In a chapter written by Stephen Brookfield, he states that “In students’ eyes an important component of successful learning is perceiving the teacher as both ally and authority” (Brookfield, 2006, 67). This is important to think about when exploring the roles of a practicing artist, teacher or practitioner within dance. As although Brookfield’s chapter is in response to general students within curriculum schools, there are many teaching skills which are interchangeable between that of a teacher in a school and as a dance teacher, practitioner and artist. This discussion will explore these teaching skills in relation to Brookfield’s chapter ‘What Students Value in Teachers’, in order to realise the skills required to be a successful practitioner, teacher or artist in dance.
After making the above statement, Brookfield continues his argument by breaking this statement down into two clusters of credibility and authenticity. Within the cluster of credibility he creates three sub- categories; expertise, experience and rationale, and for authenticity he breaks it down into the categories of; congruence, full disclosure, responsiveness and personhood. Brookfield details the importance of all of these categories however, the general consensus is that in order to be successful in teaching one must be credible for example, be extremely knowledgeable or talented in their chosen field, but must be authentic as a teacher. This is because although students may feel as if they are in good hands learning wise, if a teacher is only credible and not authentic students will not trust them and therefore will not experience their full potential in that teacher’s class. A teacher also needs to be someone in which students can trust and rely on, an older figure which they can seek if they are in need of help. This being said, if an authentic teacher is not credible although students may like them, they do not feel that they are learning anything important from them. Brookfield writes, “Although it is reasonable for us to strive to be credible and authentic in equal measure it is unreasonable for us to expect ourselves to ever attain some sort of perfect balance between the two features” (Brookfield, 2006, 78). It is important to note this as teachers may not know how imbalanced they are with the two clusters, or they may be expecting too much of themselves in terms of balancing both aspects of teaching skills.
In terms of the practicing dance practitioner, teacher or artist some things are slightly different as in community dance, most classes are much more collaborative than curriculum based classes meaning that authority at times is less important than the students seeing you as an ally. If a practitioner is teaching a class with a more vulnerable group of people for example early years or people with disabilities, it is extremely important that the group view the practitioner as an ally in order for them to feel relaxed and comfortable during the session, “When a child joins an early years setting it can be a daunting experience. For that reason good practice enables children to form a close relationship with one person who they can turn to whenever they are in need of reassurance and help” (Cohen et al, 2004, 214). However, especially with early years it is important to attain authority in order to keep control of the class, this is also important if a practitioner is coming into a school to undertake a session with a group as if the practitioner is not the primary teacher for the students, they could be very easily pushed aside and undermined.
Moreover, it is very important for the practitioner to be credible as with any teacher, if they are not skilled in the field of dance, the students will not benefit from the sessions and will not enjoy the sessions as much as they would if the practitioner is experienced. Not being credible may affect the practitioner’s authenticity as the students may not trust the information they are being given from the practitioner. One way to prove credible and to gain authority within a session is to answer any questions given, quickly and doing so with knowledge about the subject, “If teachers’ do well in these so- called test situations, the impression students will have about teachers lays the foundation to the teacher authority and the quality of the authority relationship” (Koski-Heikkinen et al, 2014, 453).
Although being an ally with students is more important to certain groups for example, early years or people with disabilities, it is also important to be seen as a figure of authority in order to keep control of a session. This is why being credible and authentic plays a large role in making a practitioner the most successful that they can be during a session. If practitioners use the two clusters of credibility and authenticity as a basis for their teaching they should find progress in their facilitating of classes. This benefit will be noticed by both the practitioner and students, creating a more engaging and friendly learning environment for teacher and student.
Brookfield, S. (2006) The Skillful Teacher: On Trust, Technique and Responsiveness in the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Cohen, L. Manion, L. Morrison, K. and Wyse, D. (2010) A Guide To Teaching Practice. Revised 5th edition. London New York: Routledge.
Koski-Heikkinen, A. Määttä, K. and Uusiautti, S. (2014) “Professional, approachable, and fair” – Students’ perceptions of the vocational education teacher’s authority. International Journal of Human Sciences, 11 (2) 446-463.