Tai Chi learning experiences: lessons in differentiation for the gifted

Sabine Sypré from Hoogbloeier® revised the article below from 2017 for us:

How a Tai Chi class can foster understanding for gifted students

Always seeking new challenges, I wanted to learn something completely new. Something non-cognitive, not about knowledge, but something to do, something physical. However, a new sport wasn't an option due to my experiences with competitive volleyball. A genuine sport with training and competition is no longer for me. I constantly push my limits because I don't easily give up, but my body can't handle it anymore. "Maybe yoga is something for you!" suggested a friend who has been taking yoga classes for years, but that didn't appeal to me because there wasn't enough movement. "It would be good to find more peace in your busy life," she added, but I wasn't interested. I had already completed a mindfulness course and found it beneficial, but yoga really didn't appeal to me.

I had just finished reading the book "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin, a former chess champion who suddenly quit chess and wanted to learn something completely new. Perhaps you know the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer", which is about Waitzkin's childhood when he discovers chess and becomes a junior champion? As a young adult, he immersed himself in tai chi and enjoyed being a beginner again. He documented his experiences in the book, focusing on how to learn something new. That's what the book is about: his learning process, his failures and perseverance, and how he also became an expert in martial arts and regained the world championship in tai chi.

This book encouraged me to get to know tai chi better, as I only knew it from movies where a group of people made graceful, slow movements in the park. I searched online and read that tai chi is an ancient Chinese wisdom aimed at achieving both physical and mental balance. "That sounds good," I thought and kept reading. There is a strong emphasis on observing and being aware of all sensations in our bodies. "It's similar to mindfulness, great!" I thought and continued surfing. There are different styles of tai chi, based on different forms. The forms, actually slow movements, are performed at a low pace and in a very relaxed manner, making them easy to learn and accessible to older and less athletic people. "Exactly what I need," I thought and signed up for a series of classes on Monday mornings, ideal for starting the workweek completely relaxed. I thought an hour and fifteen minutes of gentle movement each week would do me good.

Between beginners and advanced: Pitfalls of a slow learning process

During the first lesson, I found myself in a room with about fifteen people, mostly seniors. Many of them were retired and could come on Monday mornings. Some were already taking the beginner's course for the second time. The two instructors, a man and a woman, took the time to make us feel comfortable. We were supposed to learn the short form of the Yang style with 37 movements during this school year, averaging two movements per lesson. But in the first lesson, we didn't get to the movements yet. We learned abdominal breathing, relaxed standing, and the starting position. That was it. And now practice at home. "Yes, of course, I'll definitely do that," I said full of good intentions, but ultimately nothing came of it. No time, no space, didn't think about it.

So yes, back to class the next week and especially keep quiet when asked if you practiced a lot. But to my surprise, I remembered everything we had learned the previous week very well, unlike other people who, despite practicing, still needed repetition. So yes, the motivation to practice was not there at all. If we keep repeating everything so often in class, I don't even need to practice, it will work out anyway. And so it went on, lesson after lesson, without practicing and still keeping up. I think I practiced once, when I was alone at a conference, in my hotel room. I wasn't disturbed by any of my children and otherwise didn't have much to do between lectures. But that one time was enough to get through the next few lessons.

Until I missed one lesson at the end of the course. And the week after that, I didn't participate anymore. The number of movements became too much and in the last weeks, the final forms were taught faster to learn all 37 movements. Now I understood that I had fallen into the same trap that many gifted students also fall into. It was too easy in the beginning, it was offered way too slowly, there was endless repetition, in my opinion. Practicing was therefore not necessary. And at the moment it became serious, my motivation and enthusiasm significantly declined and I gave up. I haven't been to the last three lessons...

The needs of a fast learner: a lesson in adaptation and understanding

What did I need then? Firstly, a group of people who learn as quickly as I do. A facilitator who understood that. Less repetition. Definitely not repeating what I already mastered. A faster learning pace, teaching more than two movements per lesson. Encouragement to practice at home, but ensuring it doesn't come naturally without practice. Showing the entire form beforehand and continuously indicating its direction, instead of building up two movements at a time. Intermittently providing knowledge about tai chi, its history, differences, and similarities with other (martial) arts and meditation.

And that's what you, as a teacher, can learn from my story. Group children with the same level together for a subject (ability grouping). Understand gifted students. Eliminate all unnecessary repetition. Assess what they've already mastered and eliminate the practice of it (compacting). Let them learn at a faster pace (accelerating). Ensure the curriculum is more complex for them (deepening). Provide larger test packages. Encourage them to practice at home, but ensure they can't score well on the test if they haven't practiced. Outline where you want to go with the curriculum beforehand (top-down) and then build it step by step. Connect it with other subjects and associate it with other domains (broadening).

As for me... tai chi isn't for me. At least not in the way it was taught to me. Maybe someday... if the motivation returns.

Copyright © 2024 Sabine Sypré – All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other means, without prior written permission from the author. Sharing online is permitted provided the author is credited and a link to this article is included.