Weird processing

kw: dreams, teaching methods

In the dream from which I just awoke, I was being questioned by an interviewer regarding my tutoring methods. I had been taking notes, and we were on question #8, "Do you use time-resistant tutoring methods?" I had answered, "No," and we were discussing just what methods I would use. I had referred to question #4, which referred to a scholarly work by Miller. I wonder, does anyone else have dreams with footnotes? Perhaps it was because I was using Zotero last evening.

As we spoke, I was reading back over my notes. I could see the notes on all eight questions in my dream, but now, when I close my eyes, I can only see a portion of the note regarding Miller. So, what is a "time-resistant tutoring method"?

As I recall, my interlocutor and I were discussing the kinds of subject matter that were best learned by rote memorization, such as times tables and historical series of events (and of course, their dates). Memorization is dependent on the diligence of the student. For other subjects that are more concept-based, the onus is on the tutor to repeat and repeat, in different ways, so as to make the subject matter memorable to the student.

But I realize that the reason I answered No to question #8 was that I didn't know what time-resistant methods are, and I still don't. I suppose they must have something to do with the latter method. I do recall instructors and tutors who were skilled at repeating a concept in various ways to help me fix it in my memory, and that must be the point.

Nonetheless, as it happens, I am not a tutor, my wife is. For that matter, so also is my son. But not me, unless private music instruction is considered tutoring. Aha! Now I have it. In two weeks I shall be conducting a 3-hour workshop in methods of photographic composition. I've been pondering what to teach, but subconsciously I've been worrying how to teach. This is a good point to help me prepare. Now, if there really is a reference on tutoring methods by someone named Miller, I'd better look it up!