The following information is published with ROUNDALAB's permission from the ROUNDALAB Reference Manual compiled by Richard & Jo Ann Lawson, 1987.

Comments on Feedback Questionnaire

Just as we were wrapping up the last issue of the JOURNAL, we received a letter from Charlie and Edith Capon - too late to publish. However, the subject is not dated, and we are pleased to include that letter in this issue.

I read with considerable interest the "Feedback Questionnaire" article in the last JOURNAL. I have used that technique in other areas of training with success. However, we have found that written feedback from students and dancers in our classes and clubs tends to be overly complimentary. Such feedback tends to build the teacher's ego rather than helping him or her to improve his or her teaching and selection of material. It can very easily keep the teacher from improving.

My successful use of the written feedback technique has been where the group is so large and time together so short that it is not possible to develop any kind of friendly relationship between the instructor and students. Even then I have found that the favorable comments must be discounted, as very few students have sufficient teaching expertise to be able to provide useful comment. A Round Dance Teacher who is unable to develop a friendly relationship with each member of the class will probably have an unusually high drop-out rate. Round Dance teachers are fortunate in that we are in the best possible position to develop this relationship. We are down on the floor with the students during most of our teaching. We are a part of the group.

If we have the necessary sensitivity, there is no need for written feedback. We should know immediately when a student has not learned. For if the student is not learning, the teacher is not really teaching. To wait until we are one-third, half way, or two-thirds through the class is too late. Problems must be solved when they occur. Otherwise, we lose the student. If our method of presenting anything fails with any student, then we must have the knowledge to present that element in a different way. Our students will not let themselves fail. They will quit first.

Round Dancers are basically kind and considerate. They enjoy Round Dancing, or they wouldn't continue. They are very good at expressing their pleasure and, conversely, very slow to criticize. Our contribution to that pleasure consists of teaching them the basics of dancing, selecting the dances, and assisting the dancers as they learn the sequence. Our contribution is small as compared with the composer of the music, the musicians and technicians who recorded the music, and the choreographer who developed the sequence. We need to always be aware of the fact that the compliments we receive and the obvious pleasure of the dancers belong primarily to others.

ROUNDALAB has developed an outstanding Code of Ethics. It behooves all of us in the profession to evaluate all of our actions and motives against that Code. It would be great for the activity. It would improved our teaching. It would reduce our drop-out rate for Round Dancers, who are also sensitive - sensitive to the professionalism of their teachers. They may not be aware of the Code of Ethics, but they do expect greatness in their leaders. We are their principal leaders. We cannot abdicate that responsibility, nor can we ask them to tell us when or where we have failed.

Roundalab Journal, May, 1984