Creative Process

What I learned about the creative process...

One key concept that I consistently applied throughout my workshop was lesson planning as a tool for both structure and creative flexibility. By developing detailed lesson plans each week, I was able to balance informative lectures with active movement sessions, ensuring students were engaged mentally and physically. I began each week by identifying the desired learning objectives (such as recognizing the cultural significance of a specific dance style or embodying its basic movements) and then worked backward to structure both content and choreography to support those goals.

I also built in moments for student reflection and discussion, drawing from our class emphasis on facilitating group dialogue. One insight I took from Lang’s article “How to Hold a Better Class Discussion” is the idea that “the people doing the most work are also the ones doing the most learning." In earlier sessions, I found myself doing most of the talking, but this article encouraged me to shift more of the cognitive work onto the students. These discussions allowed students to connect personally with the material and helped me adjust future sessions based on their responses and interests. For example, after a lively conversation during our K-pop unit, I added extra time for students to share their own perspectives on global pop culture and how it is always evolving and being influenced by internal and external sources.

https://www.chronicle.com/author/jay-howard. “How to Hold a Better Class Discussion.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 23 May 2019, www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-hold-a-better-class-discussion.