Does being a good actor necessarily mean you are a good drama teacher?
Are you respected more in your profession as a tutor if you have been an experienced practitioner in your field?
Does having a degree in your subject but no experience make you a valuable enough teacher in that subject? Or does having practitioner experience but not a degree make a better teacher?
Is being a practitioner and a tutor of what you practice part of the same work? Does it come under the umbrella of one whole practice or is it separate?
Is there have to be a shift in concept of expertise when you are teaching to when you are performing?
Are practitioners that do have a degree more knowledgeable?
Do performers teach because they want to or is it the next best thing?
Why do people decide to teach what they know?
What's the difference between your art as a product and as a process? Is this idea linked to teaching?
What makes a good drama teacher?
What do secondary students want from drama? Is this different from professional students?
What's the difference between an instructor and a tutor?
Does QTS make you a better teacher?
What's the difference between Drama and the Theatre Arts?
Are teachers failed artist or 'has beens'?
Next step is to take these questions to a practitioner and see what reaction I get...
It would be interesting to hear your comments and answers on my questions!
Hi Ahmet,
ReplyDeleteWhen reading through your questions, a couple stood out to me. When you ask if a practitioner with a degree is more knowledgeable, in my personal opinion, I don't feel this would always make a practitionar more knowledge. It may aid the practitionar to find sources of knowledge but knowledge itself. In reader 4 it mentions 'scholary and disciplinary knowledge', this is what a practitionar should gain from a University/college course, which is vital as it helps expand knowledge in the practice itself. However, 'on the job learning' is just as important. It opens our eyes,aids us to overcome problems whilst 'in action'. This ties in with your question about have experience in the field and if this makes us better teachers.. I think a practitioner develops as a teacher with every classroom of students they are given. In my opinion, the teacher learns from the individual students not 'students' as a whole. I am an aspiring actress, although I have some experience in the field, I am obviously not as experienced as for example; Julia Roberts. However, I have 3 years of teaching under my belt and have therefore, learnt a lot about children- their development, their thought process and how to communicate with them. I still have a lot to learn but I think scholary and disciplinary knowledge mixed with in action learning may provide the best practioner we can be.
I hope this helps.
Thank you for your post.
Rebecca
I meant to say 'BUT not knowledge itself'!
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting Rebecca, really helpful.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree that having a degree doesn't 'make' you more knowledgable, however does it make you 'appear' more knowledgable? I think it's all about recognition. Our experience alone is not enough anymore, to gain QTS you need a degree in order to be accepted. So I guess experience ins't enough, authorities need something tangible that evidences your knowledge. Eraut (2007), "found that participants learned more through their work than through formally organised learning events". This supports the argument of learning on the job,as pointed out in Reader 4. Thank goodness that the BAPP programme is a vehicle to get recognise for what we know...
Hi Ahmet,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I totally agree that employers will look for a degree as it does make you 'appear' more knowledgeable. I just don't think it actually does. I googled private school teachers and on a website I found, it said 'private schools can hire who they want'. So I think it really depends on your employer. BAPP is a saviour because I really didn't fancy doing another course for 3/4 years! But I knew as a plan b I had to get a degree, thing is I've really enjoyed it and have really began to take teaching a lot more seriously now with my new business.
Thanks for your comment on my blog. It was great to read your thoughts. About the SIG group I am not sure about to start it up, do we use facebook/twitter? I have a page on my blog which anyone can comment on if they want to join my SIG. how are you getting on with yours? I would love to be a part of it.
Also, about children using method acting.. I think that method acting is a fantastic way to get your teeth into a script and character, if you haven't experienced what the character is experiencing then how can you act it out. Thing is, I worry that if a minor was to take this too literally. I mean I don't want to encourage a child to go and do things that may effect their thought process or behaviour in a bad way. I know that as teachers we would never give material like for example; 'RENT' to a 10 year old but I would consider doing it with a group of 16-18 year olds as they are old enough.. If you were to throw yourself into method acting with a character like Mimi.. I would be quite worried about that. Do you understand what I mean? What do you think about this?
Thanks Ahmet,
speak soon
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteMethod acting with children is a wonderful technique with but I absolutely identify with your concern. I think it's all about adapting what is happening in the text, giving a suggestion to what the character is feeling. Take Mimi from Rent for example. We could carry out a workshop where we improvise a scene, mimi would have to entertain (sing/tell jokes/perform) to a serious of boys. They walk in, she performs and then they pay her a penny. This happens over and over again. Giving an idea of Mimi giving herself over an dover again. It could ignite the emotions that Mimi would have felt and set up the ideas behind her character in a suggestive manor as appose to the actual activity. I've learnt you have to be brave as a teacher and really think outside the box.
I think the SIG can work any way you want. I will use all tools I have - including the good old fasioned telephone.
I was wondering if you could answer another question. What do you feel is the difference between Drama and the Theatre Arts?
Thanks,
Ahmet
Hi Ahmet,
ReplyDeleteThat is a great help and may try this sort of method. Thank you. I suppose we just have to link the method acting with the things that children know and have seen. Children are 13 going on 30 at the moment!! Have you noticed the 13 year olds now compared to when we were 13!!?? CRAZY.
What do I feel is the difference between Drama and the Theatre Arts? Well, I think Theatre Arts is a little more general. Anything that is artistic linked with the theatre I think comes under Theatre Arts. So this could be scenery, props, costumes, drama, acting, scripts, dance, singing, music etc. Whereas, drama is just one art form. It has several stems within it but these stems always relate back to drama, I think drama is included in Theatre Arts. Does that make sense? Maybe there is a chain here.
Theatre Arts > Drama, Dance & Music > Script and Music Score > Cast > Props, Costumes etc.
What do you think?
Rebecca
hi ahmet I was going to comment on your critical reflection as I read it on a train journey and made notes on my phone to comment however my notes now make no sense to me! So bare with me on that one and I shall get back to it haha. However I have taken to answer afew of your questions here.
ReplyDeleteAre you respected more in your profession as a tutor if you have been an experienced practitioner in your field?
In my personal opinion I do think it can make you more respected mainly by your students. As a lot of your students are striving to be the practitioners themselves and if you have already achieved that and have the experiences there then they are going to look up to you for that, and want to learn from your experiences. I don’t necessarily think it can make you a better teacher as some people that could be amazing practitioners, teaching just may not suit them. However for you to teach and share your own experiences as a learning process I think will make you more respected as a tutor as you have truthful experiences to draw from and give your opinion on.
Are practitioners that have a degree more knowledgeable?
This questions is similar to one that I am looking into ‘how relevant is education and qualifications to propelling yourself in the world of dance teaching?’ I think that it does not necessarily make you more knowledgeable but for example with the BAPPS program it can help you channel the knowledge that you have in a positive way. Help you guide your thoughts down paths you may not have thought about before. So I think it can help you organize and develop the knowledge you already have. However on paper I do think that it does make you look more knowledgeable however true that is or not. Employers now look so much at the paper than at the person themselves.
thank you for these questions i shall try to answer more in the coming days. steph
Hey Steph,
DeleteThank you so much for your comments. I can see an idea of what we look like on paper developing. Again this idea of recognition of our knowledge and having something tangible to show for it. I really like your view of using a degree to organise what you know, really great way to think of it Steph. Thank you...
Hi Ahmet,
ReplyDeleteI think your first question is a very good one and one in which I feel I can relate to as an artist learning from a teacher and from a teacher teaching to an artist.
Does being a good actor necessarily mean you are a good drama teacher?
I am coming from the point of view as a dancer, however I believe this doesn’t alter the question. As a dancer I have been fortunate enough to be taught by some teachers who are and have been amazing performers and hold incredible CV’s. However, I have also been taught by teachers whose CV’s and ability might not be as strong as others but there teaching techniques are amazing, resulting in me learning just as much or if not more than the other teachers. I believe to become a good teacher you must understand “HOW” to teach. You can be an amazing performer and understand how to do everything but if when passing on the knowledge, it’s not enough to just say “do this…” You must break the correct knowledge down and produce methods in order for the students to be able to absorb the knowledge… For me if you have the ability to do this, then you are a great teacher, regardless of your ability.
This is a question I would also like to find more about in depth myself..
I hope this helps in some way..
Really enjoy your work!
Liam
Liam, this is a great conversation opener. This has become the essence of my inquiry really and you are right, as a practitioner/tutor is about being good at both. Then you can deliver the ultimate learning experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Ahmet