Dr Christopher J Smith
Associate Professor & Chair of Musicology; Director of the Vernacular Music Center & the TTU Celtic
Ensemble
gatha: a set of practices
gatha exercise
Who do you want to be as a teacher?
What life do you want to
live?
How do we lead a life:in which teaching, research, and service;
in which body and mind; in which work and play;
in which solitude, friends, colleagues, and family, all occupy a healthy, integrated, constructive, fully-realized
continuum?
In which we make positive impact in the world?
Integrate: action and contemplation,
effort and intuition, listening and speaking,teaching and learning.
Recognize the value in creating constructive mental, psychological and
even spiritual spaces.
Emphasize processes over results.
Transmit skills over data.
Develop focus & concentration: single-
tasking
Trusting the old ways: demonstration-imitation-critique,
memorization, teaching with the body
Model a way to be in the world: conduct, integrity,
focus, mutual respect,
boundaries, effort,
precision
Balance work dynamics: leader/sideman/collaborator
, Group/individual,
the 5% rule
Accept responsibility: space,
excellence, leadership,
conduct, empathy,
rigor
the gatha exercise
Thank you!
Dr Christopher J Smithhttp://ttuvmc.org