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The Heart of Teaching

Empowering Students in the Performing Arts

By Stephen Wangh

Published December 18th 2012 by Routledge – 162 pages

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Description

The Heart of Teaching is a book about teaching and learning in the performing arts. Its focus is on the inner dynamics of teaching: the processes by which teachers can promote—or undermine—creativity itself. It covers the many issues that teachers, directors and choreographers experience, from the frustrations of dealing with silent students and helping young artists ‘unlearn’ their inhibitions, to problems of resistance, judgment and race in the classroom,.

Wangh raises questions about what can—and what cannot—be taught, and opens a discussion about the social, psychological and spiritual values that underlie the skills and techniques that teachers impart. Subjects addressed include:

    • Question asking: which kinds of questions encourage creativity and which can subvert the learning process.

    • Feedback: how it can foster both dependence and independence in students.

    • Grading: its meaning and meaninglessness.

    • Power relationships, transference and counter-transference

    • The pivotal role of listening.

The Heart of Teaching speaks to experienced teachers and beginning teachers in all disciplines, but is particularly relevant to those in the performing arts, from which most of its examples are drawn. It brings essential insight and honesty to the discussion of how to teach.

Reviews

‘Stephen Wangh tackles an important but rarely discussed aspect of performance teaching. He brings a particular set of hard-won insights based on extensive teaching and personal experience, and doesn’t shy away from teasing out the difficult personal lessons drawn from that experience.’ – Anthony Jackson, University of Manchester, UK

‘…readable, interesting and makes a useful contribution to education and training…Wangh is interested in the inner dynamics of teaching and the processes by which teachers can promote – or undermine – creativity. So he discusses ways of bringing out diffident students or helping those who need to, to shed some of their inhibitions and learn to be more open-minded. He is also strong on dealing with matters such as race, judgment and resistance – all issues which apply to performing arts teaching at any stage or level. So there’s something here for drama teachers of all sorts. I was especially taken, given what noisy places many classrooms are, with his thoughts about listening and silence.’ – Susan Elkin,The Stage, UK

Author Bio

Stephen Wangh is a playwright, director and acting teacher. He has taught at Naropa University, New York University and Emerson College (https://files.nyu.edu/sw1/public/). He is the author of An Acrobat of the Heart: A physical approach to acting inspired by the work of Jerzy Grotowski.

Name: The Heart of Teaching: Empowering Students in the Performing Arts (Paperback) – Routledge 
Description: By Stephen Wangh. The Heart of Teaching is a book about teaching and learning in the performing arts. Its focus is on the inner dynamics of teaching: the processes by which teachers can promote—or undermine—creativity itself. It covers the many issues...
Categories: Drama Education & Drama Therapy, Teaching & Learning, Teachers & Teacher Education, Classroom Practice, Theory of Education, Acting