Julianna Hane

The holiday season and ritual viewing of the Muppet’s Christmas Carol got me thinking about how our past experiences impact the teaching methods we use today.

Have you ever caught yourself repeating things your parents or teachers used to say?  I’ve noticed myself speaking in the same rhythms and cadences of my past teachers. One of my teachers said she felt like her own teacher’s ghost was on her shoulder!

The sayings  and mannerisms we inherit from our teachers could be supportive and appropriately challenging; critical and unsupportive, or even neutral.  It’s amazing the powerful influence of a teacher, and how learnings get passed down through generations.

To clarify a bias, Born to Fly values a supportive yet challenging approach to teaching aerial arts.  We believe that learning can only happen when a student is comfortable and generally not stressed.  While a low level of stress is to be expected when learning something new, our goal is to give students some choices about participation so they don't enter crisis mode.  At the same time, we don't promote coddling students, or letting them do whatever they want because learning aerial arts does require discipline and specific progressions for safety and growth.  Overall, we encourage a balance of support and challenge in the aerial class (see yoga instructor Francesca Cervero's work for more on this concept).

When the teaching methods we use from our former teachers are supportive, this is a great thing!  But sometimes, unsupportive methods or comments can creep in.  Here are some questions you might ask about how you may have been influenced by former teachers and parents, and even how your own self-talk comes into play.  Once you've looked at your values and habits inherited from teachers and parents, you can consciously evaluate whether or not these “ghosts” serve you.  The questions can be answered in any order, and you are free to skip questions. 

What are some sayings or mannerisms you've inherited from your teachers?
List these patterns out on paper.  Think about how these sayings influenced you as a student and now as a teacher.  List everything, but please don’t judge yourself!  This is not the time to self-criticize.  Looking at what is there is the first step to finding your power and connecting with who you really want to be.

Would you say these mannerisms are supportive, unsupportive, or neutral?  Are these mannerisms serving you as a teacher?
Label each one individually.  Most people will have a combination of supportive and unsupportive mannerisms.  Please note that challenging a student does not mean being unsupportive - sometimes that student needs to recognize that they can stand on their own two feet, and challenging them can be the most supportive thing to do in that situation.  Knowing when to support a student or challenge a student can be a tricky thing, and it can change moment to moment.  (This is why reflection after each class is vital to your growth as an instructor, but I digress!)

What were the philosophies/values of your teachers and parents?
Did your teacher use a strict/authoritarian approach?  Did you have a coddling teacher who let you do whatever you wanted?  Did your teacher offer a balance of appropriate support and challenge?  Perhaps you have had teachers with different approaches, and you wish to examine each one individually.  Do keep in mind that no teacher or parent is perfect, and that everyone is only human.

How do you talk to yourself when you are struggling?
We often internalize our parents, teachers, and other authority figures when correcting or modifying our behavior.  When talking yourself through a struggle, do you say encouraging things like, “I’ll get it next time,” or, “I’m learning a lot because this is challenging"?  Or do you say things like “I’m not good enough,” I always mess things up,” or “I’m a bad person”?  How we talk to ourselves is not just a reflection of our personality and how we were corrected growing up, but often it impacts how we teach.

Are there any connections between your own self-talk and how teachers corrected you?
You might make a visual representation, drawing lines from philosophies/values on one side of the page to your own self-talk on the other side.

What kind of teacher do you want to be?
Why do you teach?  What kind of “ghost” do you want to be for your students and their students, and their students' students?  What does a supportive teacher do/say?  You could create a vision board (cutting out magazine photos and words) that represent the kind of teacher you want to be, and the messages you want to be passed down through generations.

What action could you take now?
Based on your reflections, what action do you want to take?  Could you spend more time with teachers you admire?  Do you want to change your internal self-talk so that you are supporting yourself more thoroughly?  If this blog post triggered strong emotions, please talk to someone such as a trusted friend or professional counselor.  And remember…examining our teaching practice is a lifelong process.   You are not alone, and the Born to Fly Network is here to support you and your teaching in any way that we can.

Note:  Further discussion of this topic can also be found in the Aerial Teacher’s Handbook in Chapter 1:  Why Teach?

I like to quote movies in my aerial teaching that reveal brilliant life lessons.  As a child I could quote The Princess Bride from beginning to end, (anybody want a peanut?) but that’s a story for another time.

While re-watching the Harry Potter series, I found several quotes that apply to aerial teaching.  I'll admit it - I have a one-track mind!  My favorite character besides Harry is headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.  A great teacher in his own right, Dumbledore (written by J.K. Rowling) is full of wisdom.  Here is one of my favorites:

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” 
                                                                                                                                                        – Dumbledore, The Chamber of Secrets

Which is more valuable…talent, or character?
Our culture frequently values talent over character.  Growing up as a dancer I was complimented for being gifted, not for being a hard worker.  I did work very hard, by the way!  Through my dance and aerial training I have learned the opposite is true - hard work gets you so much farther than talent.

How does this play out in the aerial studio?  
I think it can be easy to give more attention to the talented students.  Showering them with praise on their beautiful lines, strength, and so on may send a mixed message that ability is more valuable than grit.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t point out students’ strengths.  Everyone has strengths that should be shared because it helps us appreciate and learn from one another.  But strength in aerial training involves far more than learning sequences or mastering difficult skills.

An aerialist’s strength is not just what’s on the outside, but also what’s on the inside.
Have you noticed anyone being brave lately?  Think of the student who works hard, showing up multiple days per week to overcome their challenges.  Or the student who keeps working on the one skill that frightens them the most.  Have you noticed students encouraging one another?  Or students volunteering to help with set-up or clean-up in the studio?  These people show what it means to work like an adult.  They know their choices have an impact reaching far beyond themselves.

How can teachers acknowledge the inner strength in students?
When I see a student take an expressive risk (i.e. dancing on the ground before moving into the air), I say, "I appreciate your bravery - keep going!"  They may not be aware they are doing something worthwhile until someone else acknowledges it.  When a student overcomes a challenging or scary move, I celebrate with them.  When a student goes out of their way to be encouraging or help out at the studio, I thank them.  Our words can be simple, yet powerful.

Focusing on choice reinforces a studio culture of creating your own destiny and overcoming the odds.  Like Harry Potter, we realize it is our choices (not talents) that make us heroes of our own lives.

What stories do you have about overcoming the odds through aerial training? 
​Please share in the comment section below!

About the Author:  
​Julianna Hane traded life on a cotton farm to become a dancer and aerialist.  She is the author of the Aerial Teacher's Handbook and Director of Training for Born to Fly Productions. 

Julianna Hane

Growing up in the dance field, I remember teachers talking about the difference between giving class and teaching class.  I think this idea can be applied to aerial teaching as well.  Here is the difference according to dance educators:

Giving Class
When giving class, the teacher guides students through planned sequences so they can follow along.  The teacher may somewhat tailor the class to the students, but only to a certain degree since this type of class is usually a master class (a one-time class with a guest instructor).

In the aerial arts, giving class works well for workshop instructors who travel around and teach a wide variety of populations.  It also works well when teaching a brand new group of students you have not worked with before (as in a new session or drop-in class).  

Workshops and master classes allow students to experience a different teacher’s point of view.  It also requires less planning time on the part of the teacher since they usually teach the same workshop in different cities.  (After all, how can a workshop teacher plan specifically for students they have never met?)  I picture the teacher as the driver and students as passengers along for the ride.

Teaching Class
Teaching class, on the other hand, is a different animal.  While teachers may still follow a class plan in this situation, the plan is tailored to the specific students who show up to that class week after week.  The teacher also offers modifications and variations, and isn’t afraid to change course altogether based on the needs in the room that particular day.  

In the aerial arts. teaching class (instead of giving class) is more possible when the same students attend class over a longer period of time. In this situation, I imagine the teacher in conversation with the students at a dinner table.  The teacher offers information, the students respond, the teacher answers back, and so on.

Is one better than the other?
Since both giving class and teaching class are effective formats, it is a completely personal choice as to which one you prefer.  Some teachers find their niche as workshop teachers since they know how to give a really great class and reach a broad base of students in a short period of time.  While I enjoy teaching workshops and meeting new people, my favorite is teaching class because of the back-and-forth conversation that occurs over a longer period of time.

Do you notice a difference between workshop and weekly class teaching?  Which do you prefer and why?  Do you have any strategies that help you navigate classes versus workshops?
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Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Have you ever noticed how certain teachers have a magic about them, an energy that radiates through the room and invites every student into their world?  Some students “get it” instantly; they are motivated to follow the teacher's guidance into the unknown.  Others know there is something more there, but not quite sure what.  In either case, everyone is engaged, alert, and suddenly curious.
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I have been lucky enough to work with teachers like this.  My modern dance professors at the University of Utah certainly had that “thing” all teachers hope to have.  That magic.  That light.  That drive.  Chatting in the hallways with classmates, I realized I wasn’t the only one amazed by our professors. I have always wanted to be like them, to teach dance in a way that is more meaningful, going beyond the steps into something much deeper.  But what is that special “thing” these teachers have?  What makes a class “great” and keeps people coming back for more?

I believe it has something to do with the soul of a class, or what my professors called the “why.”  
“Why did you choose those exercises?  Why are you dancing, or “aerial-ing”?” The why points to motivation:  Why do we learn?  Why do we teach? I’ll put it another way:  What is it you are ACTUALLY teaching?

In my mind, it’s actually NOT dance, aerial arts, or conditioning. It is so much deeper than that.  Back in those beautiful mountain view dance studios in Salt Lake City, I learned that:

The “why” is always greater than the “what.”
So why do people move?  We move to feel connected to something greater than ourselves.  We move to experience joy, sorrow, and all aspects of the human experience.  We move to express ourselves, to share our spirit with others.  We move to just be.  It is so much more than memorizing steps. 

We move because it means something to us, and it makes us feel alive.
The same is true in the aerial arts. The moment we finally conquer a new skill, or finish a performance, is a moment we feel truly connected and alive.  We feel stronger, brighter, and more aware.  We feel fulfilled, even for just a moment.  So how do we bring that soul, that feeling of being alive, that “why” into our classes?

Like my dance professors taught me, the why goes deeper than learning the steps.  After all, there are only so many things the human body can do.  And every teacher will eventually run out of new moves to teach.

The why is about engaging curiosity and creativity...engaging the soul of the learner. 
The why allows students take ownership of their learning, making it personally meaningful to them.  And then they discover who they are.  They have the opportunity to become leaders in their own lives.  For some, a new conditioning challenge excites them.  For others, figuring out how to work with a cumbersome costume is interesting.  In either case, curiosity goes beyond reproducing what a teacher offers, and leads to exploration and invention.

We are pattern seekers and meaning makers.  We like to solve puzzles and create.  The puzzle might be figuring out how to do a pull-up after a pregnancy, or discovering a wild route into good ole “lion in a tree.”  It might involve developing a new character, exploring a new apparatus, or building an entire performance piece using a towel as a prop.  When you engage curiosity, you empower students to make discoveries for themselves.  They become aware of their incredible potential.  They seek it, find it, and own it.

They find the magic in themselves, and you get to watch the lights come on.
And that is the best kind of magic. The kind that is given away, and then reflected all around in the lives of others.  So remember, when in doubt:

Capture your students’ curiosity.  The why is more meaningful than the what. 
Give them a logic puzzle, or a creative assignment.  Acknowledge that soul, that spirit, that personal uniqueness they bring to the community.  Because the real soul of a class is not in the teacher’s outgoing personality or intricate sequences.  It’s in the teacher’s ability to see their students’ uniqueness, and challenge them to go deeper into their own personal why.

I wish you lots of curiosity, creativity, and “Aha!” moments in the New Year.  Happy 2016, and Happy Flying!
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Julianna