This workshop will challenge participants to explore their identity as an educator and their relationship with the method of Team-Based Learning.

John Coltrane’s piece “Giant Steps” has been called the “most feared song in jazz”—even skilled musicians find its fast tempo and unusual, complex structure challenging. Success with “Giant Steps” requires significant technical skill, theoretical knowledge, and resilience, making it a rite of passage for many jazz musicians. Similarly, the structure of Team-Based Learning can be challenging for both educators and learners. Jazz musicians and TBL facilitators alike encounter uncertainty, complexity, and change while practicing their craft.

This workshop will use different musicians’ approaches to “Giant Steps” as a vehicle for exploring parallels between the relationship improvisational musicians have to an unprecedentedly difficult piece of music, and the relationship of effective facilitation to TBL. Developing metacognition and adopting a growth mindset will help educators develop strategies for fearlessness, resilience, and engaged teaching. These skills can foster environments that support learners as they navigate the uncertainty, complexity, and resilience-building that is part and parcel of TBL. This workshop is appropriate for educators with any level of experience with TBL; no prior knowledge of jazz or music theory is necessary.