I met my students as a teacher at the academy for the first time today.
I introduced me as my poetic self and tried to stay true to the communicative characteristics related to this. Not too much instruction, focusing instead on relating what was interesting seen from my point of view.
This led to a class exercise, inviting students to try my method – listening, repeating, passing on fragments of poetry – in turn, also adding to the shared material on their own.
Next, groups of students worked on collecting their own material, coming up with fragments of song lyrics, film quotes, sayings, etc. All of this without writing anything down: listening, repeating, committing to heart. On my instructions, the groups worked on forming their new material into a shared song, belonging to them, based on their shared material.
We are happy to present three songs at the morning assembly this Thursday.
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It was a huge relief to begin working at the academy and end months of speculation and uncertainty. The academy with its staff and scenography functioned as an inspiration, and it didn’t fail to leave space for preparations for class or development of ideas, etc. The openness and presence (in every sense of the word) found in the staff is also an encouraging and inspiring element.
It was, I believe, an essential part of the success that I was able to spend the whole day at the academy and not having to break the illusion with meetings or ordinary teaching.