It's A Long Lasting Relationship!!

[sensei8]

I'm asked quite often...

"What advice do you have for students who want to become an instructor?"

My most direct answer is...

You have to love it, the MA that is!! And if you don't love it, don't touch it, being an instructor, that is. And if you hate it, the MA, it is because you had a very bad teacher!!

I make students love the MA!!

Your thoughts, please!

[The Pred]

Agreed with what you said, plus you need to have patience. Be nice when necessary but at the same time, have an authoritative voice if need be.

[JR 137]

Bobby Knight once said "my job is very simple: to pass on the love of the game."

His methods may have been questionable though.

[Luther unleashed]

Yeah, I always love when new students love class, because I ALWAYS ask them how they liked class after their first. It's a great feeling when they say they really like it because it's more then a job, it's sharing something I really enjoy, kind of like when you used to play Nintendo and couldnt wait t I show a friend and they really liked it haha.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with you, Bob. That love is so important, otherwise, one won't have the passion to pass it on. One can be good at teaching, but if they don't truly enjoy it, the students will sense it, and it won't translate well at all.

[sensei8]

And if you hate it, the MA, it is because you had a very bad teacher!!

What about that element?

Is the fault that of that "bad teacher"?

Is the student EQUALLY responsible for that?

Math was my worse subject because I'm not wired that way. Or was it because the teacher was bad at teaching math. Not all black belts can teach, nor should they try, and in that same light, not every math genius can teach.

My brother, Donald, is a genius in many subjects, including math, he an ASE Certified Master Mechanic, and with that, he owns a very successful shop where he lives. After all, he does Calculus for fun because it relaxes him, but as a teacher, he's an very impatient individual. He gets angry at the person that he's teaching math, and will say..."Why can't you get this? It's easy!" Yeah, for him, but not for me. I struggle with basic math, always have and always will. I'm calculator dependent to the Nth degree!!

My brothers mindset of teaching has made it where I can't learn math from him; there's no joy in figuring out the math solution. His angry makes me want to give him a free Karate lesson!!

[JR 137]

And if you hate it, the MA, it is because you had a very bad teacher!!

What about that element?

Is the fault that of that "bad teacher"?

Is the student EQUALLY responsible for that?

Math was my worse subject because I'm not wired that way. Or was it because the teacher was bad at teaching math. Not all black belts can teach, nor should they try, and in that same light, not every math genius can teach.

My brother, Donald, is a genius in many subjects, including math, he an ASE Certified Master Mechanic, and with that, he owns a very successful shop where he lives. After all, he does Calculus for fun because it relaxes him, but as a teacher, he's an very impatient individual. He gets angry at the person that he's teaching math, and will say..."Why can't you get this? It's easy!" Yeah, for him, but not for me. I struggle with basic math, always have and always will. I'm calculator dependent to the Nth degree!!

My brothers mindset of teaching has made it where I can't learn math from him; there's no joy in figuring out the math solution. His angry makes me want to give him a free Karate lesson!!

That's what separates a teacher/educator from a practitioner. The practitioner "gets it," and subsequently thinks everyone else should also "get it" because it's so simple. "How can you NOT see this?" is their war cry. An educator knows not everyone will see it as they do, and comes up with differs approaches to make it simple. Everyone's wired differently, and the educator knows this and relishes in this.

For those who can't understand why everyone else doesn't "see it," I wonder how they think the world made any progress. If everyone saw things the exact same way and no one was supposed to challenge that way of thinking, no one would come up with a new idea very often. Think the Dark Age.

[Spartacus Maximus]

To be an instructor it is not enough to have skills and passion for what one trains. It requires a high degree of observational skills to evaluate and adjust how to teach different types of people who respond to different methods. Just repeating the same explanation or demonstration will not always have the desired results.

Someone who can break down, explain and demonstrate a single point in a variety of ways makes a great instructor. Such a person will likely reach a wider audience and have more successful students than an instructor who just repeats without ever trying to understand "why can't they get this?"

[Maybetrue]

I'm asked quite often...

"What advice do you have for students who want to become an instructor?"

My most direct answer is...

You have to love it, the MA that is!! And if you don't love it, don't touch it, being an instructor, that is. And if you hate it, the MA, it is because you had a very bad teacher!!

I make students love the MA!!

Your thoughts, please!

Its not always the instructors fault.

Great martial artist can get "turned off" by politics,egos and other martial artists. The longer and more experienced one gets, the more a person will see the "BAD" of martial arts. So sad.

Being a student is the easy part of martial arts, just listen and do. Have fun when you are a student!

[IcemanSK]

I'd say that even if you love it, that probably isn't enough. You have to learn to be resilient in the face of students & parents who will question your business practices, teaching tactics, etc., as well as the ups & downs of running a business. One puts their heart & soul into teaching, yet students leave. They don't all hold your Art with the same reverence as you do. Yet, you have to continue to love your Art enough for yourself & for them. You have to be loyal to your students, & hope they return the respect. Loving for oneself is not enough when one teaches. You have to love it for your students, also.

It may sound as if I'm disillusioned with teaching after running a school for 10 years. I assure you that I am not. But I did get my eyes opened & much more appreciative of my instructors that I've had over the years. It is not an easy business to be in. It takes perseverance to weather a lot of storms. I was much stronger than I ever thought I was, or needed to be as a teacher.