Re: [TANGO-L] Teacher - Student relationships

[jhapark@pennswoods.net]

I disagree.  It is not truly sharing if one is being paid to teach.  You are
imparting your knowledge for a fee.  Hopefully, you truly do love what you
are teaching and enjoy the process thereof and that's a key motivation for
teaching.  I prefer the notion that an artist is being paid adn paid well;
they deserve it.  The hard work, the passion, the investment of time and
money during their own learning process (education).  It's an occupation
like any other.


--- Original Message -----
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@YAHOO.COM>
To: <TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Teacher - Student relationships


> Hi Gibson,
>
> Actually, it is the other way around.  When a person
> decides to become a tango teacher, it is usually not
> because they deem themselves as a "judge" or an
> expert.  They become teachers because they want to
> share something that they love and have some knowledge
> of.  But by becoming a "teacher" they are also putting
> themselves in the public eye to be judged.  They
> become open to criticism and other expectations by
> those within the community  other teachers, students,
> observers, etc.
>
> It is similar to a singer who puts out a new album and
> hopes people like it.  And that is basically all a
> teacher can do.  They do explain things as best they
> can and hope people like it.  They develop different
> ways of teaching  and hope people like it.  They
> dance at milonga, knowing that they are watched and
> judged more often than others in the room.  And those
> who are not willing to suck in their ego and be open
> to criticism shouldnt become teachers.
>
> At milongas, most teachers that I know just want to be
> like everyone else.  They are not there to judge
> individuals but to just have fun.  For me, one of the
> worse things that can happen at a milonga is if
> someone asks me "What can I do to improve my tango?"
> or "Was that okay?".  When it comes to individuals, my
> teaching hat gets left at home.
>
> The only time my teaching/organizer hat is on at a
> milonga is when I trying to ascertain whether I have
> done my job as a teacher as I watch the dance floor.
> But I am only judging myself (and the deejay or
> organizer) and not the dancers because it is the
> teacher who either limits or inspires a student or a
> community.
>
> I hope you do begin to ask teachers to dance at
> milongas.  Chances are they will enjoy being related
> to for who they are, not because of what they do.
>
> Trini de Pittsburgh
>
>
> --- Gibson Batch <gibsonbatch@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> > Thanks, Lois, for a change in subject.
> >
> > For me, a teacher is a sort of parent/authority
> > figure, and it seems a
> > little awkward for me to dance with 'mom' or 'dad'
> > or 'professor' or
> > 'judge'.
> >
> > This mindset of course can be self-defeating to my
> > true style and grace as a
> > dancer.
> >
> > So I typically avoid dancing with teachers, even
> > with those I never have had
> > a lesson.
> >
> > It seems a pity, though, and your question may
> > prompt me to make more of an
> > effort to dance with teachers in the months ahead.
> >
> > Gibson
> > Minneapolis
> >
> >
>
> PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
> Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social
dance.
> http://www.pitt.edu/~mcph/PATangoWeb.htm
>
>
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