dubljay said:
My question to you verteran instructors is how do I become a good instructor? From my limited experience I have had I know it is more than just knowing the material. Please share any experiences that will point me in the right direction, and things I should take pains to avoid doing.
Hi Josh,
First I think that your sincere desire to know this and honest interest here shows that you will make a fine teacher!
In the words of Miyamoto Musashi..."The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly."
You must work together with your students along the path of learning. Without teacher or student there is no class. Work with them so they will want to practice and have respect for what you teach.
I think you have gotten lots of terrific advice so far on this forum thread! I'll talk to you a bit about why people choose to be involved in learning. I'll try to explain:
Try to keep it
fun so they will want to practice and show up for class. For kids, using obstacle courses and races and games are fun ways to have them practice basics without realizing they are doing so. Throughout the obstacle course have points at which they must stop and demonstrate a skill that you think they need to work on. Adults enjoy "playing" at times as well! Keep your drills varied and exciting. Doing the same old thing week after week is boring for most people. You can work hard and accomplish lots of things with your class, but still leave room for some fun. For instance one of my favorite drills is the balloon exercise. You have the students volley a balloon across a string attached to blockers. This works on the skill of chambering for a front snap kick. It can get very competitive, but is lots of fun and if you don't chamber your leg you will not be able to volley so it really works the legs.
Give your students some
freedom of choice in their learning. Allowing your students the freedom to sometimes choose what drill you do or which type of kick to work on etc., gives them an opportunity to be involved in the decision making process and gives students a sense of responsibility over their learning.
We also all have basic
survival needs. In the dojo this translates to being in a supportive environment without the fear of abuse or intimidation. Yelling at or demeaning
especially young students is counterproductive and nonconstructive. Especially with children, be consistent in your discipline so that your students will have respect for you, but be careful to show them the same respect you would desire. It is a good idea to have clearly defined expectations for behavior though. Tell them how you expect them to behave but try to focus on the positive. For example if you want your students to stand in attention stance for a minute use a student who is a good example of the way you want them to be and point it out to the children. Like, "look at what a great job Jessica is doing standing in attention stance! Let's see if we can all try and stand like that!" Then praise them for their efforts. Which brings us to our next need:
It is also important to give your students a sense of
power. We all have needs to develop an identity, be in control of our lives and to feel capable. Remind your students that they are capable by finding at least one thing that you feel that they are doing well with, and remember to tell them so. We sometimes refer to this as "catching them being good!" It is very easy to always find the things that people need to improve, corrections are fine and necessary, but don't forget to point out the accomplishments as well. Try to remember to use positive praise when making corrections. Use the
praise, correct, praise method. You praise them for something they are doing well, correct the thing you want corrected, and then praise them again.
Finally, we all have a need for
belonging. We all want to feel accepted as part of a group. Having a group name like Tiny Tigers or Little Dragons is one example for children. Also, school patches help children to feel like they are a part of something. Help them to see the value in each other by having them work in positive ways to accomplish group tasks. You can break them into groups and let them do group demonstrations. Also, let them know you are glad they came. For adults the greatest sense of belonging I think comes from helping others on a daily basis and for their tests. These things foster a sense of camaraderie and belonging.
If you can help people to meet these basic needs they will want to be involved in their learning! They win because their needs are being met and you win because you have more eager students who want to be a part of what you create!
I hope this helps...
MJ :asian:
