Teaching - a good way to learn something?

[ttd]

This comes up in my lessons every once in a while, so I figured I'll give it a whirl here, and see what happens. Basically, every once in a while my teacher suggests that I should try teaching some basic steps to someone else and that would help me gain deeper understanding of whatever we're working on at the moment. So far I haven't done so, because I am not good at explaining things verbally, and I am well aware of that, and I don't have any willing guinea pigs in my family, and I am not comfortable with inflicting myself on non-relatives like that. And since he usually figures out a way for me to get whatever it is he needs me to get, before I get over my reluctance and ask someone to be a guinea pig, it never happened. But the suggestion keeps coming up, came up again just today. I suppose it might make sense, even in other subjects  - there's a joke about two math professors one complaining to another - "I have really stupid students this year, I had to explain ... theorem to them three times, I got it myself and they still didn't." But before I try to bribe my teenager to be my guinea pig - has anyone really tried it, and if you did, did you learn anything from the experience?

[QPO]

Not sure if will help or not, but i suppose he is trying to tell you that it is not easy to teach. I think it has been mentioned before teaching is like have more than one child. you can't approach discipline the same way with each one.

one i more sensitive so you have to go softly softly, another might be more brash so you have to be more assertive.by teaching others you may have to think of many ways to get your results, perhaps he thinks this will help your dancing journey.

[socialdancer]

Everybody learns in different ways.  Some can watch a figure being danced and can copy it easily.  Others may need to see each action written down or her it explained.
I often suggest students write their own notes and descriptions of what they are working on.  This reinforces the learning process and also makes them think a little more around the edges of the topic.

Teaching somebody something that you have learned is another way of reinforcing the learning because it creates extra linkages in the brain between the various aspects of the event.  To be able to explain the actions etc the brain needs to sort things in different ways and thus gets a bigger picture that it can work on later.
If you move to a new town and always walk to the shops via the same route, then you will learn how to get to the shops.  If you sometimes take different routes you will learn where the shops are.

If you do not have anyone to teach, maybe your teacher could play the part of a pupil for a while.  If you have a partner try to teach him your steps, or maybe teach yourself your partner's steps.  Failing that, how about an imaginary pupil?  Talk through what you are doing as you demonstrate. If you really feel adventurous you could try teaching us what you have learned by explaining it in a post.

[ttd]

Being able to explain something is definitely something I lack, just as a general skill. Although for now it either didn't interfere with how I dance or I/we were able to find a workaround.

Like I said, I could bribe my teenager to be the guinea pig. It will be perceived as a favor to me, so it will cost me money, in addition to having to get over my own discomfort and running a risk of making an idiot out of myself in front of a 16-year old and possibly undermining whatever parental authority I have (my parents might be much more forgiving guinea pigs but they don't live nearby and I won't see them until thanksgiving). So before I put myself in this situation, I just want to know if the benefits outweigh the costs/risks.

[elisedance]

.........
If you do not have anyone to teach, maybe your teacher could play the part of a pupil for a while. 

What an interesting idea

.........
....if you have a partner try to teach him your steps, or maybe teach yourself your partner's steps.  ....

OTOH - danger!!  I know you said teach your own or learn his - but this is likely to deteriorate into teaching the partner their steps or 'I would do this if you let me' and then downhill...

But if you are in a super-supportive, tollerant, open and individually secure partnership - go ahead

[elisedance]

The (absurd) situation here is that we can get banned from amateur compettion if we teach in Ontario - even if we don't get paid for it.  Its protectionism by the pros taken to the extreme - and I am sure its counterproductive because that means we also can not bring new couples in to the sport.  OTOH if we are unqualified and not competing then we can teach as much as we like - and even get paid for it.  Go figure....

[ttd]

The (absurd) situation here is that we can get banned from amateur compettion if we teach in Ontario - even if we don't get paid for it.  Its protectionism by the pros taken to the extreme - and I am sure its counterproductive because that means we also can not bring new couples in to the sport.  OTOH if we are unqualified and not competing then we can teach as much as we like - and even get paid for it.  Go figure....

Are you serious? If hypothetically you had a sibling who was getting married and you helped them with their first dance, or you helped your parents to get their dance together for an upcoming event, you could be banned from competing?

[CANI]

ttd -- I don't have any experience teaching another actual person.  However, I can speak to the benefits of teaching to an imaginary person as recommended above by socialdancer.  I don't actually picture another person, but I have, upon occasion, explained out loud what I am doing as I practice.  HUGE -- let me repeat that -- HUGE eye-opener.  Things I thought I really understood, I didn't.  Continuing at the verbal explanations has helped me learn some things and also to realize, hey, I SAY I'm doing xyz, but I can see clearly in the mirror that that is not what I am doing. 

When I am back to lessons I have thought about potentially asking my teacher to play the pupil as socialdancer also suggested, just to identify all the errors in my verbal explanations and body movements (I imagine there are many -- I've been going off memory, body-feel, and my notes) -- I'll see when the time comes if that is a good idea and if my teacher agrees it is a good idea.  However, for you, having regular lessons, sounds like you have a great opportunity to get feedback quickly.

So, in summary, my recommendation would be first to teach yourself by expressing everything verbally and seeing what you do and don't understand.  At some later point, sure, adding an actual person, such as your son, might be something to consider.  My 2 cents -- good luck -- hope it works out well for you however you decide to proceed.

[elisedance]

The (absurd) situation here is that we can get banned from amateur compettion if we teach in Ontario - even if we don't get paid for it.  Its protectionism by the pros taken to the extreme - and I am sure its counterproductive because that means we also can not bring new couples in to the sport.  OTOH if we are unqualified and not competing then we can teach as much as we like - and even get paid for it.  Go figure....

Are you serious? If hypothetically you had a sibling who was getting married and you helped them with their first dance, or you helped your parents to get their dance together for an upcoming event, you could be banned from competing?

Yup.  As its currently written.  OTOH, if you are finalist in the national competition (at least in some catagories) you can not only teach you can also get paid for it.  I think all you can not do is have pro-am students.

But for it to be applied someone has to actually file a complaint.  So that way the rules not only achieve the absurd but also successfully makes one dancer a spy on their competitors...   I suppose thats done to breed an atmosphere of national unity

[QPO]

well I hope to do more teaching so I will see if this does help. I think perhaps you have to become a better listener and have to know the steps better or you cant show them to the student.

[ttd]

Just an update. I bribed my son into being a guinea pig. Literally, with $$. It was an interesting experience, although his attention span isn't the greatest in the world and he is a lot more responsive to latin dances (from his pov waltz belongs somewhere in 19th century, and it should stay there). But I tried to teach him some basics in different dances. At least it put me in position where I had to think a lot more about the guy's part.

[QPO]

It it just presses home there is an art to good teaching and you home that you learn from a good teacher who can give you guidance in becoming one.

[elisedance]

Just an update. I bribed my son into being a guinea pig. Literally, with $$. It was an interesting experience, although his attention span isn't the greatest in the world and he is a lot more responsive to latin dances (from his pov waltz belongs somewhere in 19th century, and it should stay there). But I tried to teach him some basics in different dances. At least it put me in position where I had to think a lot more about the guy's part.

Does this need its own topic - getting your child to dance?

[QPO]

Just an update. I bribed my son into being a guinea pig. Literally, with $$. It was an interesting experience, although his attention span isn't the greatest in the world and he is a lot more responsive to latin dances (from his pov waltz belongs somewhere in 19th century, and it should stay there). But I tried to teach him some basics in different dances. At least it put me in position where I had to think a lot more about the guy's part.

Does this need its own topic - getting your child to dance?

that is an interesting one. I know families where the children do and where we teach their children have no interest in it at all. they did do it but have now given it up, I do hope that they will come back to it. Not sure how to have children love it they either will or the wont there is nothing inbetween

[elisedance]

Just an update. I bribed my son into being a guinea pig. Literally, with $$. It was an interesting experience, although his attention span isn't the greatest in the world and he is a lot more responsive to latin dances (from his pov waltz belongs somewhere in 19th century, and it should stay there). But I tried to teach him some basics in different dances. At least it put me in position where I had to think a lot more about the guy's part.

Does this need its own topic - getting your child to dance?

that is an interesting one. I know families where the children do and where we teach their children have no interest in it at all. they did do it but have now given it up, I do hope that they will come back to it. Not sure how to have children love it they either will or the wont there is nothing inbetween

Mine was a 'good at it but not interested'.  Maybe once his kid(s??) grow up....