's a really important and thoughtful idea of how to engage you students. The presence that you take in the classroom can definitely change the whole dynamic of the classroom. Your students will definitely notice if you're having a bad day or a good day so why not act like everyday is a good day ? :)
This is a really interesting thought. I agree that having a strong personality helps. Sometimes, I do feel like I am 'playing' the part of teacher when I'm in front of the students. And I have to second Tiffany's comment that studetns will notice if you're having a bad day. In a sense we really are acting when we teach because we have to act as if all of our peronal troubles don't exist because we need to focus on the students and our lesson even when we are stressed with our own homework or peronal issues.
ReplyDeleteForgive the very specific reference, Jenny, but this sounds like such a great description of the way that you approached portraying Trotsky in POOT. It was a big part of why you were successful in that environment, and I think it only underlines points made by your prof and your colleagues here. In his book "the Courage to Teach," Parker Palmer wrote that "we teach who we are" and it's my contention this process of self-discovery is at the core of what's exciting and empowering about teaching. It's the key to making a human connection with our students, to "existing in your fullest presence" as your prof put it so beautifully. There's a lot to explore here, Jenny, and it's all in front of you!
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