Task 2C - Reflective Theory

Hello,

I've been pondering over this Task for a number of days now, reading and rereading Reader 2, and also other peoples blogs to see what ideas they have come up with, and also trying to think to myself, do I really know what reflective practice is?

I do think I have a better grasp on the concept of reflective thinking, as I am trying to see what I do in regards to it in my everyday life. Being a teacher of such a skilled disciplined genre, I see now not only how I see reflection, but also how much students that I teach see it and also other teachers around me. 

When I was younger, at school we were educated on VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic learning) Gardner, 1983. I think initially, my thoughts were that because I danced and did something physical, that automatically made me a kinaesthetic learner. However, reading Reader 2 and especially Kolb's 'learning cycle, it teaches me that what I originally thought I used to do in regards to reflective practice I don't actually do, but I do a lot more. For this Blog for example, I was using concrete experience as I was looking at other peoples blogs for inspiration. If I myself am dancing, or am learning a new dance, I use reflective observation as I used to find it easier if someone did it first and I copied, or active experimentation - I tried to achieve what my teacher wanted and she would reply with a yes or no answer :)

Now, years on from dancing, as a dance teacher, I think I use both reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and also active experimentation However it does depend on the type of students I am teaching, one school I teach at on a Saturday they are slightly older, so active experimentation is great, as I can say 'lets try this' and they go for it. However some on my classes earlier on in the week they rely on reflective observation due to the fact also that they don't have mirrors and so cannot correct themselves by looking but by feeling. 
Schon's idea of reflection IN action (RIA) and reflection ON action (ROA) is displayed in my everyday teaching as well. If I am choreographing for either my self or others, i tend to use RIA as I like to make the steps up 'on the spot' and then change if it doesn't look right as I see it. To me, the steps may look good in my head as I'm making it up at home, but not to other dancers who are not the same build, height or the same technically as me. I think I have some students who use ROA as they like to know what music I am using, so then they can practice steps they have learnt, and also gives them great opportunity to improvise and make their own ideas to share with me. I really encourage student participation, I want 'my' dance to rather be 'our' dance and I think as some of my schools that I teach at haven't has the chance to do this it makes them more focused and engaged with the class.
Tharp's idea of muscle memory I really enjoyed reading. 'The second time though, however, or trying to explain the steps and patterns to the dancers, she will hesitate, second guess herself, question her muscles, and forget.' I enjoyed this part as I feel very similar to her. As she has been employed to 'Walk into the room and come up with the goods'. Muscle memory I feel is quite difficult to achieve, especially for a young dancer. A school I teach at do not have the luxury of mirrors, and therefore, are having to rely on my imagery that I use to describe how they should feel when in a certain position and also muscle memory. 


Im going to end this blog post with a quote from Tufnell and Crickmay (2004) 
'Without a sense of the body, of sensation and feeling, we lose connection to what is around and within us, to the immediate and present moments of our lives.'


Steph xxx