Christine’s article on determining a student’s learning style got me thinking of my own way of assimilating information when I’m learning a new skill. As I read her article, I saw myself in the “frustrated” students she described. I am a very strong kinesthetic learner, but fortunately, I also am also a visual learner. I say fortunately because I haven’t encountered many coaches/instructors (in a variety of sports) who are skilled in delivering effective kinesthetic cues that have helped me improve my technique. This could simply be due to the trainer’s lack of education and understanding of how the body works, or it could simply be an excessively high bar I’ve set. That is admittedly unfair; I can’t expect everyone to have a degree in exercise science or kinesiology in order to be a good coach!
2013-06-02
I’m very surprised that I had never stumbled upon this post before. This speaks to me, my learning and teaching style, Jen. I, also, am a kinesthetic learner and have never examined that in depth before. It’s amazing to read the similarities that we share which only leads me back to the same questions about this subject that you have. HA! I will say that I’m really pleased that this post is out there and that it finally made me aware that I have been learning and teaching through this method but it had always made me feel like an oddball with an extra “sense” that not many students will even seem to need during class. This may be what has become my “purple cow” over the years though! (A little tip-of-the-cap to Haley Perlus there too.) Thank you!
Thanks Laurel! I love it when I find someone as kinesthetically geeky as me! 😉
I don’t think of myself as a kinaesthetic learner but a knowledge of anatomy apparently changed that. A couple of years ago I decided to learn to skate. I got stuck in the Tweens class – here in Canada almost everyone learns to skate when they are tiny kids. They assigned a teenager to teach the class. When she got to me and gave me her description of what i should be doing I would ask “What muscles will I be using to do that? What is the sequence of muscles?” She was flummoxed and I was stymied. Without the muscle piece of the puzzle I couldn’t proceed. I now make references to the muscles that perform each of the movements I describe and draw. Based on my experience, that will help anyone who has a passing knowledge of anatomy and muscle and skeletal function.