Small things mean a big deal.
I have been teaching dance to members of Alvernia University's Seniors' College. The Seniors' College is a program that provides opportunities for continued learning to Senior Citizens.
http://www.alvernia.edu/academics/seniorscollege/index.html
The people involved in the Seniors' College are wonderful, adventurous, and exciting!
Today, one of my Senior Dancers told me she did her homework. "There were a bunch of old movies on over the weekend on Turner Classic Movies. With Ethel Merman. I made sure I watched them and I saw some of the steps we're doing!" (I didn't actually assign homework, but I appreciate the connection!)
The objective of this class session is to experience the big Broadway Movie Musicals of the 30's, 40's, and 50's from a kinesthetic perspective. The Senior Dancers provide a unique perspective, having lived through these time periods. Undergraduate students are also dancing in class with the Seniors; there is a cross-generational bridge building, community development, and a service learning component to the course.
After class, another student drops into her chair, slaps her legs, and shakes her head. I watch, slightly worried that I will need to intervene and make sure she is okay. She sighs. "I always feel so much better after this class!"
The power of dance is amazing!
I receive so much joy hearing my students understand and acknowledge the knowledge they are gaining.
In another class, with the undergraduate students, I witness my pedagogical practice re-translated and re-embodied. One student is helping another with a step. He is using
my language and
my physical cues. I am shocked and humbled to see myself in someone else. Literally. As an educator, I have a huge responsibility to these students. And I am so proud and impressed and humbled that they are engaging so deeply.
