While I might not want to admit it, I have been a bit
listless about the Performance Art class. I’m not sure why. It is a class I
have been dying to teach again as a project-based class, but there has been something
nagging me about it. It may be that I am starting to feel the project courses
falling into a routine just the way the seminars do. This is something I need
to think on because the moment they become routine is the moment they start to
die. That said – today was the first project day – a project designed to get
students to re-examine everyday objects, actions, or events and allow us to
see them in a new way. I am always nervous about project days – what will happen?
Will the students take the projects seriously? Will they bring in interesting
things to share? Will we be able to sustain the presentations for the entire
class? Will I have anything interesting to say? And as always – I am amazed at
what the students bring in. The projects were thoughtful, thought provoking,
daring, and far more complex than I had anticipated. While I really wanted to
dig into each piece as we viewed it, I only posed a handful of questions before
moving on to the next piece. I struggle with time and wanting to make sure everyone
is able to present. I found this was something Bob was much more patient with
in the Gen Art class – taking the time to discuss each piece. Left without a
co-teacher I resort to managing time and moving things along. I have taken
notes on each of the pieces and the intent is to digest and decompress between
now and Thursday and speak about each one. As a strategy it doesn’t allow for
the pieces to be right in front of us or in recent memory, but it does allow the
residue to remain – which I think is more powerful. Looking forward to Thursday
and I have gone from wondering how to fill the time to wondering if we will
have enough.
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