When the teacher becomes the student.
During the week of March 15th, my spring break, I had the wonderful opportunity to learn something extraordinary to advance my skills as a teaching artist for University of South Florida’s Arts4All teaching program.
The in-service opportunity was entitled Incorporating AR (Augmented Realty) into Artmaking.
When I teach, my students both virtual and in real life, my students always comment that I ‘make their heads hurt’ and how hard it is to both listen, watch and do to learn a hands-on device or a task in my classes. Many wind up taking my classes two and three times and usually follow up with a private session or two just to ‘get it’.
There are 7 types of learning styles. I am a visual and physical learner, spatial and kinesthetic. Which means that I have to be present by listening, watching and doing the actual task to ‘get it’ and understand what is being taught. And I have to do it several times, repeatedly over and over. That’s probably why, I am such a good line dancer and computer user because both are extremely repetitive. The Aural or auditory learner, just needs to listen and take very good notes. The Verbal or linguistic learner needs to ask a lot of questions and repeat back the answers. The Physical or kinesthetic learner, needs to touch to learn. There is also a Logical or mathematical learner as well as Social or interpersonal learners (i.e. those of you who prefer to be in a class with others) and a Solitary or intrapersonal learner (those of you who prefer private lessons).
Why am I telling you all of this… you ask… because during my spring break, I experienced exactly what my students meant when they told me “I make their heads hurt’. The AR (augmented reality) class, was three sessions, ninety minutes each session. Plus we had to do a project with another teaching artist and my teaching artist was in New Mexico with a time change and very little computer experience. My head literally was in pain after taking this class and rushing to finish the joint project in time. I found it extremely difficult and humbling to use the Zoom classroom to both learn, watch, and do in just ninety minutes time. I had to do my homework! However when the lightbulb finally did go off on the third and last day, I laughed at myself, from panicking, passed the class with flying colors and was so excited at what I created that I showed everyone that I saw that week and continue to see.
So, I thank each and every one of you, for continuing to take my classes. To do your homework, to be hands-on, to ask your questions and to just try your best to learn something new. Learning is wonderful. It’s what keeps us young at heart, keeps our brains healthy and just makes the world a better place. I love to learn and teach others to learn. When the teacher learns, she pays it forward. I learn something new each and every time I step into a classroom, virtual or in real life.
