This year I've taken on a greater role in assisting my teacher during his beginning Taijiquan class on Tuesday nights. This has happened because his two senior students that had been helping him for years have had to take an extended leave of absence. In the past, he usually had me working with one or two returning students, but this year I've been working with half the class (the class consists of beginning and intermediate students).
My teacher has me review the parts of the form they were taught in the previous class session before he comes over to introduce the next movements in the form. Quite a lot of what I do is explain and demonstrate the sequence of movements that the students are having difficulties with. Demonstrating the movements is very easy compared with explaining the mechanics of the movements.
Over this year I've been learning to clearly explain how to do the movements in the form. It has been a challenge (sometimes I felt more confused than the students), but it has paid off. The students are clearly learning how to do the form more correctly. I have to say that I've felt satisfaction when I explained and demonstrated a part of the form the students were having problems with and then see them immediately start doing it better.
For me, I have become a better teacher (though I still have a very long way to go) and also my practice of the form has improved dramatically. Trying to put into words how the movements are done has given me a better focus on how I am doing those same movements. Learning to teach others how to do the form has also taught me how to do my own form better.
fyn
My teacher has me review the parts of the form they were taught in the previous class session before he comes over to introduce the next movements in the form. Quite a lot of what I do is explain and demonstrate the sequence of movements that the students are having difficulties with. Demonstrating the movements is very easy compared with explaining the mechanics of the movements.
Over this year I've been learning to clearly explain how to do the movements in the form. It has been a challenge (sometimes I felt more confused than the students), but it has paid off. The students are clearly learning how to do the form more correctly. I have to say that I've felt satisfaction when I explained and demonstrated a part of the form the students were having problems with and then see them immediately start doing it better.
For me, I have become a better teacher (though I still have a very long way to go) and also my practice of the form has improved dramatically. Trying to put into words how the movements are done has given me a better focus on how I am doing those same movements. Learning to teach others how to do the form has also taught me how to do my own form better.
fyn
