It Takes Two
How has this course changed your outlook on learning? What’s changed? Why?
I’ve always been passionate about education and the process but for a while, I’ve only had the perspective of the instructor. This course has clearly shifted my perspective now that I am a student, and so much that I can relate to my students now in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to balancing work and life.
What’s come back though are the possibilities and the doors that will begin to open and now that I have a family, the purpose is greater than it has ever been. It’s the purpose that drives me, the reason for working hard and maintaining a fresh perspective. I have two boys, and for any parent, you know that you are thrust into the position of being a role model. Your children look to you to learn how to deal with challenges and success, stress, time management, and above all your character through it all. They become masters at mimicry. What’s changed towards learning is my approach to the craft of being a student. I’m embracing it with open arms, albeit at times it’s easier said but to stay focused on what is to come, and the reasons for doing so, propels me forward.
When frustration comes up how do you be with it? What’s your course of action?
I find myself walking away for a moment. I’m not a quitter, I’ll never be a quitter, but to literally walk away and focus my mind on something else for about 5 minutes or less, then breathe, gain perspective, and try again has been part of my process. Coding at times is like the process of auditioning. For an audition, at least from my perspective, you first celebrate that you got the audition, prepare, rehearse, adjust, rehearse again, and then perform. Most of the time, your performance is the audition itself. If you get the job, you’re grateful, but you learn to let it go. You may spend a small amount of time reflecting on what went right, what you could’ve changed, but you can’t make it personal. You have to let it go and realize how much is not in your control, and take comfort that everything in your control is what you were fully prepared for. Ultimately though, the process is a part of the whole, and if you’re not enjoying the process, what’s the point?
Coding is similar in a lot of ways. The end result should be a project that you’re proud of, which involved more people than just yourself. You first celebrate what you’re about to create, you sketch a design, research and gain inspiration, and then you code or perform. Now while you’re told no probably countless times, don’t take it personally. It is indeed, after all, just a computer. You tell it what to do and how to behave. The trick is learning how to get it to understand you. So, let it go. Then, reflect upon what you’ve done right, what you need to change, and then start again. Through it all though, enjoy the work and pay attention to what it can teach you.
Why should we teach to the whole person rather than to just a skill set? What benefits are there to this method?
Almost everything we encounter was placed there by someone else and they didn’t do it on their own. In an age where we long to connect with others and do so through technology, we sometimes forget that our innate need is to make a meaningful connection with someone else. However, we’ve put the attention on the app itself, rather than what the app is supposed to help us do. Therefore, when working with others, you’ve got to develop a sense of respect for the person as a whole rather than just what their skills may be. In the words of Ernest Hemingway, “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” This trait of paying attention to others is infectious within any successful arts program. Any actor you see that’s worth a damn knows also how to build a set, hem a costume, create a makeup design, or clean a theatre. They’re there for the experience and work tirelessly in doing so. Most run their own theatres. They’re extraordinary people.
As a teacher of the arts, I’ve learned that if you’re not teaching to the whole person then you’re simply not teaching. It’s not until you connect with your students as human beings, with understanding and listen completely, that you will find they are capable of so much more than a specific skill. This ultimately creates an environment that people want to be a part of. It means something to them because they are appreciated for being there, and in turn are willing to learn. I hope that this approach becomes a standard for most start-ups and corporations when training their team members.
How do you feel about your upcoming project? What do you anticipate while working with a classmate?
I hope that all cohorts have a group as good as mine, I really do. We have a great group of people that come from all walks of life, but we all seem to have the same goal: to create a piece of technology that can serve others. I’m looking forward to working with a classmate. Mainly because I’d like to see their approach towards their process and asking why. If it works for them, it might work for me, and the more that I can soak in and try out for myself, the better. I anticipate that I’ll be able to pick up a few tricks and techniques. I’m looking forward to it.
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” — Ernest Hemingway
What benefits will there be to working with someone else?
The benefits for me outweigh the costs. In fact, working with someone else is a necessity and anything worth doing involves a certain amount of collaboration. It’s ridiculous to think that you’re not collaborating even if working on a project by yourself. Whose code are you using when writing in any language? Certainly not your own.
Have you ever seen Sondheim’s Into the Woods? There’s the song between the Baker and his Wife entitled It Takes Two. Well, it takes two, or at the very least two, maybe twenty. But whatever the number is, to create an awesome project is a collaborative and equally participatory effort and something that everyone should be a part of.
What challenges could come with this partnership?
Ah, the challenges of teamwork. Shall we make a list? Unclear communication, the need to be in control, more than one person knowing that they don’t know anything but not admitting it, the need to be in control, time scheduling, conflict in personalities, and did I mention the need to be in control? All of this though can be partially solved by just listening to one another. Appreciating what each other brings to the table, and knowing that no one has to be in control. Leadership does not equal authority. Until next time…
