'Whatever you do, don't deliver the line....'

 'Whatever you do, don't deliver the line....'

 

in memory of Richard Penny

 

It was some years ago, when my friend, Richard, was involved in a theatre production in London, that he told me about the rehearsals for that show.  And he mentioned how the director was demonstrating to him how to deliver a line.  At the same time, he (Richard) thought fiercely 'Don't deliver the line'.  I hadn't heard this expression before, but it was clearly an idea familiar to Richard, who included acting and theatre in his many accomplishments and experience.

 

So, what he was trying to convey, as I understand it, was that the director should describe how they wanted the line eg more quietly/ fiercely/ whatever, but not actually model saying it.  At the time, it didn't mean that much to me, but I have pondered it over the years, and the way he spoke of it as a known thing not to do.

 

And it came back to me last week when I was preparing some work with a colleague.  We didn't know each other already, have our own different (demanding) schedules, and haven't worked together before.  So, deciding who would take responsibility for which part, and how much, and how much we'd develop what we were going to say together or independently had to be negotiated.

 

We did have instructions as to what the module team was looking for.  My colleague kindly shared a suggested joint presentation - and we'd notionally agreed that they would deliver the first half, and I the second half.  I decided to wait to look at it while I got clear on what my own ideas and perspective were.  This took quite a while, and I was concerned that my colleague was waiting for me to come back to them.  As my preparation, I wanted to finish off some somewhat related marking, re-visit the relevant material from the module, look at current assignments, and our required task, and then dream in to how I might organise and present 'my half'.

 

I did (eventually) manage to do this, though feeling a little more stressed than I'd hoped because of worrying about meeting collegiate expectations on timing for commenting and discussing the sample they'd shared.  In the end, however, I was also glad that I'd done this, because I do realise that I need time to develop my own thoughts and ideas.  Considering those of others 'too soon' may make it then more difficult to consider how else to do it, or how I might have done it, without that input.  I find it helpful to acknowledge this, so as to keep this in mind during future such preparation and co-working.

 

Does anyone else have thoughts on this, and their own preferred, acknowledged process?

 

Having said the above, I do also find dialogue helpful, and both of us in this situation found it helpful to view how other colleagues had done the same task in a previous year.  I am also aware though that there are possible issues of plagiarism here.  At what point should one acknowledge ideas from another colleague?  Or ask them if it's OK to draw on it - even to view a recording of a previous learning event?

 

I think one of the issues is that teaching/ presenting isn't recognised in the academic world in the same way as research.  So, skills and results from research tend to reside with the writer/ owner.  (Though actually even here there are debates around whose they are - eg in the case of doctoral research workers and their supervisors, or junior researchers who may seem to do most of the actual work, but perhaps the idea coming from the senior researcher eg in a grant proposal).

 

I want to get this out before more time passes, but may add to it as time goes on - in the meantime, interested in others' views and experiences.

 

February 2023

 

 

Dr Catherine Scanlon

OU Tutor etc.

catherine@scanlon.me.uk

catherine.scanlon@open.ac.uk

 

#inspiration #creativity #ideas

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