Comments on: Dynamic classes????

By: Marcelo Elias

Marcelo Elias — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 13:43:42 +0000

I agree that we should try and break paradigms. Sometimes by destabilizing the system we can make it evolve. However, I think balance in a class is essential. Balance between the skills and contents we teach; balance in a sense of mental and emotional calm. These two aspects are related to being dynamic, because they have to do with variety of activities, T’s and Ss’ roles and responsibilities, co-operation in class…

By: Shaun Dowling

Shaun Dowling — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 02:53:42 +0000

So Nerrain
First, I like your views very much thank you for being the first to share.
In practical terms though, what do you think is the difference between a balanced class is from a dynamic class. Can we see a clear difference between one and the other? Is there anything in the information above to support this view.
Sorry it may be my fault for not having clearly signposted this better but in response to this could you please post you point of vies on the space above/post?

By: Nerrian

Nerrian — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 19:31:34 +0000

I tend to think of “dynamics” as movement, as the opposite of “balance”. I know it may sound a little controversial, but I heard this for the first time in my drama classes; my teacher was quoting a great British director called Peter Brook.
Peter Brook used to say while lecturing that the western societies have become too fixated over the idea of achieving “balance” in life, of trying that mythical perfect equilibrium between body, mind and soul. He stated that this so-called “balance” is the most unnatural vision of life and, therefore, cannot naturally be obtained.
Life is made of change, of learning from one´s mistakes, of striving to be better every day. This is why dynamism has been recently rediscovered and has been so cherished since.
No matter how many times you teach the same class, you´re always going to do it differently: the group is different (even if it´s the same group again, you´re going to have a different impact the second time around), the time is different, you´ve learned from previous experience, therefore, you´re different!
What I´m trying to say here is that maybe we should think again about this moment in life we´re always trying to achieve most desperately: stability. The moment in which we´ll know by heart and completely every little thing we´re supposed to do during classtime. If it were ever to happen in this fashion, I suppose many of us would feel bored about teaching pretty soon.
Accepting and embracing dynamism, change, new possibilities and horizons is a human ability, it´s within our inner nature. We should be open to letting our own nature speak once in a while….