Friday

Instructor

At some stage, the serious student begins a lengthy teacher training program.It begins with helping out with the class: preparing the hall, registering new students, leading the qigong group, assisting junior students.
Next, they become involved with promoting the school and social networking.

If the student shows aptitude and a genuine interest in other people, they begin to learn how to break the syllabus down into digestible pieces.

The process of passing-on knowledge requires the student to re-think their own tai chi and examine how to explain things in a manner that makes sense to somebody else.
This takes time and necessitates the watchful guidance of a skilled master.

Eventually, syllabus design, lesson planning, class management and the dynamics of running a small business are considered.
In order to teach any subject, an instructor needs to fulfil certain requirements:

  1. Subject knowledge- the information the instructor plans to impart
     
  2. Experience
    - a good instructor should have at least 10,000 hours of practice behind them- at least 100 private lessons with the master
    - the instructor should be practicing (by themselves) more than 2 hours a day

     
  3. Teaching skills
    - the ability to explain things logically and thoroughly
    - reasoning
    - articulate
    - engaging
    - awareness
    - compassion
    - humour
    - patience
    - differentiation
    - time management

     
  4. A goal
    - aim, objective
    - purpose of the lesson

     
  5. A syllabus
    - defining the components that will enable a student to achieve the objective
    - a path leading to the knowledge
    - a scheme of work
    - how the student will proceed
     
  6. Topics
    - breakdown of the syllabus into modules of information
    - logical building blocks
    - small steps along the path
    - teach according to the students ability to learn
     
  7. Discrete lessons
    - a lesson is an opportunity to explore a given skill
    - examples must be provided
    - thought-provoking
    - stimulating
    - encourage enthusiasm and participation
    - engage the student
    - allow for different ability levels
     
  8. Proof
    - examinations, tests, grading
    - pressure-testing
    - an increasing scale of hardship

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