Role and responsibilities of junior/new instructors

[StudentCarl]

There's another thread discussing the drama of a young instructor-candidate and female students he is or has been involved with. I think it leads to a good question about what is the appropriate role/purpose/responsibilities of a new/aspiring instructor. Stories welcome as well.

Carl

 

[dancingalone]

Depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Are you after some actual useful work from the junior 'instructor' or do you want to teach him something instead? If the former, then you should assign him duties he is suited for whatever that is. If the latter, then I do have some anecdotes to tell.

I had a shy student who hated having attention called to her. So of course I would pick her frequently to be the demonstration dummy and I would call on her to answer various questions. I made it a point to pick techniques that she was particularly good at and to ask only questions I knew she knew the answer to - this was to build her confidence in herself and also to prop up her standing in the dojo so she could be useful as a yudansha later on.

On a similar vein, I had a young, naturally aggressive yudansha who sometimes exceeded the line between teaching and scaring/hurting his juniors. So, he too was a frequent demonstration partner, although I invariably applied the techniques to him in the interest of fostering humility in all.

As for how more commercial schools do it... my friend who runs a large, successful school always teaches his new black belts who are in the instructor program to be greeters first. They're supposed to introduce themselves immediately to anyone who looks new with a welcoming smile and an offer to help with any questions or issues that arise. They go through an official training class before they're allowed to talk with parents about the program to make sure the message given is uniform and approved.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

In a general sense their role is that of an instructor, to teach. Their responsibility is to teach & share knowledge that they have gained. Hopefully there is a pretty set syllabus, so the new instructors can also add the dimension of how they were able to do it. These different perspectives may help connect to individual students. Learning basically happens via 3 learning styles. At times, having additional instructors can help make a better fit for some learners. New instructors also often have an eagerness & desire to share, so they can at times inflect a newness or create energy in the learning process or parts of it. They also can help even by making mistakes, when corrected by more experienced instructors, as their mistakes can create more meaningful teaching moments. (I have only addressed this from the point of students on the receiving end of the sharing by a new or junior instructor. This junior or new instructor can also benefit as well, under the tutelage of a qualified instructor)

 

[Steven Craig]

I have seen at some larger clubs, when students start taking on the role of instructing, they also begin to neglect their own training, and in time they start teaching the developing students inappropriate techniques. One example I heard of was a young instructor teaching her students a [FONT=&quot]Crescent kick and calling it an Axe kick. It is important that the young or developing instructor keeps up their own training.
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[ralphmcpherson]

I have seen at some larger clubs, when students start taking on the role of instructing, they also begin to neglect their own training, and in time they start teaching the developing students inappropriate techniques. One example I heard of was a young instructor teaching her students a [FONT=&quot]Crescent kick and calling it an Axe kick. It is important that the young or developing instructor keeps up their own training.
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Where I train, if you become an instructor prior to 4th dan (which does happen on occasion) then it is compulsory to attend black belt class on a friday night. This way they can continue learning and developing and the seniors can ensure they actually continue to train themselves.

 

[puunui]

I have seen at some larger clubs, when students start taking on the role of instructing, they also begin to neglect their own training, and in time they start teaching the developing students inappropriate techniques. One example I heard of was a young instructor teaching her students a [FONT=&quot]Crescent kick and calling it an Axe kick. It is important that the young or developing instructor keeps up their own training.[/FONT]

That is the rub of teaching, they stop training. Stop training/start teaching too early and the habit is hard to break.

 

[StudentCarl]

I see some challenges for the junior:

Having the maturity to represent the school with appropriate demeanor and actions at all times. As soon as you start teaching in any way, what you do and how is an extension of the master.

Having the humility to act only within your limits. Teach what you know well, not what you think you know. Involve seniors as needed. Ego has no place.

Managing your priorities correctly. When you are teaching, your priority is helping others grow. When you are not teaching, your priority is your own growth. If you don't stretch and continue to grow, I think you lose your purpose and your credibility. In my experience, the best teachers are lifelong students who have a different energy than those who merely pass along what they learned in their youth.

Carl