Those Who Can Do - part 2

Last night at the school we were doing i-mag (image magnification) for a conference. We had four cameras going switched to a big screen. The class is running on the small side this semester and as it happened I didn't have a full roster of operators signed up for one session. I'm always trying to set up opportunities and push the students to take them. But this time I jumped in where there was a lack and ended up running one of the hand-held cameras. I don't think I'd ever run a camera at one of these events. The student directing was a little intimidated at first that he would be directing me, but he got over it pretty quick. I hadn't done this kind of work for a while and it was fun to pull out the old bag of tricks and go after it. I realized from their exclamations of delight on the headsets that light bulbs were popping on in their heads. I was thinking, "hey, I'm just doing what I've been telling you to do." I mentioned this experience to a colleague who told me of a recent conversation with his professional mentor. This master of his field shared that he had found that when he was true to himself artistically and pursued his own creative muse, his students gained far more benefit. My friend told me that his students this semester just weren't engaging as others had in the past. And he realized at the moment he was telling me this that this was the first semester in quite a while that his students had not had the opportunity to see him perform in a context showing his highest level of ability. So, together we had this profound hammering home of a truth we knew in our heads but all too easily lost track of: that students must see the teacher do the thing being taught. Just talking about it doesn't cut it. We have to do the talking to lay down the theory and set the context for the doing. But without the demonstration, there is little chance of comprehension. And what we seemed to have lost track of that is probably of the utmost importance is that our students are inspired and enthused by seeing us do our thing in a context that showcases the best we are capable of. To us it may be old hat. Something we have done many times before. And it is probably something they have witnessed on TV or at a concert or whatever the case may be. But until they see us, the person they look to as teacher, the person they know and feel a connection with, do the thing, they just don't see it. Running a camera for a couple of hours last night probably did more for my students' education than all the class hours I spent yaking this semester.