Friday, June 16, 2017

Thoughts on teaching

I'm teaching two classes this summer, and both finish next week: one with a final exam, and the other, potentially, with a performance.
The mathematics class, of course, is the one with the exam (and homework, tests, etc).  Lots of evaluation along the way to see how students are doing, and to help them assess their progress themselves.
The other class, teaching the Tai Chi 24 form is going very nicely: it's a ten class session, once a week for 90 minutes, and I'm finally, I think, getting the hang of how to teach it.  In previous sessions I'd stuck with a traditional "teach the moves sequentially" style: this time, I started on the first day with practicing the end of the form too --- trying not to give it short shrift in the last couple of classes.
We have a continuing group of former students in the class who meet weekly, so there have been plenty of opportunities for them to continue to learn the end of the form --- but not everybody chooses to continue to practice with us.  So, I'm happy with this group's progress, and with my developing insights into how to teach.
As for assessment, and the potential performance, I'm thinking of inviting my old instructor to come view the final class of the session.  I'd love him to see the progress these folks  have made!

Yours, proud of my students in both classes,
N.