Conclusion

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511997105.014

13 - Conclusion

Presence and the Art of Improvisational Teaching

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012

Lisa Barker and

Hilda Borko

Edited by

R. Keith Sawyer

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Lisa Barker: Affiliation:
Stanford University
Hilda Borko: Affiliation:
Stanford University
R. Keith Sawyer: Affiliation:
Washington University, St Louis

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Summary

In the introductory chapter of this volume (see Chapter 1), Keith Sawyer states that the goal for this book is “to present a new theory of professional pedagogical practice” (p. 13). At the core of this new theory is the premise that “balancing structure and improvisation is the essence of the art of teaching” (p. 2). The phrase “the art of teaching” suggests that teaching – like any interactive craft that includes collaboration or live performance (e.g., “the art of conversation”) – entails two inter-related facets of expertise: mastery of a body of fundamental principles or methods governing the craft (i.e., “structure”) and mastery of skills in conducting human activity (i.e., “improvisation”). The educational scholars represented in this book share this conception of teaching; they view teaching as an improvisational activity, and they contend that “what makes good teachers great” is disciplined improvisation. Each chapter either explicitly or implicitly address the question: How can the principles of artistic improvisation in theater, music, and dance be adapted for interactive educational contexts – from student learning in public school classrooms to teacher learning at the university level? In this chapter, we discuss this body of work through the lens of two additional guiding questions:

What does this multi-layered “theory of professional pedagogical practice” look like, and how does this theory contribute to our understanding of teaching, learning, and curriculum development?
What do this theory and these applied principles mean for teacher education?

Type: Chapter
Information: Structure and Improvisation in Creative Teaching , pp. 279 - 298

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511997105.014 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2011

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