Feedback Review of Melting the Atlas and Axis
The class was held at Cortiva on the East side of Tucson. The Cortiva people treat me well and prepare well before the event. The space was a nice large room with North facing windows, and not too noisy even though they had two other classes going on.
Nine people attended. Whenever there is an odd number, this means that I must join in the trades rather than wandering around tables to supervise. There are benefits either way—when I do not participate in trades, the students get more of my time watching them work and making comments on their hand positions and finesse. When I do participate, more people get to feel how the teacher does it and then when I lay down to receive, more people get to try it on the teacher to receive feedback.
Inspired by a picture that appeared in my mind two weeks before, I tried something I have not done before in this class: I introduced the AA joint and the OCI muscle with recipients face-down in the face cradles. Therapists used pens to circle the spinous process of C2 on recipients, then drawing where the Obliquus Capitis Inferior muscles would be, before palpating. This came easily to the students.(photo 1)
In the second hour, still prone, I described how C2 would be pulled to one side if the Obliquus Capitis Inferior muscle were spasming on one side. Students understood this concept quickly, especially since we saw a few people in the class whose necks actually showed this condition. When it is right there in front of your eyes on a real person, your brain can really “get it” so I am glad to have presented this.
Just before lunch, after seeing C2 off-center, I quizzed the students, “In this prone position, how would you shorten the Obliquus even more?” None of the students could really answer --and that is fine, unanswered questions switch students into “sponge mode.” I showed the first group of students how to roll the head a little in the face cradle so that one obliquus would be a little shorter, then students practiced massaging that one muscle. OOPS! I showed them the wrong way to rotate--they were actually lengthening that obliquus. Teaching them the wrong way sort of shocked me, so I spent more time correcting what I had said and making sure everyone knew and understood how rotating the head R shortens the R obliquus. Because I had showed it mistakenly the first time, students were more challenging now and I felt I had to defend or prove the shortening effect by drawing the obliquus vs other potential rotators on the white board, which took more time.
I could have skipped all that: Everyone “got it” when I showed on a prone person that rolling her head as if I could bring her earlobe to touch her spine, shortens the obliquus muscle. (photo 2)
I could have skipped all that: Everyone “got it” when I showed on a prone person that rolling her head as if I could bring her earlobe to touch her spine, shortens the obliquus muscle. (photo 2)What I learned about teaching Atlas and Axis:
Pacing
Several feedback forms showed that the most need for improvement in pacing One person said “could have learned material a lot faster,” so the pace was too slow. The new way I taught the introduction to the AA joint and OCI muscle prone, is simpler for students to understand, which means it needs to speed up: a) so they don’t get bored, b) so they don’t think the whole course will be this simple, and c) so we have plenty of time to spend on the parts that are challenging to grasp intellectually.
Several feedback forms showed that the most need for improvement in pacing One person said “could have learned material a lot faster,” so the pace was too slow. The new way I taught the introduction to the AA joint and OCI muscle prone, is simpler for students to understand, which means it needs to speed up: a) so they don’t get bored, b) so they don’t think the whole course will be this simple, and c) so we have plenty of time to spend on the parts that are challenging to grasp intellectually.
Written materials
Feedback forms rated the second greatest need in written materials. Several people did not receive the materials in advance (some registered only one day in advance). When I register people myself, I send them the written materials at the same time they register and ask them to read in advance. Most do not. It is clear to me who has read in advance because of the questions they ask. Most people who have received the materials several weeks in advance and have time to read them in advance, usually give the written materials high praise. Still, there is always room for improvement.
Feedback forms rated the second greatest need in written materials. Several people did not receive the materials in advance (some registered only one day in advance). When I register people myself, I send them the written materials at the same time they register and ask them to read in advance. Most do not. It is clear to me who has read in advance because of the questions they ask. Most people who have received the materials several weeks in advance and have time to read them in advance, usually give the written materials high praise. Still, there is always room for improvement.
Originally the AA portion of the textbook was about 10 pages and this week I began expanding it, its now at 67 pages and growing. I expect it will be about 100 pages when finished. At that time I may also write a condensed, speed version for people who absorb things very quickly. In the expanded version, I am providing more preparatory remarks and more gradual, well-defined steps to understanding this extremely valuable technique. I want to help the world relax its poor, overworked Obliquus Capitis Inferior muscles. This requires my teaching and writing on the subject to continue to refine so students will feel always more empowered at the end of the class, that they really understand and are ready to begin relaxing OCI muscles the next massage they give.
No Demonstrations
One person said she wanted “more of instructor coming around to my table to show me how to do it.” It is my teaching style to not demonstrate. Instead I explain to them how to do it and while they are experimenting, I acknowledge when they are doing it well, I give them subtle adjustments if they are struggling, and I encourage the recipient to give feedback to the giver. In these ways, the giver stumbles upon the discoveries as if they were her own, and often students come up with better ways than I would have shown them. When I come around to the tables to answer questions, the givers always take their hands off, expecting me to put my hands on the person and show them the right way. Instead I ask the giver to put her hands back on the person and then I put my hands on top of the giver’s hands. Rather than show, I feel the body using that person’s hands until they feel it too. I believe this teaching style is more empowering for the students to come away feeling competent.
One person said she wanted “more of instructor coming around to my table to show me how to do it.” It is my teaching style to not demonstrate. Instead I explain to them how to do it and while they are experimenting, I acknowledge when they are doing it well, I give them subtle adjustments if they are struggling, and I encourage the recipient to give feedback to the giver. In these ways, the giver stumbles upon the discoveries as if they were her own, and often students come up with better ways than I would have shown them. When I come around to the tables to answer questions, the givers always take their hands off, expecting me to put my hands on the person and show them the right way. Instead I ask the giver to put her hands back on the person and then I put my hands on top of the giver’s hands. Rather than show, I feel the body using that person’s hands until they feel it too. I believe this teaching style is more empowering for the students to come away feeling competent.
Overview
One person “wanted an overview exercise at the end to tie everything together.” I agree and normally provide this. If I had not spent too much time on the things mentioned above, these students would have received these things that I normally over-provided in all my classes. I am writing more pre-overview and post-overview into the written materials and these blog reviews are another way that I am now providing this for the students.
One person “wanted an overview exercise at the end to tie everything together.” I agree and normally provide this. If I had not spent too much time on the things mentioned above, these students would have received these things that I normally over-provided in all my classes. I am writing more pre-overview and post-overview into the written materials and these blog reviews are another way that I am now providing this for the students.
Don’t forget, I offer students the opportunity to repeat any class I teach, as often as they want, for $25 per day.
What I learned about teaching in general:
For my next classes I will give course-specific feedback forms at the end. This way just filling out the form will be a refresher of what we learned. Rather than rate the whole class pacing, for example, students will rate pacing on each named exercise. Rather than rate the teaching quality as a whole, they will rate how well they understood each of the most important named concepts.
Students need an overview at the beginning to peek at what we will learn that day, to know which parts are for their hands, for their eyes, and for their intellect to grasp, so that when these areas appear there is no surprise.
Students need an overview at the beginning to peek at what we will learn that day, to know which parts are for their hands, for their eyes, and for their intellect to grasp, so that when these areas appear there is no surprise.
Its kind of like giving students specific enzymes to eat before a big meal so that when the salad, veggies, meat, potatoes and butter arrive they will be able to digest it.
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