A few years ago I attended the Akimbo dance festival in Baltimore. See here for more. While there was the obligatory awkward belly dancing show, there was also some sort of teacher training hopscotch Q&A game/performance. I would give better acknowledgement for whoever designed and choreographed this but I just don’t have the details! If anyone knows please share.
At the end of the game your yes and no answers left you with the five options in the photo: I fucked up real bad, You should be better, This will be amazing or entirely terrible, I’ve got a good feeling about this and All kinds of perfect.
I’ll be darned if it didn’t hit close to home. Anytime I want more rigor in my work I go to through the steps. There is nothing more grounding than the questions blow. A mock up for the ‘game’ follows since my cellphone photos are blurry. Honestly, some of these questions should be used for planning development projects too!
Planning Questions for Teaching or Training:
- Are you teaching something new?
- Do you give a shit about it?
- Did you actually plan the lesson?
- Did you avoid making shortcuts just to make your life easier?
- Did you resist the urge to plan while eating, drinking, or watching TV?
- Did your ideas even make sense in your own head?
- Did your students end up where you hoped?
- Could they have gotten there a better or simpler way?
- Is it revenant to anything ever?
- Did you enjoy helping them get there?
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