Experience With Student Teaching

I am preparing for teacher accreditation in October. This has been a joyful, grounding and affirming experience. Student teaching has been a very big part of this almost two-year process. My teacher, Lisa Otero, is creating a regional TCC community over a five-year timeline, and is right on track. Training future teachers is key to the growth and stability of our community. (See her article in The Vital Force, May 2013, page 17.)

PHASE I: Training began with a small class of beginning student teachers. We took turns presenting a short lesson on a movement of our choice. Then we received feedback from Lisa and each other. The first time was done without preparation. It felt awkward and unnatural after enjoying the depths of my personal practice. It felt strange and inhibiting to be scrutinized so closely. Trying to talk while moving was difficult. It was a beginning.

PHASE II: Lisa assigned homework: to prepare a TCC movement for presentation at our next meeting. We had to decide how to prepare. My sources were the TCC Photo Text and the little orange book, Teaching Tips by Justin. I stood in front of a mirror and tried different approaches. Breaking the movement down into parts and putting it back together worked best. We did these presentations several times, finding ourselves surer and less tentative with each presentation. Our voices got stronger. Our tendency was to hurry. With practice we learned to slow down.

PHASE III: Lisa teaches many classes, and she established a 15-minute time slot before or after her regular classes for the student teachers (one assigned to each class) to take charge (under her supervision) and teach a movement. She advertised these sessions as a means for students to learn in greater depth about a specific movement, and as an opportunity for students to support the community and the student teachers. Each student teacher started with Rocking Motion and worked up to Cosmic Consciousness Pose. Some movements (especially the Taffys) required several repetitions. After a while, we were asked to look carefully at students to find mistakes and offer appropriate corrections. I found this difficult in the beginning. I could not see difficulties. Then my eye began to discern better and I could see how I might offer guidance. Lisa asked us to keep a diary of our student teaching.

PHASE IV: Lisa asked me to do a running commentary in one of her classes as we were doing the practice, making suggestions for improvement and reminding students of various key themes (softness, continuity, circularity, polarity, etc.) This offered more practice in speaking while moving.

PHASE V: We are now beginning a new and more advanced part of this training. While Lisa is away for a month, we student teachers will take charge of most of her classes, under the supervision of another accredited teacher, Lisa’s mother, Corine. We will each have several opportunities to lead the practice, give instruction, and orient newcomers. This will give us the opportunity to be observed by and receive feedback from another teacher.

This process has been slow and gradual enough to build skill and confidence without too much stress. But it has been challenging enough to make me feel some pride of accomplishment. I love being part of the community that is building locally, and of the larger TCC community. I bow in gratitude to Justin and the line of teachers that have brought this practice to me.