In my PhD program, I took a course called “The Art of Teaching”, taught by one of my favorite professors in the program. I so admired her teaching style, how she was firm with her standards but kind, supportive, and generous with her encouragement. One of our required texts was “Acting Lessons for Teachers: Using Performance Skills in the Classroom”. Of course, this is a non-fiction as opposed to a fictional story that might portray the kind of teaching I admire – it’s been awhile since I’ve had the time to indulge! Anyway, since I have performed in musical theater myself and have enjoyed the process of a group of strangers coming together to create something magical, the course really appealed to me. It did not disappoint! What inspired me most was the power of the story to teach. I tend to tell stories in class when appropriate, and those seem to be the times when I most engage students. They often start to feel comfortable and share their own stories (as opposed when they are asked a direct question and nobody participates!). I think one of my most memorable experiences was when a group of students decided to all dress up as the nurse theorist they were presenting in class (an assignment about which they are not terribly enthused). It made the presentation fun, it relaxed the class, and I think the learning stuck. So, I feel most successful when I can get the students to laugh (at me and themselves) and share how they can relate the class content to what they are experiencing in “the real world”.
Click here to see related posts
