At the moment I still feel like I'm in
the middle of a sandstorm, trying to navigate my way in the hope that
things will become slightly clearer. I'm naturally self motivated but I prosper under direction and so far with BA PP, in that I am lacking!
However, I have been perusing some of the wonderful blogs of my
fellow students on the course, and I was struck with a need to
further my insight into the theoretical concept of critical thinking
after reading Adesola's most recent post:
I'd like to think of myself as a
critical thinker. Ie being capable of reaching
'Purposeful self regulatory judgment
which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference,
as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological,
criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that
judgment is based' (Facione, 2011). But it really is quite a skill
to attain. I'd argue this even more so in the creative field as my past
experience in the industry has encouraged me to reflect on seemingly questionable ethics.
At the time, I was so absorbed in being the
'perfect performer' that all the uncommunicative expectations were
just accepted. I lacked the skill of critical thinking as I
conversely followed what had been preached. I understand now that my
perspective at the time warranted this subordinate approach as I was
so desperate to achieve, but my present distance from this time
period has enabled me to critically reflect on such commonly shared
beliefs. For example:
- I strongly believed that being thin, toned and beautiful would guarantee success.
Why
did I come to this conclusion? For many reasons. Adesola's post
resonated with me as I do believe there are continuous subliminal
media messages which signify what is and isn't beautiful. I also went
to a dance college where these beliefs were vocalised by the faculty.
Through my experiences in training where those with the ideal body
shape were favoured, I gathered this as evidence to reaffirm my
belief. Going further into critical reflection, I realise that I accounted any artistic achievements I had to my body shape, rather than talent.
It became my identity and gave me one reason to feel less inferior to
those who I always deemed as far more gifted. In other words, I
believed it because it made me feel safe.
Years
later, I wish I could have told myself how untrue, inaccurate and
unhelpful this was. Even in the span of time since I have trained I
believe the expectations around the perfect 'dancers body' have
changed, where strength is now the admired trait and athleticism is
favoured. Again, this doesn't mean it's the 'correct' view, It's just
one of the numerous cultural trends which ebb and flow throughout
society. The following video expresses how futile these body ideals
are whilst personally making me question the validity of 'perfect'.
Perfect for who? For when? For which era? The tide is always flowing,
always changing so why do we hold such beliefs with a steely grip?
Women's Ideal Body types throughout history: YOUTUBE
- I believed that the harder and longer someone worked, the more successful they'd be.
I gathered this knowledge once again
from past experiences. All I'd ever known was working hard as dancing
never came naturally to me, and the fact that this ethic was praised
by my superiors encouraged me to push myself excessively. I am now
able to question this mindset as my experiences taught me that
success is actually dependent on numerous factors. I can identify
that I myself have in innate need for control, which is juxtaposed against
the theatrical world of unknowns where one's life becomes dependent
on the opinion of the audition panel. The idea that I could control
my destiny by quantifying input into my training felt oddly
reassuring.
Secondly, there is the teacher student reationship to consider. The Mentor wouldn't necessarily be doing their job if they advocated that
getting a role was mostly down to luck and being in 'the right place
at the right time.' It is in the teacher's interest to make a student
reach their potential not just for the satisfaction of said student, but
perhaps to reflect positively upon ones own ability as a teacher. Student success
promotes teaching success. Once again this critical reflection has
allowed me to consider why I justified such beliefs.
I identify that being able to develop
my critical thinking skills will enhance my current practice as a
dance teacher. I must question the morality of my assumptions because standing in an impressionable position means that I have the responsibility to influence
the next generation. Assessing the consequences of my teaching
strategies is my duty and I will aim to encourage the nature of
critical and creative thinking in my students as both these concepts
are bound.
The thinkers guide to the nature and functions of critical
and creative thinking states “In art as every other domain of human
achievement, criticality and creativity go hand in glove, mutually
dependent, mutually interacting, mutually influencing each other.”
(Paul and Elder, 2008, p. 28).
I am keen to continue my reflection on
the topic and it feels rather empowering to know that from a teaching
pedestal I have the potential to help instil these skills into
my pupils, which can only prepare them extensively for facing the
world outside.
As Seymour Papert says:
References
Facione,
Peter A. (2011). Critical
Thinking: What It is and Why It Counts. (p.
26.) [PDF
file] Retrieved
from https://insightassessment.com
Lee Yang, Eugene and, Mark Celestino (2015, Jan 27) Women's Ideal body types throughout history. [Video file] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrp0zJZu0a4
Paul,
Richard and, Linda Elder. (2008) The
thinker's guide to the nature and functions of critical and creative
thinking. Dillon Beach: Foundation for Critical Thinking press.
