Thread: Handouts- do you or dont you?

Do you provide handouts in class and what do they contain? I sometimes make notes when I have held workshops, for example rythm and zill workshops.

I never write down choreography when I make it so for me to find a good way to do this would take some time. I encourage my students to make their own notes and also they are free to videotape choreo.

I have never had students complaining about not having handouts for them, but I now have one student who is asking me for this. I feel it´s just too darn much work to do this for one student. Am I being lazy or is it OK to say no?

I provide handouts for taster sessions for raw beginners, and also handouts for the first four weeks of beginners class. After that, I encourage them to take notes and find their own resources. As to choreographies, I write them all down, otherwise I wouldn't remember them. I give choreography handouts if I'm teaching that choreography in a workshop or class situation.

The taster session handout has a bullet point list of "reasons to learn belly dance", i.e. all the benefits, a smattering of the geography, the history and the music (to dispel a few myths), and then a little about the movement types (percussive, lyrical, travelling, layered).

In the four subsequent handouts I give them more info on the moves, the different styles of bellydance, with pics of typical costuming, a list of music recommendations to get them going on the right track (pardon the pun!), and a list of video recommendations (hoping that they won't go off and buy one of the god-awful ones out there and ruin what I'm teaching them!).

But if you don't want to do handouts then that's entirely up to you! I don't think I've ever been given a handout apart from at some workshops, and sometimes a written choreo in class.

There are so many ways to find out about stuff, perhaps if you just gave her a list of good internet resources (bhuz perhaps?!), she can go and find out her own info.

I always do handouts. Besides giving them much needed information, it makes the students feel like they are getting more out of the class and that the instructor has put some thought into it. I know I feel that way.
As for choreo, I want my students to have an accurate description of the dance, plus I want them to know how I scribe my movements.

I use handouts for my beginners with basic info, videos and other resources,choreography, their movement vocabulary and notes before their show. I've had good success with uploading them to google docs, publishing them to the web and then emailing the link to my students. But no detailed notes for my intermediates.

However, if not doing notes works best for your teaching style and your classes, then don't do it. Tell her to bring a notebook and take notes.

Freddie, she is not asking for handouts concerning info om styles, music, costuming etc. She has a hard time remembering choreo, and wants me to write it down for her. I am a firm believer of finding our own way of memorizing choreo and think that it would really be more useful for her to do it herself, then having me do it for her.

Since I don´t write down any of my stuff I feel that it would take me forever to find a way to do it in a way that makes sence.

I give them plenty of info on everything else and also give them guidance on where to fins more on the internet. So this is just about giving choreo handouts and the fact that written down choreo never worked for me, making me believe that we all learn differently and it´s the best that every student makes her own system.

I give handouts in most my classes . . . .well -- I post handouts on our Yahoo group site for everything but beginner classes. Beginners get hard copy. The rest can download or not -- up to them.

Originally Posted by katja

Freddie, she is not asking for handouts concerning info om styles, music, costuming etc. She has a hard time remembering choreo, and wants me to write it down for her. I am a firm believer of finding our own way of memorizing choreo and think that it would really be more useful for her to do it herself, then having me do it for her.

Since I don´t write down any of my stuff I feel that it would take me forever to find a way to do it in a way that makes sence.

I give them plenty of info on everything else and also give them guidance on where to fins more on the internet. So this is just about giving choreo handouts and the fact that written down choreo never worked for me, making me believe that we all learn differently and it´s the best that every student makes her own system.

Well in that case, fair enough, we all have different ways of noting them down, and video is probably best anyway.

I can't manage without some sort of choreo notation. In fact I do two versions - the comprehensive version and then the pared-down "cues only" version, which I print off and tuck in my cd thingy with the music. I have the memory span of a goldfish.

I do give choreo handouts - I've only once not done so because the dance was so long and intricate I couldn't notate it - but that's because I like to write them out for myself. I also encourage students to write their own notes, because of the issue that my notation may not make sense to them. I also allow students to videotape myself doing the choreo so they can practice at home. I provide them with a copy of the music.

And still, one or two will complain that, somehow, they can't remember the choreo. Honestly!

Point being, you can give everything you've got and still not satisfy a student who's not prepared to take responsibility for their own learning.

However, it is good if you can try to impart the info in a way that helps the students remember it. So choreo notes are good for those that learn by them. But if it's really too hard for you to write your own notes (and I can understand that), perhaps you can let the studio video you instead?

I usually do handouts on specific things like styles, zills, rhythms, props because I want them to retain the information more long term and I have found that they tend to do so better in my classes if they have a dance notebook. The handouts are not always long or comprehensive, but they do serve as reminders and the students generally take their own notes as well. I will sometimes do handouts for combinations, but usually leave those up to the students unless very complicated.

I always do handouts for choreography as some students learn better when they have written materials and I prefer that they use my written materials for choreography (with their own notes) to be sure they have not missed anything.

Without handouts I find that even when students are taking notes they may not consider the same things important that I do. For example, in a class on Ghawazee style we worked at length on modifying arms positions and the specific versions of the shimmies that are common in Ghawazee. The next week one of my students asked a question during a break and I asked to look at her notes with her so we could see how she wrote it to clarify. 2 pages of notes....1 mention of "different shimmies." When I make a handout I can make sure they at least have a basic list of what I am considering important to know going forward.

It is up to the individual teacher, though. If you don't like having or making handouts, I think it would be best to just have a stated class policy that you don't give them and that each student is responsible for their own notes. (Though you would probably need at least 1 handout so you don't have to announce that in ever class and can just give the handout to any new students when they sign up.)

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise? I've found that gathering my thoughts for handouts helped organize my plans, concepts, methods, goals. Dare I say it? Students are basically la... (oh no she didn't!) that is, they are BUSY - so they can't spend a lot of TIME figuring out their dance class material by memory. They want it handed to them (literally LOL).

Originally Posted by katja

Do you provide handouts in class and what do they contain? I sometimes make notes when I have held workshops, for example rythm and zill workshops.

I never write down choreography when I make it so for me to find a good way to do this would take some time. I encourage my students to make their own notes and also they are free to videotape choreo.

I have never had students complaining about not having handouts for them, but I now have one student who is asking me for this. I feel it´s just too darn much work to do this for one student. Am I being lazy or is it OK to say no?

funny, i am teaching at my annual week end in santa cruz ca.this weekend.
i sometimes hand things out, but found that what makes sense to one is a big huh to others.
i am trying to list 9/8 steps for ending in a caberet set.just do not see that what i write, is going to light up any brain bulbs.

I give new beginners a series of handouts for the first few weeks - cultural background, moves we will cover etc.

For choreography I give out the handouts some weeks after we start - ie I try and get it into the body first and encourage students to make their own notes. Without doing the classes it wouldn't teach you how to do the dance -apart from my own terminology it is mostly notes on weight, which foot goes and arm positions.

i used to give handouts till i realised students werent looking at them. then it just seemed like a waste of paper.

aasiyah, i hold your thought!

As a student, I prefer to have handouts - especially of the choreographies that are taught. It helps when it comes to practice time at home.

I used to give handouts, and I have given it up because:

1. They were being "outsourced" for use in another teacher's classes
2. Students would not read/study them
3. I feel it's important for the student to develop good note-taking abilities.


When I take students to a workshop, I don't want them to have to rely on the instructor to give them notes. First because usually the notes don't REALLY make sense other than to the person who wrote them, and second because at some point you have to rely on and improve your OWN powers of observation to learn this dance. That's how we learn to learn from performances.


Teachers, if you are using handouts, I recommend you put your name or school name all throughout the pages to make it hard for someone to copy your handouts and pass them out as their own. For the few handouts I DO give out, I am now using a 30% screened image of our Evansville Bellydance logo going up the side of every page underneath the text, and pretty much every paragraph starts "We at Evansville Bellydance ...." That way if the student wants to "Steal" my handouts, she'll at least have to retype them in order to pass them off as her own :) lol.

As a student, I appreciate handouts. I also think that instructors who give handouts come across as more thorough and more prepared. I keep a binder of all my dance information, including handouts, and I do refer to them. Different people have different learning styles, and I find having written material works well with my learning style. I think the strongest teachers are aware of various learning styles and they attempt to address them, where possible.

Yes, I can (and do) take my own notes, but it's not always desirable or practical to stop repeatedly during a one-hour class to make notes. Handouts help me to make better use of the limited class time.

Originally Posted by aziyade

Teachers, if you are using handouts, I recommend you put your name or school name all throughout the pages to make it hard for someone to copy your handouts and pass them out as their own. For the few handouts I DO give out, I am now using a 30% screened image of our Evansville Bellydance logo going up the side of every page underneath the text, and pretty much every paragraph starts "We at Evansville Bellydance ...." That way if the student wants to "Steal" my handouts, she'll at least have to retype them in order to pass them off as her own :) lol.

I do this. I have my logo watermarked on the sheet as well as my name and contact information on the top and bottom with copyright information. It's a good idea - I have had mine stolen before, but a quick legal email usually takes care of it. ..g.:

Originally Posted by Shalimah

As a student, I appreciate handouts. I also think that instructors who give handouts come across as more thorough and more prepared. I keep a binder of all my dance information, including handouts, and I do refer to them. Different people have different learning styles, and I find having written material works well with my learning style. I think the strongest teachers are aware of various learning styles and they attempt to address them, where possible.

Yes, I can (and do) take my own notes, but it's not always desirable or practical to stop repeatedly during a one-hour class to make notes. Handouts help me to make better use of the limited class time.

Totally agree. A good teacher tries to cater to each of the different learning styles.

As a teacher I do give handouts - what the students chose to do with them is up to them. But at least they can't come back and tell me I didn't teach, tell or do such and such when I've explained it (for the auditory learners), demonstrated (for the visual learners) and walked them through it (for the kinesthetic learners) and then handed it to them in black & white for future reference (for reminders and recall).

As a student I do write my own notes but I also appreciate handouts for the same reasons as above: it strikes me that the teacher is thorough and prepared. Re choreography - even better when the handout lists the time/combo section with room for the student to make their own annotations and notes which does help with memorization and better recall later.

Just my 2 cents worth.

I have had someone "steal" my notes, too, and it really stinks. Granted, it wasn't something copyrighted, but it was a culmination of years of careful note-taking, listening to rhythms, and writing out zill patterns, and now someone else is using it. I can't accuse her because she could have done the work herself, but I know she didn't.


But that doesn't change how I give out my stuff. If I am a teacher, I am hired to impart knowledge, not hold on to it. And it's not like I am the only one who plays zills to 9/8 or the other rhythms I worked on. I just never knew of anyone to have such meticulous notes as I do.

Originally Posted by Bellybabe

As a teacher I do give handouts - what the students chose to do with them is up to them. But at least they can't come back and tell me I didn't teach, tell or do such and such when I've explained it (for the auditory learners), demonstrated (for the visual learners) and walked them through it (for the kinesthetic learners) and then handed it to them in black & white for future reference (for reminders and recall).

I agree with the above completely!

I give handouts of choreography notes *but* they are not comprehensive. Usually, on the advice of my teacher, I'll only give the notes out *after* the class has completed learning the piece, but I have one or two students who absolutely *have* to have some kind of written notes or they can't remember, so I've begun handing out a little earlier. They are encouraged to write all over their own copy, clarifying things for themselves in their own way.

Notes will have things written on them like "curtsey pose" or "Denise combo" which means nothing to anyone who hasn't been in class. OTOH my own notes are a lot more detailed, but they're also probably only comprehensible to me.

When I give handouts its usually in an vague outline form. This way people who have the need to SEE it, can see the basics. Many people also learn simply from the act of writing something down, especially in their own words. So I leave room for note taking.
I know other teachers who have had issues with students taking their stuff verbatim and teaching it very soon afterward (as opposed to developing accumulated knowledge over years of education and experience and then sharing their own earned knowledge)...the watermark idea is great!

I give out little half-page fliers with info on where I'll be dancing, where to see dancing, festivals and such at the first or second class of a session. I include everything coming up during that session and, if I have space, events in the near future.

I keep saying I'm going to do a "Welcome to BD" full-page flyer with my contact info, some cultural info, resources, etc. We'll see how far I get with it in time for my mid-May-start classes . . .

Deborah

I've given out handouts with basic technique for beginners and choreo for intermediates. It really helps those with bad memories to practice at home, or to come to class and know what we're doing. The only problem I found was that initially, given that we don't have standard names for many of the moves we do (reverse psoas cha cha turn anyone?), class time was being taken up with people wanting me to deconstruct my notes "excuse me, what does the reverse psoas cha cha turn mean?".

This can take the 'flow' out of the lesson, and often it's just one student with a pen wanting it broken downn to annotate in that moment, and the others don't need/want the info, and we're often working on something else.

So now I have a rule that I don't want to spend class time deconstructing my note sheets when I have a plan to get us through the whole choreo. I give time in class for people to get the choreo sheets out and write notes on them.

As a student, I really appreciate having choreo notes. We tend to receive them after learning some of the choreo, and I use them as a reference to make my own notes. If I tried to write it down I'd be spending more time in class writing things down than dancing, and if I attempt to write it down after class I'd write something wrong.

So I mark up my notes if I need to and they are extremely helpful when I need to refresh a choreo - I may have been practicing it wrong, or little changes were made to accomodate staging with another student...and then I feel stupid for having to be corrected because I didn't check my notes!

(Yes, I do see the flaw in there. I always forget to check the notes first!)

I like to have notes given to me and then I write all over them to clarify what doesn't make sense to me. I have only gotten choreo notes at workshops and they are some times written in a way that I don't understand them but after going through it a few times in the class I can write it down or add what I need.

All that said....I don't expect it. I learn best by doing anyway and the notes are just if I get stuck and can't remember the next move. Perhaps just give her basic notes such as "4 camels for 8 counts ending in a hip drop, three step turn" that type of thing. And if you don't want to, don't. Just tell her that you don't make notes and making them just for her would be too difficult. Perhaps after class you could run it down verbally with her and let her write it down.

I usually only give movement handouts to my senior class gals who are only with me for the November to March classes. It gives them something to remind them of what we did, some of the warm up/cool down and basic moves. The handouts never cover everything we did over the winter but give them enough to be able to practice a bit when they are at home for the summer.
My evening classes don't typically get handouts other than lists of places they can find music/gear on-line because they certainly can't find those things locally. I will give handouts with the occational choreography, but if they want notes on what we do in class from week to week they need to either go home and write down what they remember right away, or bring paper and pen to class to take notes. I will happily stay however late so they can ask questions for their notes after class. I've found this works out best for me, I'm not wasting paper on handouts that get lost/tossed/forgotten and they put things in terms that make sense to them which means they will get more out of their notes later on.

ya habibaiti Katja!

I wrote 3 books and elimintated the need for hand-outs in general. Along with our notation system - there is no excuse for "not getting it" lol.

I do hand outs in certain workshops and I have some general hand-outs available on our website in PDF format for people to print out.

I feel that students need to have the dedication and discipline enough to write their OWN NOTES....I mean, how spoon fed do they need to be? You are an excellent teacher and dancer - no reason for you to sit and increase your work load unless you are going to make your "notes" widely available. (Write a book, come on, write a book! lol).

DaVid

Thanks ya´ll for the input! I find that hand outs seem to be more common in the US. I have never gotten handout from anyone except Samasem.

And DaVid, Thanks I´m with you here, I feel that I am available to my students as far as asking questions, I do stay a while after class, and I truly feel that every students needs to find their own way of remembering. And also I believe they will remember better if they do the work themselves.