Part 1: Themes on teacher-practitioner identity
A common theme expressed by this group of teacher-practitioners is that creative practice has a natural subversion and spontaneity; a positive and playful characteristic, which is what teacher-practitioners bring to the learning process. Along side this was the sense that teacher-practitioners do not wish to be framed as knowledgeable experts, but that their experience means they have a responsibility to communicate process to students. Small group responses to the theme of ‘the teacher practitioner’ revealed play, learning and process to be central to the teacher-practitioner approach to their role as a teacher.
‘Making’: The heart of what teacher-practitioners do is to make and do things - a subversive activity - outside the academy. The process of making/practice is essentially the transfer of energy, which is directed into the classroom. This is the main transfer - it’s not about knowing the skills, but about being excited about process.
‘Process of Discovery’: the teacher-practitioner is a continual learner through the process of play, making connections, understanding own practice - the co-learner with the student.
‘Fluidity’: a continual experiential learning interaction, across lots of levels; phenomenological stimulation, gift of self, interaction, enthusiasm - passed on to students [play being the membrane between these elements]. Navigating the unknown - not knowing where we are going.
‘Present’ - don’t know what you are getting/giving - inspiration and play - not one way - transmit, power, clarity of communication
‘Experience’ - finding your practice - finding skills and knowledge - balance of ‘how to’ with philosophising - role of humour and fun.
‘Do’s and Don’ts: Visiting Lecturers need for ‘a survival guide’ as the HE infrastructure is not supportive
Part 2: Audience related messages about the teacher-practitioner role:
On considering the different readers or audiences of a ‘how-to’ manual for teacher-practitioners, and the messages for these specific groups, a particularly strong message was that teacher-practitioners can only learn to manage the difficulties inherent with coming to HE through experiencing this for themselves. The groups however then describe a number of issues and responsibilities that are inherent to managing the teacher-practitioner role:
Students - communication needs to ensure that process [of practice] remains transparent [ risk-taking, exploration, research etc.], students need to think about their own processes and end-products, teacher-practitioners need to balance between skills and concepts - push boundaries, keep language simple [reduce academic speak].
New Teacher-Practitioners -’ tips and hints’ that could go in a manual: tension/balance of time for practice, versus income, technical advice on nature of the role/workload, bureaucratic aspect etc. but, cultural issues couldn’t be put in a book such as balancing the autonomy of the individual, versus the strategic view of the institution; emphasis that these tensions cannot be prepared for as they have to felt through experience to really understand them.
HE Decision Makers - teacher-practitioner perspectives may potentially conflict with management’s - particularly in reference to time, freedom from constraint, in producing something that is viewed as of quality and value but doesn’t fit into institution parameters/economic drivers, cannot be measured - doesn’t fit into the institutional agenda. Speak different language so problematic [the 'how to' manual would have 'windows' which enable manager's to see new aspects of reality].
Industry Decision Makers - agenda currently changing - practitioners can do what they like if you frame it to tick the right boxes so it looks like it’s what ‘they’ want - can also push new ideas which ‘they’ haven’t thought of — clear presentation, well argued but with a ‘pzazz’ hook - not just business but excitement - substantiated by deliverability. The new value of creativity in business - the artist now a credible commodity so don’t need to put a lid on these aspects.
Part 3: Shared themes:
Common themes from across these groups discussions were identified, particularly the notion that the teacher-practitioner is on a learning journey in much the same way as the student, that this experience and process leads to professional capacity. A number of tensions were identified within the teacher-practitioner role relating to conditions for creativity and institutional culture and the inability to communicate aspects of experience and practice to others.
The Teacher-Practitioner Learning Journey [non-directed]:
Enjoyment ——————————————————- Audience
Subversion Convention/Communication
Practice ——————————————————- Teaching
Personal:
subversion
playfulness, fun
engagement of self - emotional responses/personal contribution
Learning Journey:
Navigation - the journey
aspects shared by the teacher-practitioner and the student [co-learning]
Process not knowledge:
not a fixed body of knowledge
expert as ‘not knowing’
Experience not instruction:
instruction v things you can’t communicate, because they need to be experienced
the didactic - instrumental & operational versus the instability needed to be creative & challenged
Part 4: Book Making:
Individuals within the workshop made books about the teacher-practitioner, revealing a range of themes, tensions, relationships, processes and ideas, many of which explore the processes of creativity interlinking with learning and teaching whilst working within and against different contexts, and most of which express a strong sense of individual identity as a creative practitioner and also a common sense of the learning journey or processes of the practitioner being non-directed; or perhaps emergent.
- Journey through infrastructure, policy, creativity, quantifiability and flow,
- Journey as experiments with failure, moments - enjoy mistakes - the end if the beginning,
- Documenting own learning journey, breakthrough moments, Processes.
- The subversion of practitioner - different viewpoints, read-re-read - suprises - creative cycle
- Point of confusion, no instructions, change, random, don’t take direction - do - obtuse becomes knowledge transfer - life long learning - encourage, foster - a blocked journey through obtuse language - a clarity- less is more is liberating - to arrive at the front
- Easy steps to supporting the creative practitioner, create your own practitioner, useful forms
- Layers and opening, character unfolding, world opening up
- Freedom from constraint, serious play, enabling time - no hidden cost to creativity - tips for creative - throw away all user manuals
The books can be viewed in the Teacher Practitioner’s Book Gallery
The review of the workshop process highlights the passion and positivity from this group about learning, predominantly through practice, but also through teaching; whilst suggesting there may be a lack of critical reflection about the teacher-practitioner role, or model. Although practitioners may view themselves as individuals. or their practice as ’subversive’, it is questionable whether their role and it’s impact in HE is subversive.
Antonia Clews, 10by10 Project Leader 2/09