Student Instructors

[Rateh]

First off, I strongly believe that students instructing is an essential part of their training. By teaching others they greatly increase their own skill and knowledge. I've learned a lot more by teaching than I have by simply training.

Here's the problem. I believe that many student teachers are taken advantage of. Student teachers should be mentored and monitored, it should be understood that they are teaching for their benefit. So that they can learn and grow more. Too many times I see head instructors place student teachers in positions of responsibility. Putting them in charge of classes and other students, not so that they can learn, but so that the head instructor has less work!

Why are student teachers running classes? IMHO this is the head instructors job, and any instructors they are paying to do so. I think that placing student teachers in charge of classes, or having them teach more than train, is taking advantage of them. We must remember why they are teachers in the first place. To learn, not to do our jobs.

I know that may seem a bit harsh, but requiring students to pay to teach your classes in order to advance, doesn't that seem wrong? And yet it is done all over the country, world probably.

Instead, I believe that students should teach small portions and groups in their classes, under direct supervision, with the only goal being to evaluate their understanding of the techniques, and their teaching ability. And afterword to be mentored by their instructor, receiving personal instruction on how they did, and on the material that they taught so that they can do it better the next time. They are not teaching in place of their instructor so that he or she can run off and do something else, but as part of the learning process.

Opinions?

[sensei8]

I concur with your post. I've seen this type happen in a countless amount of dojo's across the USA.

Yes, student instructors who are Sankyu - Ikkyu start to learn the ins and outs of teaching and assisting for the reasons that you've already mentioned, BUT, none of my Sankyu's - Ikkyu's are ever left unsupervised, AND, none of my Sankyu's - Ikkyu's instruct/assist more than they receive instructions themselves.

Our Sankyu - Ikkyu student instructors ratio is: [Average 288 minimum hours of class per year, and that consists of 3 classes per week, and each class is 2 hours.]

72:18

For every 72 hours of class time, the Sankyu's are only teaching/assisting 6 hours per month. For a total of 18 teaching hours in 3 months.

144:40

For every 144 hours of class time, the Nikyu's are only teaching 8 hours per month. For a total of 40 teaching/assisting hours in 6 months.

288:120

For every 288 hours of class time, the Ikkyu's are only teaching 10 hours per month. For a total of 120 teaching/assisting hours in 12 months/1 year.

Again, all of the teaching that's done by the student instructors are always under the direct supervision of a Sandan and above. This is a mixed ratio, by that I mean, the hours are a combination of TEACHING AND ASSISTING.

The ratio for Sankyu - Ikkyu teaching and assisting under the direct supervision of Kaicho/Chief Instructor is:

120:100

For every 120 hours of teaching/assisting time, the Sankyu's - Ikkyu's are under my direct supervision for 100 hours per year. The remaining 20 hours are under the direct supervision of a Sandan and above. Why don't I supervise all 120 hours? To give our student instructors some time under my Sandan's and above.

For every one of those 120 hours per year of those student instructors teaching and assisting are video taped for the Instruction Team to review/critic/approve/disapprove/suggest, and for our records as well. Each of those 120 hours that have been taped per year are availible for those student instructors to review whenever they're not in class or teaching or assisting.

[Jeffrey]

We had a different approach for our club. With only a few black belts for some of the kid’s classes we asked if we could come in early and help out. We could see the belt ranks were being combined and some of the instructors trying give as much individual attention as they could. Now a couple of us help out with the kids. Like it was said above it gives us a great opportunity to learn as well as pass on what we know. Once in while we get to run the work out before splitting off into belt rank groups which is fun and a small extra work out for ourselves.

We volunteer our time and ask nothing in return. What we do receive is the reward of each child getting a little more attention.

[jaedeshi]

Why are student teachers running classes? IMHO this is the head instructors job, and any instructors they are paying to do so. I think that placing student teachers in charge of classes, or having them teach more than train, is taking advantage of them. We must remember why they are teachers in the first place. To learn, not to do our jobs.

I know that may seem a bit harsh, but requiring students to pay to teach your classes in order to advance, doesn't that seem wrong? And yet it is done all over the country, world probably.

Opinions?

Hi Rateh,

I do agree with what you said in your post. I would say that a large majority of instructors do not monitor student instructors enough. Maybe their intentions are in the right place but they are ineffective in how they monitor their students.

IMHO when talking about "student instruction" one needs to decide why first are you requiring it? Then set maximum and minimum limits and a student is allowed to do teach. In pre black belt ranks sometimes you would use "student instruction" to evaluate to see how much students understand of what they do. That would require less time than using "student instruction" as a tool. In other words using teaching to advance the students knowledge. Of course at higher levels you are using "student instruction" to evaluate their skills as a teacher.

The problem is when students sign up at the school they do so under the assumption the dojo owner or instructors are doing the instruction and not other students. Student instruction should really be kept at a minimum in commercial schools. As a student I want to train under the instructor and not his students. Also students that find themselves teaching often never signed up to pay to teach. They signed up to be taught.

If I was in a situation where I wasn't paying for my instruction I would feel different. There are very few teachers that don't teach for money. That being said when schools treat me like a consumer I act like one. I want what I pay for and won't work for them (for free) or be a test pilot for their other students.

[isshinryu5toforever]

I completely agree with the OP. The students that instruct at the dojo I attend when I'm at my parents' place are all at least shodan, a couple of us are sandan or yondan, and we don't pay dues. As long as we teach classes, we don't have to pay dues. If we stop teaching classes, we pay dues. It's a pretty nice system. It's hard up in the boondocks, town is less than 1,000 people, to find a decent place to train that isn't your back yard (this is great, if you have people around you to train with, which my parents don't).

If you're running classes, your instructor isn't really teaching you, AND you're paying for it, it might be time to have a little talk.

[Sibylla]

I agree.

Having to instruct as a student, and at times being instructed by other students, with no monitoring, help or control was a large contributing factor in me leaving a school that I was a member of for five years.

What happened was that the instructors just didn't show up, or sent me a text message an hour or so before class. And then I had to lead three hours of class, ranging from beginners to advanced.

I've lost a lot of interest when it comes to doing anything for any club/instructor and currently mainly train in a commercial operation, where the instructors are paid professionals and as such would lose that job if they don't do it.

[Tiger1962]

I don't know the solution for this but I personally do not like the idea of paying to attend a martial arts school and paying to learn from an experienced instructor, and then being taught or schooled by a student teacher. I've been in the situation myself where I've been told I MUST teach and I did not feel comfortable doing so.

It doesn't matter that some schools require the student to teach to gain "credits" or experience. That should be done separate of class somehow and the instructor should find an alternate solution for this.

It's even worse when you are being taught by someone who is not as knowledgeable as your primary instructor and even teaches you things incorrectly yet insists they are right!

[wolverine uskf]

I have been put in this possition befor, i like to teach, but agree that you shouldn't have to pay to teach. The only time i felt good about teaching the whole class, was when the instructor wanted me to teach them some of what i learned when i trained with another style for awhile. This made me feel good, because the people he took over for hated all other styles.

[Excoastie]

I totally agree with the OP. Student instructors should be very limited in what they're teaching (we're restricted to instructing ranks lower than our own, except under certain circumstances), and then it should only be a means of helping out your regular instructor.

I took the instructor certification course that our school offers (the curriculum is from the Martial Arts Career Training). I involved 10 3 hrs classroom setting type classes, and numerous hands on exercises the build teaching techniques. I have not earned my black belt, though I do frequently help out in both the intermediate and beginner classes. I do this as a means of helping out both my instructor and my fellow students, and I'm NEVER on the floor by myself without at least 1 or 2 black belts (certified instructors).

All the instructors at our school are required to complete the course in order to teach a class., and there are many black belts that have been asked to assist a non black belt when a certified instructor is leading a class.

just my opinion

Exco

[Nidan Melbourne]

at my old dojo i started teaching the day i received my brown belt (nikyu) so my first class was as a blue belt (Sankyu).

I was well entrusted by my sensei to take a group of students on my own as my skill level was considered excellent and that i was able to teach on my own. But depending on the group and the number of instructors available I was on my own but often was with a more senior instructor keeping an eye on me.

But as a Shodan now, I am more entrusted to keep an eye on the more inexperienced instructors to ensure everything is correct.