A really great instructor

[Ceicei]

The instructor also has to be a people person, if you give off the slightest bit of ego while teaching you can make some students nervous or afraid of you, which will slow there learning process graetly and cause them to mess up from being so nervous around you. YOur students have to feel like you are there good friend, someone they can relax around, and learn from. Thats what being a good teacher is all about.

I agree. It is hard to learn when anxiety exists. Knowing how to reduce anxiety to the point that learning can be done or teaching a student how to manage anxiety is a great skill for an outstanding instructor.

- Ceicei

 

[TigerWoman]

Ceicei, I don't think the dictionary covers all the meaning of what an instructor is or what a teacher is.

My point was there are two extremes. One is pure knowledge...this is what you do, show it and then you are on your own. If you don't get "it" in that 10 sec., good luck. It is up to the student to figure it out what they need. These students have an "instructor" but he doesn't want to make sure and become personally responsible that you "get it".

The other is the teacher, not necessarily a mentor which is more involved, but a person interested in your progress, your well-being, giving you the missing details as "in making the stance to work" and as I described previously.

Both types of "instructor/teachers" exist and some willingly turn it off and on for whatever students they favor. That's what this distinction is. TW

 

[Ceicei]

Ceicei, I don't think the dictionary covers all the meaning of what an instructor is or what a teacher is.

My point was there are two extremes. One is pure knowledge...this is what you do, show it and then you are on your own. If you don't get "it" in that 10 sec., good luck. It is up to the student to figure it out what they need. These students have an "instructor" but he doesn't want to make sure and become personally responsible that you "get it".

The other is the teacher, not necessarily a mentor which is more involved, but a person interested in your progress, your well-being, giving you the missing details as "in making the stance to work" and as I described previously.

Both types of "instructor/teachers" exist and some willingly turn it off and on for whatever students they favor. That's what this distinction is. TW

I respect your definitions. I do think there are bad teachers out there just as well as there are bad instructors.

For me, I see little difference in the meaning of teacher/instructor as neither truly define time involvement put in by the person. Perhaps it may be because I used to teach in college and thus called an "instructor". I also used to teach in high school and called a "teacher". Is my personal investment with my students any less with either designation? I worked hard to try to be a good one, whether as a teacher or instructor.

I don't think an instructor means anything less than a teacher. What I would look at are the characteristics and qualifications regardless of what they're called.

- Ceicei

 

[TigerWoman]

I get your point. I have seen alot of teachers in high school and college who just give out the work and put down the grades too. Very few probably have the time to give individual attention, even if they cared. I applaud those that do care.

But then when a black belt gets the title of "instructor" or master instructor and doesn't choose to teach those that evidently need it, for whatever reason, we should have another name for that. Maybe distructor, because the student soon leaves and has a poor view of that martial art. TW

 

[Ceicei]

Distructor. I like your definition.

- Ceicei

 

[kenpo tiger]

Our teacher/instructor/mentor fits all of the definitions put forward in this thread. He does not, however, choose to share the really private portion of his life with us, which is fine with me. I understand that in some traditional martial arts it is an honor to be part of your master's family, but that doesn't always work for everyone. My tkd instructor socialized with us for a while, until he found his aerobics ladies more, uh, interesting. Better to remain slightly apart, except for when it matters, which is during our time together on the mat. KT

 

[Ceicei]

Our teacher/instructor/mentor fits all of the definitions put forward in this thread. He does not, however, choose to share the really private portion of his life with us, which is fine with me. I understand that in some traditional martial arts it is an honor to be part of your master's family, but that doesn't always work for everyone. My tkd instructor socialized with us for a while, until he found his aerobics ladies more, uh, interesting. Better to remain slightly apart, except for when it matters, which is during our time together on the mat. KT

I suppose it is important to maintain some form of distance to keep the teacher/student relationship. It isn't really an equal relationship anyway and the difference is even more so when age is a factor (kid/adult). Sometimes, though, it can be a good thing to understand a little of the teacher's background so that it is easier to relate when learning/teaching.

- Ceicei

 

[kenpo tiger]

CeiCei,

I agree with you about knowing some of your teacher/instructor's background. Our instructor does tell us enough - who he trained with and so on, but not too much, which is fine. He's a really really good person and concerned about our well-being as well as our acquisition of kenpo knowledge. The only fault I would possibly find with him is that he's too nice and too giving so some people do take advantage of him. KT

 

[OC Kid]

As a Instructor I find I have to keep on learning. new techniques, about different systems and ways of reaching my students. I tell them that I can teach them but I cant make them learn. I can disicpline them in my class, I can have them be respectful of people seniors and other students in my class.

What I am NOT is a psychologist. I cant help you with your marital problems or your kids problems. I cant make your kids do better in school or be more respectful. I have them for a few hours a week. The parents have them the majority of the time. I cant keep them off drugs, I cant choose their friends. I cant help you with your financial problems, I cant make you or your kids come to class. I will not promote them to make them feel good about theirselves unless they know the required material.
I can only spend so much time with you in class and I try to make it equal. I do however spend a little more time with the ones that need more. I cant make them practice on their own at home. I cant give them a good diet to make them loose weight or change their attitudes.
I just teach martial arts. If they learn some of those things in course of training thats great. but I am not their preacher or their parent.

 

[DoxN4cer]

How do you define a really great instructor? Knowledge and skill in the respective martial arts is, of course, a necessity but that alone is not what makes a great instructor. What else? What qualities do you notice in those outstanding instructors? List them here, please, and any anecdotes/kudos would be good too!!

- Ceicei

Three things...

Integrity, Integrity and Integrity

 

[Insedia_Cantharis]

Our instructor has no negative ego, tries to understand our points, and love what he does.

 

[Ceicei]

Our instructor has no negative ego, tries to understand our points, and love what he does.

Ummm. Interesting. I haven't heard of "negative ego". That would be the same as being self-centered, wouldn't it? Is there such a thing as "positive ego" and would that be comparable to personal pride/confidence?

- Ceicei

 

[MisterMike]

Negative ego is what most of us think of when we say "That guy/gal has a big ego."

Positive ego is what helps you get things done. It's your motivation although probably not a common psych term.

 

[Ceicei]

Any more stories of great instructors/teachers/mentors out there? What did you see that makes them great?

- Ceicei

 

[kempojack]

In a word flexibility. By this I don't mean he can do the splits. What I mean is no two students learn in the same way or at the same pace. A good instructor has to be able to recognize this in each of his students and adapt his teaching methods to make the learning process as easy as possible for each individual student.

 

[Ceicei]

In a word flexibility. By this I don't mean he can do the splits. What I mean is no two students learn in the same way or at the same pace. A good instructor has to be able to recognize this in each of his students and adapt his teaching methods to make the learning process as easy as possible for each individual student.

Ah, yes, I agree. Flexibility defined this way is an extremely important skill.

- Ceicei

 

[MichiganTKD]

An Instructor could very likely be the person who leads class every night and signs your certificates. However, a teacher is the one who is responsible for your growth in and out of class.
So what are the characteristics of a good teacher? In my opinion, there are several that stand out:
1. Genuine love of the art. Much like a salesman, you must believe in your product to effectively teach it. The day your art loses that importance and just becomes an activity is the day you cease to be a true teacher.
2. Recognizes that the welfare of students comes before any money you make off of Tae Kwon Do or any art. Instructors who use martial arts to enrich their wallets, and they are numerous, are a dime a dozen. They are also the ones who help give Tae Kwon Do a black eye. My Instructor on numerous occasions has taken testing and other fees and put them toward expenses like plane tickets to fly guest Instructors in, phone bills from calling Instructors overseas, dinner for his students and guests etc. In other words, instead of making money off his students, he used the money in ways that helped the organization. He has not become rich from Tae Kwon Do.
3. Has maintained ties with his Instructor rather than breaking away the first chance he got to create his own style or make money off Tae Kwon Do himself, or breaking away then rejoining. His Instructor, Mr. Uhm, has demanded strict adherance to traditional Tae Kwon Do etiquette and protocol. The easy thing to do would be to say "screw this, I'm in America-I'm doing things my way." Instead, he listened to and followed his Instructor, and gave his students opportunities they would never otherwise have.
4. Finally, he has cultivated a love of Tae Kwon Do as a Way of Life in his own students, rather than reducing it to sport or mere physical activity.

Because of all he has done for us, I have never sought learning elsewhere because I felt I was lacking something in his organization or in Tae Kwon Do in general.

 

[shesulsa]

KSN Carmen Gallino is a really great instructor. :asian:

 

[Ceicei]

KSN Carmen Gallino is a really great instructor. :asian:

How was she a really great instructor? What is it about her that defines her as being great?

- Ceicei

 

[evenflow1121]

I once had an instructor (passed away) who always wanted us students to eventually become better than him, yes he would drill us and drill us, but there was a method to his madness. His philosophy was based on that the most important thing should be the system or style not his accomplishments or ours, or any of the sort, but the system, and in order for the system to evolve and continue; his philosophy was that the student must eventually and through hard work and many years become better than the teacher and so on. Well, I obviously have not superseded him and am very, very far from it, but I like that particular quality, the fact that an instructor understands that the most important thing is that the system survives another generation and becomes stronger with each passing generation.