Professional Identity

As I consider my identity as a coach, I know that safety and technique are two of my highest priorities.

I could just leave it there because safety and technique on their own are important in aerial teaching. However, there is more to it than that. I want my students to be able to continue developing their skills even when I am not present. In order to equip them toward that end, they need to have the tools to continue their training without injury and they need to have built the foundation of technique that allows them to branch from the specifics of what I have taught them into the areas that interest them the most.

Ultimately, I want to urge my students toward a learner's mindset. If they recognize their ability to take what they've learned and use that knowledge to seek and form new knowledge, then I have done my job. My role is to give them a framework to understand, critique, and develop as they are inspired.

If my students know proper technique for a foundational skill, they will be able to learn countless variations because their knowledge doesn't only consist of memorized movements, but what makes the movement work.

Reading through the Teaching Perspectives Inventory has challenged my thinking. The TPI identifies 5 perspectives from which teachers often approach their role: Transmission, Apprenticeship, Developmental, Nurturing, and Social Reform. My results showed that I lean toward Apprenticeship and Developmental, with Transmission close behind. I do not align strongly with a Nurturing or Social Reform perspective.

Basically, this means that I consider demonstration and modelling a key component of my teaching. I also want to ensure that I am conveying information in a way that resonates with my students. I do think this is an accurate representation of my approach. I think it is important to walk the talk and conveying information requires more than just excellent teacher delivery - it needs to be properly received by the student.

Beyond my priorities and general perspective, I know that I am perceived as the "scary" coach at my studio. I have high standards and clear expectations. Explicit feedback can be intimidating at first, but I also know that students come to appreciate it more than sole encouragement. My students progress quickly and understand why they do what they do.

Hopefully this gives the reader a glimpse into my professional identity and I look forward to my own continued growth, both as aerialist and instructor.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0