student teachers

[Karate_John]

Do you have some students teach classes (without you present)? STORM team students? Do they teach both adult and youth classes? Are they all black belts?

No!! Students don't teach; they learn!!

Students will, as part of their Sankyu to Ikkyu, will assist, not teach, in classes with an instructor that possess no less than a Sandan. Shodan's and Nidan's also assist.

Assisting isn't teaching, and teaching isn't assisting.

I suppose it also depends on how you define a student and instructor. Is a Sandan that lines up with class not a student themselves, when they elect not to teach but train?

But anyway, I feel a black belt 4-5 years of experience in most arts is capable of teaching when needed.

[sensei8]

Do you have some students teach classes (without you present)? STORM team students? Do they teach both adult and youth classes? Are they all black belts?

No!! Students don't teach; they learn!!

Students will, as part of their Sankyu to Ikkyu, will assist, not teach, in classes with an instructor that possess no less than a Sandan. Shodan's and Nidan's also assist.

Assisting isn't teaching, and teaching isn't assisting.

I suppose it also depends on how you define a student and instructor. Is a Sandan that lines up with class not a student themselves, when they elect not to teach but train?

But anyway, I feel a black belt 4-5 years of experience in most arts is capable of teaching when needed.

Yes, you're correct, absolutely, 100%!! Yet, when that Sandan is in line for class, that Sandan is a student. And when that same Sandan is at the front of the class, running that floor, that Sandan is teaching.

Oftentimes, we instructors are also students, as we wear many hats!!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Do you have some students teach classes (without you present)? STORM team students? Do they teach both adult and youth classes? Are they all black belts?

No!! Students don't teach; they learn!!

Students will, as part of their Sankyu to Ikkyu, will assist, not teach, in classes with an instructor that possess no less than a Sandan. Shodan's and Nidan's also assist.

Assisting isn't teaching, and teaching isn't assisting.

I suppose it also depends on how you define a student and instructor. Is a Sandan that lines up with class not a student themselves, when they elect not to teach but train?

But anyway, I feel a black belt 4-5 years of experience in most arts is capable of teaching when needed.

To the bolded above: even then there are some Black Belts with that experience may not be suited for teaching, even in emergencies.

For instance I know a few black belts that are either very talented but can't teach because they just can't explain how to do things (even kihon). Then there are some that I know that can't teach because of their behavior and attitudes aren't designed to suit being teachers, and they take their aggression out on the students.

Well in relation to your question; an instructor and student are not restricted to two distinct roles like in Schools where there is an adult as the teacher and students are children. In Martial Arts; Instructors are at times even when teaching become a student and vice versa.

When I train, I have my 'senpai hat' as i help other students whilst training; even when I teach i still have my 'Student Hat' on because there are times that I'm teaching and they [the students] make a comment or suggestion to techniques or anything that we are doing and it makes something just click for me.

[sensei8]

Everyone here knows what I'm about to say, it's one of my catch-phrases...

Not all black belts can teach; nor should they try, no matter how many years they've been on the floor!!

[ninjanurse]

Do you have some students teach classes (without you present)? STORM team students? Do they teach both adult and youth classes? Are they all black belts?

No!! Students don't teach; they learn!!

Students will, as part of their Sankyu to Ikkyu, will assist, not teach, in classes with an instructor that possess no less than a Sandan. Shodan's and Nidan's also assist.

Assisting isn't teaching, and teaching isn't assisting.

I suppose it also depends on how you define a student and instructor. Is a Sandan that lines up with class not a student themselves, when they elect not to teach but train?

But anyway, I feel a black belt 4-5 years of experience in most arts is capable of teaching when needed.

To the bolded above: even then there are some Black Belts with that experience may not be suited for teaching, even in emergencies.

For instance I know a few black belts that are either very talented but can't teach because they just can't explain how to do things (even kihon). Then there are some that I know that can't teach because of their behavior and attitudes aren't designed to suit being teachers, and they take their aggression out on the students.

Well in relation to your question; an instructor and student are not restricted to two distinct roles like in Schools where there is an adult as the teacher and students are children. In Martial Arts; Instructors are at times even when teaching become a student and vice versa.

When I train, I have my 'senpai hat' as i help other students whilst training; even when I teach i still have my 'Student Hat' on because there are times that I'm teaching and they [the students] make a comment or suggestion to techniques or anything that we are doing and it makes something just click for me.

I agree here. Rank does not make you an effective teacher. Students with the gift should be (and are at my dojo) encouraged to take on an assistant instructor program to develop their skills while they advance in rank. "TEACH AND GROW" is a principle we emphasize and everyone gets an opportunity to do so. Also, lesson plans can be designed to facilitate a color belt covering a class once in a while-as long as you know your student and his capabilities well.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Do you have some students teach classes (without you present)? STORM team students? Do they teach both adult and youth classes? Are they all black belts?

No!! Students don't teach; they learn!!

Students will, as part of their Sankyu to Ikkyu, will assist, not teach, in classes with an instructor that possess no less than a Sandan. Shodan's and Nidan's also assist.

Assisting isn't teaching, and teaching isn't assisting.

I suppose it also depends on how you define a student and instructor. Is a Sandan that lines up with class not a student themselves, when they elect not to teach but train?

But anyway, I feel a black belt 4-5 years of experience in most arts is capable of teaching when needed.

To the bolded above: even then there are some Black Belts with that experience may not be suited for teaching, even in emergencies.

For instance I know a few black belts that are either very talented but can't teach because they just can't explain how to do things (even kihon). Then there are some that I know that can't teach because of their behavior and attitudes aren't designed to suit being teachers, and they take their aggression out on the students.

Well in relation to your question; an instructor and student are not restricted to two distinct roles like in Schools where there is an adult as the teacher and students are children. In Martial Arts; Instructors are at times even when teaching become a student and vice versa.

When I train, I have my 'senpai hat' as i help other students whilst training; even when I teach i still have my 'Student Hat' on because there are times that I'm teaching and they [the students] make a comment or suggestion to techniques or anything that we are doing and it makes something just click for me.

I agree here. Rank does not make you an effective teacher. Students with the gift should be (and are at my dojo) encouraged to take on an assistant instructor program to develop their skills while they advance in rank. "TEACH AND GROW" is a principle we emphasize and everyone gets an opportunity to do so. Also, lesson plans can be designed to facilitate a color belt covering a class once in a while-as long as you know your student and his capabilities well.

Solid Post!

Do you encourage the ones who aren't as gifted to teach to help in their own training to grow?

[ninjanurse]

Absolutely Nidan! All students are required to Teach and Grow....and as they do they may develop the passion to become a teacher and at the very least improve their own technique.

[advfhorn]

Thank you, those replies were very helpful. Our Dojo has a STORM team and some of those members teach class both with Sensei in the building and not.

As a parent paying $200/m for our son, I have an issue with some of these STORM team teachers. I feel they are not mature enough to control the Karate kid classes and lack the experience the kids need to learn and grow.

As a student there myself I pick and chose who is teaching bc the inexperienced teachers do mostly a fitness workout and do not correct technique.

[sensei8]

Shouldn't a student WANT to teach, instead of being required to teach?? Forcing one to teach, for whatever the reason(s) might or might not be, can seriously curb any interest, if any interest was ever there.

[bushido_man96]

I suppose this really depends on what style you're teaching, eh?

Its not uncommon to see ranks lower than black belt teaching classes in BJJ- black belts tend to be hard to come by, good black belts even moreso. Usually purple is the rank where most black belts are comfortable allowing to teach, and it takes about as long to get a purple in BJJ as it does to be say, a 3rd degree black belt in other styles. If the academy has other instructors (say brown or black belts) sometimes these purple belts will teach beginner classes or self defense. Who you have teaching depends on who's available in various parts of the world.

The same can be said for muay thai- sometimes the coach or the fight team may be away for the weekend for a fight several states away. Sometimes a student fills in to teach the class while they're gone. I've seen it happen on more than one occasion.

I dont get too caught up on whos teaching, provided that they're not attempting to teach something they dont know, they're doing a good job teaching what they do know, and they're making an earnest attempt to do so. I've seen a few black belts that I thought were nothing short of trash when it came to instructing, and have seen a few purples that have done great despite.

I agree. I'm out of town from time to time and it's nothing for a purple or brown belt student to teach. Think about it, a purple belt for us is 4-5 years on the mat. That should be more than enough time to understand the fundamentals and teach them. Plus, it's good experience.

I think that having lower ranked students begin to fill in some teaching roles can be a boon to their learning curve when it comes to teaching. Especially higher ranked students, like those of the brown/red belt levels in some of the more traditional styles. If they wait until black belt and have no experience teaching, its really tough to throw them into the fire with no teaching experience. Knowing the material and teaching the material are two different things entirely.

Senior colored belts can benefit from putting classes through the basics and warm-ups, and an adult senior rank assisting in teaching kids classes (especially lower ranks) are great teaching experiences, too.

Doing this also helps the instructors to figure out who look like good teaching candidates, and who might need some more polishing.