“In students’ eyes an important component of successful learning is perceiving the teacher as both ally and authority” (Brookfield, 2006, 67).
How and why does this relate to the roles of the practising practitioner, teacher and artist? Draw from the readings set and in the weekly breakdown and bibliography to support your response.
In the roles of the practising practitioner, teacher and artist (referred to as practitioner throughout) it is important to become both an ally and authority to your students in order to achieve successful learning. An ally is a person who is seen to help another and cooperate with them. Whereas, an authority is seen as someone who has the power to give orders and enforce obedience. Attaining these characteristics can be achieved and portrayed in a variety of ways, which will be discussed throughout this paper in reference to a number of sources, including a chapter by Brookfield and Diane Amans, An Introduction to Community Dance.
In becoming an ally the practitioner needs to gain authenticity. One way of doing this is to be open and honest with students in order to gain their trust. Students want to see that the practitioner has passion, enthusiasm, frailties and emotions. These characteristics may be seen through the four main indicators of authenticity; congruence, full disclosure, responsiveness and personhood (Brookfield, 2006). In gaining authenticity with students the practitioner also needs to show they acknowledge and consider the students individual interests, this can be done in a number of ways such as giving regular feedback and support. This lends itself to maintenance orientated leadership, where the focus is on the emotional life of the group (Amans, 2008). Here the practitioner is ensuring that all students are happy with the activities they are participating in. Together this becomes an important component of successful learning as it encourages students to be more open with the practitioner allowing them to ask questions about what they are learning and to ask for help in areas they may be struggling. Additionally these characteristics make the practitioner more approachable.
The relationships built through becoming an ally with students will also allow the practitioner to hold the group (Amans, 2008). By holding the group the practitioner can ensure each student is an active participant and are fully engaged in the task at hand, minimising challenging behaviour. This also makes the session much more enjoyable for students as they will feel they can be expressive and not restricted by regimental learning. Moreover becoming an ally with students allows the practitioner to connect with students to encourage individual engagement (Amans, 2008); this is particularly useful in dealing with new students or children that struggle with fitting in with the larger group, as it will help them feel like they’re not alone.
To be perceived as an authority figure the practitioner needs to gain credibility with their students. As with authenticity it is suggested there are four main indicators to credibility; expertise, experience, rationale and conviction (Brookfield, 2006). These indicators imply the practitioner has a breadth of knowledge, depth of insight, sophistication of understanding and a length of experience exceeding the students (Brookfield, 2006); lending itself to task orientated leadership. Task orientated leadership is where there is a focus on achievement of goals, seeking and giving information and successfully completing activities (Amans, 2008), giving the practitioner authority as they clearly state what needs to be completed during the session. This also gives the practitioner authority as their greater range of knowledge and experience becomes visible to students, allowing them to be seen as the better suited leader. Having credibility also suggests to the students that the practitioner has something of importance or value to offer which will benefit them during their learning if they are cooperative and active within lessons. If the students recognize this, it may make them more inclined to pay attention in the class and focus on the tasks at hand as they will feel it’s a good use of their time.
Taking the role of authority would particularly benefit the practitioner in certain situations, such as when an injury occurs or when something unexpected happens, as it would allow the practitioner to keep the class calm and get the situation resolved quickly and efficiently without further problems. This could even be useful in a minor situation such as a student entering class with chewing gum; if the practitioner has the role of authority the student should remove it without any further issues. Having authority also helps when co-leaders or support workers are present in the session. It will allow the practitioner to give a clear understanding of individual roles, stopping the helpers hindering the student’s personal growth and self expression (Amans, 2008).
Last of all, a student’s age may influence the balance of authority and ally in successful learning. This is because some age groups require a lesser amount of authority to follow tasks. For example, older students tend to be less troublesome so will need less authority to keep the class focused. However, as people get older they may lose status in society so may require more of an ally to encourage them to participate fully. It is said “when dancers become old and lose control over their bodies, their bodies lead and their minds follow” (Nakajima, 2011), becoming more of an ally with the older student will support this and allow them to explore further possibilities. This may be similar for disabled dancers, as they may lack the confidence to participate fully; becoming more of an ally will allow them to interact more within the session. Greenland states that “human beings are essentially playful, physical beings who need to live in their whole bodies” (2000), this is especially so for young children. Young children are a lot more physically active than other age groups, they may get carried away in play and exploring the boundaries of their bodies. This can occasionally get out of hand so being an authority means the students can be kept under control to prevent injuries.
To conclude, it is essential for the practitioner to be perceived as both an ally and authority. It allows them to combine sensitivity to the needs of the students, awareness of their own needs and the ability to respond in the moment (Amans, 2008). It also allows for a good mix of task and maintenance oriented leadership, meaning the students can both learn efficiently and enjoy participating in the session. Age also needs to be considered when deciding the balance between ally and authority. Finding the right balance will lead to successful learning as students will enjoy the session becoming active members of the group, along with minimising disruptive incidents allowing more time for learning.
Bibliography
Amans, D. (2008) An Introduction to Community Dance Practice, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Brookfield, S. D. (2006) What Students Value in Teachers. In: Stephen Brookfield (ed.) The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom. 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 67-78.
Greenland, P. (2000) Hopping Home Backwards, Body Intelligence and movement Play. Leeds: A JABADAO Publication.
Kuppers, P. (2000) Accessible Education: aesthetics, bodies and disability. Research in Dance Education. Dec2000, 1(2) 119-131.
Nakajima, N. (2011) De-aging Dancerism? The aging body in contemporary and community dance. Performance Research. Sep2011, 16(3) 100-104.
