Yesterday several things were discussed during the Skype session, among others:
- When travelling it seems much harder to keep a log of all the things that happen during the day, perhaps you discover lots of interesting stimuli that could be food for thoughts but by the end of the journey, you forgot most of them. How do other people manage to remember and analyse all the interesting experiences that happen when travelling?
It has been said that the best solution is to keep a DAILY log. I know that when travelling we are much busier, and feel overwhelmed with all the new information, but if we wait too long, it's likely that we forget some precious information. If you don't want to spend too long on it because you want to commit all your time to live the experience, vocal recordings are a great compromise as they're fast and efficient!
- How are people coping with module 2?
In the handout, there are no tasks that can help you test your knowledge on the Readers, so it's been said that creating maps and diagrams can help you to understand what is clear, and what needs further research. Also, when reading the handout more than once, other thoughts and ideas might come to your head, and you can add those to your maps, while at the same time some of your previous concerns may find an answer after you read the handout more carefully.
- Teachers: Do you create a lesson plan for every class you teach or do you find yourself improvising now and then? Also, do you anticipate to the students what is about to come during the lesson or do you just let them explore and find out?
We concluded with the idea that there is no clear answer to this, it very much depends on the subject, the students' age group, and its dynamic. Having a lesson plan is always good as it is more professional, and aims/goals can be more specific. It is also true, though, that we all found ourselves improvising a lesson for one reason or another, and the important thing is not to panic, but to still deliver your tasks with confidence which I am sure comes with time and experience.
Anticipating what is about to come during a class depends on the aim of the lesson itself. If your main goal is to let them explore or discover (e.g. an Improvisation class), perhaps it is better not to anticipate what will come next, and let them be "in the moment". Instead, if for example your aim is to teach your students technical exercises, and you want them to understand, learn, and remember all of them (e.g. Ballet class), then maybe it is better to anticipate what exercises you will be covering during that class, what are their main elements/features, and why it is important for them to learn and remember them.
