Aslahan wrote a wonderful
post about some of the hard conversations that a teacher must have with a
student over time. I encourage you to
read it, even if you are not yet an instructor.
This got me to thinking about the other side of the relationship, and
some of the harder behaviors one should embody as a student, where it may be
more beneficial to NOT say something, but, to still take an action that can
benefit you as a dancer without disrupting the class.
With all of these strategies, the key is to not “take away”
or otherwise make a spectacle out of your actions. This is a time for discretion, not
confrontation.
Issue: The
instructor is asking students to do a challenging movement without ensuring
they are able to do it. This could be a
Turkish drop, a complex yoga move such as pigeon pose, etc.
Problem: You could get hurt.
Action: Make it a habit to introduce yourself to the
instructor before you start to study with them. If you have a limitation or
injury, always inform them before class starts and advise them that you may
have to modify or exclude yourself from certain movements that involve [X]. Even if you do not have a pre-existing
condition, if you are worried that a movement will injure you, STOP. Do not do it.
If you can modify the move safely do so.
If not, here are some non-disruptive strategies to avoid injury: Use the
time to get some water, take some notes off to the side or back of the room, or
use the restroom. If the movement at
issue is part of a longer part of the lesson, quietly explore the vending if
there is some, take detailed notes on a part of the course you liked, or go
outside for some fresh air.
Issue: The
instructor starts to explain something in a manner that contradicts what you
have been taught, or what your research does not agree with.
Problem: The instructor does not know the material.
Action: Well,
does the instructor really not know? Or,
could it be that you simply have not encountered this explanation yet? This is a time to be open. Hear what the instructor has to say. Listen with an open mind and an accepting
expression. If you are a student with
only a little experience under your belt, this is a time to learn that there
are both “known” and “speculated” things about our dance. Take notes, mental or physical, and follow up
with your own research. If you are more
experienced, listen for nuggets of truth.
If you have a great deal of experience and know that what is being said
is a bunch of hooey, use the time (while
keeping a “listening” expression) for some honest self-assessment: are their
things YOU teach as absolutes that you, perhaps should learn more about? Where are the gaps in your own study? How many corroborating sources do YOU require
before accepting something as “true?”
Issue: A movement is described one way, then
performed another. Or, the students keep trying to get what the instructor
says; but, when it is performed for the instructor, the students are told they
are doing it wrong.
Problem: The instructor may not be communicating
clearly.
Action: This
is the time to ask questions, very carefully worded questions. As the expression goes, “A problem well
stated is a problem half solved.” As you
watch the instructor and the students move, look for places that may prompt a
question: the direction of the movement, the placement of the weight, the point
of transition. Try to ask an open ended
question (one that cannot be answered “yes” or “no”) to get the most out of the
answer. If needed, follow up with
more. Be sure to ask from a perspective
of curiosity, not confrontation, from a place of learning rather than being
right. As you hone your skills at asking
questions, you will help others to have the courage to ask and to shape their
own questions.
Issue: The instructor cannot communicate clearly, is
asking students to do something dangerous, is clearly not educated in a topic,
and may be a bad dancer, to boot.
Problem: You
cannot find anything useful in this class, and it seems like a waste of time to
be here.
Action: This
is the hardest situation to be in, for it requires the most professional of
responses. Outwardly, keep an open,
“listening” face. Perform the movements
asked, unless they are dangerous, while working on something that is part of
your own development (crispness, arm placement, intensity, etc.) If that is not possible, then there is one
action that you can take quietly, and with great discretion: learn what NOT to
do. It is very hard to do this without
being noticed; and, the key is to not show that you are doing this. Take notes, mentally or physically, on things
the instructor could be doing to “be better.”
Honestly assess your own actions when you practice, perform, or teach to
see if YOU embody any of these behaviors.
Develop strategies to change your own behaviors: How can you identify
the simple ones and remove them? How can you break down the complex ones to
over come them? This is the time for the
greatest discretion and greatest honesty.
Resist the urge to make a show of
your discomfort with the situation, and turn it into the most valuable
learning opportunity. Remember, even
manure helps things to grow, when applied properly.
These are the top three issues I could think of after
reading Aslahan’s wonderful post. There
are probably others, too. Again, the key
is to get what you can out of every course you take – even if it is learning
what not to do.
To quote my beloved, late grandmother, “Discretion is the
better part of valor.”