assistance role

[Aiki Lee]

I was curious as to the thoughts of others when it comes to the role of a senior student assisting with instruction. In your opinion what are his duties, (provided the head instructor has given that person permission to teach of course) and how much time should be spent between progressing in one's own training as opposed to simply being there to coach?

 

[MJS]

I was curious as to the thoughts of others when it comes to the role of a senior student assisting with instruction. In your opinion what are his duties, (provided the head instructor has given that person permission to teach of course)

For me, it would usually depend on the rank of the person helping. Usually once you're around the green belt level, you start helping with classes. There were times when I'd have the helper do the warmups, stretching, punches and kicks. If we broke up into groups, they'd take a group and review requirement material with them. Sometimes I'd just have them review, and I'd move from group to group, doing the actual teaching of new material. Other times, I'd give the helper something to teach, and then make my way around the room, making corrections, helping with questions, etc.

and how much time should be spent between progressing in one's own training as opposed to simply being there to coach?

IMO, there needs to be an equal balance. I say this, because there was a time, when I would show up, with the intention of taking a class, and end up having to help. So, in the end, during that week, I'd average much more teaching time, and less of my own training time. This isn't right and will lead to burnout.

As I said, you need to balance things out. If you show up for a class, intending to be a 'student' rather than a teacher, you shouldn't have to help teach. When would you get your training time then?

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

The school should have classes specifically for high belt/blackbelt students so that those students can train. A bb or high belt class should be a smaller class than a regular class, thus should not need to have a single student dedicated to helping out.

If the school is large enough to have a bb class large enough to require a dedicated assistant, then the dojo cho should consider offering more than one bb class and work with his or her senior students to insure that they are training and not just assisting.

Daniel

 

[jks9199]

The role of a student assisting should be defined by the lead instructor. If I have a student teaching a subset of the class, I'll alternate them around so that they can participate in the class lesson as well. The material they're to teach should be defined. A brown belt preparing for black may well spend more time teaching; in my school, that's part of their lesson at that stage of their training. Otherwise... I may use a mid-rank student to teach a beginner while I start the main lesson or something like that -- but it's always under supervision. If you're feeling like you aren't getting training for all the coaching you're doing -- you need to discuss that with the lead instructor and head instructor (if they aren't the same person).

 

[tshadowchaser]

I have my students start learning to instruct after they have been with me a few months. I give them a task which they must instruct the rest of the class on and then I will let them know different or perhaps easier ways to do the job after I watch what they do.
At this time I have 4 students under green that each have a form the others do not have. All four will at some time in the next year have to instruct the rest of the class and teach them that form. Not only must they show the movement and moves but they must be able to interpert some of the moves that may have more than one use.
Yes, I expect mistakes when I have lower bels teach but how else will they learn.
Now as to my senior people I give them the class from time to time and sit in the back of the room and watch. Sometimes I tell them what I want taught and at other times I say "it's your class do what you want". I seldom leave the chair durring these lessons unless something strange pops up. I have even told one student he had the class for 3 months and he needed to get all of the students ready for their next test. I sat and watched and offered NO help unless it was after class and he asked me about a certian student or form. They all passed and I promoted him.

 

[Big Don]

At my school, we are expected to teach. "You want a Black Belt? Black Belts Teach." Some start earlier than others, some later, but, Brown Belts are required to teach 1 hour per week.
You never really know something until you have taught it.

 

[xJOHNx]

That's one of the benefits of a very small dojo (6 or so people each training, sometimes just 2). Half of us are white belt and the other half is Black belt.

So each training sessions is pretty heavy as we are expected to pick up the pace. It's a good pressure, as it helps us reach higher levels with a good motivation.
Also hurts like hell on occasions.

And since everybody knows each other so well, often we help eachother. When someone couldn't train, a white belt can inform a black belt about the techniques seen. No ego's there.
And the highest ranking belt is expected to train the others.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Our dojo is a young satellite dojo. The sempai and I have 9th kyu, and the rest are all white belts.

During class we are expected to be able to demonstrate and explain the techniques for the grades lower than us. for us this is a good thing, since it forces us to keep everything fresh in memory. We don't actually 'teach class' as such though.

 

[Drac]

I was curious as to the thoughts of others when it comes to the role of a senior student assisting with instruction. In your opinion what are his duties, (provided the head instructor has given that person permission to teach of course) and how much time should be spent between progressing in one's own training as opposed to simply being there to coach?

As I am an assistant instructor my duties vary..If we have new students I will watch and correct them during the stretching portion of the warm-ups to insure they are doing them correctly.Then I will assist by teaching the basics to them..If Master Steve assigns those duties to another student I will assist my correcting foot placement and reminders to breathe..If the student is picking it up quickly or there is no new students, I will then work on the techniques for the my next rank...

 

[MBuzzy]

I've had some personal problems with this one. At the school before I moved, I spent probably 95% of my time teaching and very very little training for myself. Of course, the normal adage applied, I would be told that it was my responsibility to learn the material. But as others have said, I was paying to go to a class and learn, not teach.

I spent over 2 years there and never increased my own knowledge, in fact, I should have been ready for my next rank and never was. I had to go to the other black belts to get them to show me things...but time was never devoted by the head instructor. I'm pretty upset about that style now because of one guy and one situation.

 

[chaos1551]

I'm pretty upset about that style now because of one guy and one situation.

It breaks my heart to hear that. I truly hope you can see past his taking advantage of you and use the experience to never let someone do that to you again. Also, you probably already know, but it's not the style's fault!

 

[MBuzzy]

It breaks my heart to hear that. I truly hope you can see past his taking advantage of you and use the experience to never let someone do that to you again. Also, you probably already know, but it's not the style's fault!

Of course not, and I know that. There are a lot of flaw in the organization though that allow these things to happen. As much as I DISAGREE with standardization, control over things like this should be tighter and the terrible rank perception that people have going complicates things.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I was curious as to the thoughts of others when it comes to the role of a senior student assisting with instruction. In your opinion what are his duties, (provided the head instructor has given that person permission to teach of course) and how much time should be spent between progressing in one's own training as opposed to simply being there to coach?

You learn a lot by trying to teach.
Sean

 

[tshadowchaser]

One must always find time to learn new materail and have the time to work on it. Head instructors should realise that they need to keep their students (all of them) progressing and learning.
Teaching dose help one learn and should be encouraged but never at the expence of negleting to futher train those you have instructing under you

 

[Aiki Lee]

Sorry to raise a dead thread back from the grave, but after re-reading all these comment and having a year go by I thought i had something new to add.

My instructor has an injury that prevents him from teaching certain things (or being able to demonstate them anyway), and because of that my fellow sandans and I are stepping up more. I like doing it, because as some of these posts point out teaching helps me learn, and within the next year or so me and my main training partner are going to open our own club in another city, so the experience is needed.

If come to the conclusion that if i can't teach it to a child, then I don't really know it that well.

 

[MJS]

Sorry to raise a dead thread back from the grave, but after re-reading all these comment and having a year go by I thought i had something new to add.

My instructor has an injury that prevents him from teaching certain things (or being able to demonstate them anyway), and because of that my fellow sandans and I are stepping up more. I like doing it, because as some of these posts point out teaching helps me learn, and within the next year or so me and my main training partner are going to open our own club in another city, so the experience is needed.

Yes, teaching certainly does help you learn as it gives you another way of looking at the material.

If come to the conclusion that if i can't teach it to a child, then I don't really know it that well.

Kids will certainly make you look at your techs in another way. For example...I've found that in many cases, it was easier for them to follow along with learning a new tech. if I was standing in front of them and facing them, rather than having my back to them. This forced me to basically learn the tech. on the opposite side.

Also, you may find that you need to use different wording, while teaching a child.