student teachers

[Nidan Melbourne]

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.

Can you elaborate on what this STORM Team is? I have heard the name before but haven't been told what it is before.

[Karate_John]

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.

Can you elaborate on what this STORM Team is? I have heard the name before but haven't been told what it is before.

Generally in the States, it's a acronym for "Special Team of Role Models." Basically the demo team for events, made up of advanced students.

[JR 137]

When it's appropriate for a student to teach depends on many things. It depends on the student, the teacher, the students being taught, and the circumstances.

I started teaching on my own at 3rd kyu at my previous school, as did a classmate of mine. My Sensei thought we'd be good teachers, so he had us run warmups and assist him during class. He had us work with new students individually in class while he ran the class. As we got better, he transitioned into assisting us teaching class.

We had a group of lower ranked students who were ok with us teaching a specific class, so we took turns doing so. From time to time our Sensei would line up and take class.

At one point we had a group of students who wanted to take class on a night that my Sensei was at his other dojo. We took turns teaching that night. We were both brown belts at the time.

There were several black belts at the time. None were interested in teaching, and honestly they wouldn't have been very good teachers. They were good karateka and were knowledge, but that's not enough IMO.

I however don't think teaching should be a requirement to advance in rank. It should be a right person for the job thing. I understand the mentality of teachers who require it, but I don't agree with it. I do agree that advanced black belt ranks (near or at master level) must have some teaching experience, but there are valid exceptions.

[ninjanurse]

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.

Exactly. Our "requirement" to teach and grow is to build confidence and strengthen skills, not to force them into teaching. With rank comes responsibility for those below you and warming up class and being asked to help a lower rank from time-to-time gives them the opportunity to get a taste and decide of they want to join the Leadership Team as student instructor.

[sensei8]

Are those students TEACHING, or are they ASSISTING?? If they're teaching, then they're in full charge of the floor. If they're assisting, then they're not in full charge of the floor.

To effectively teach, that individual must be in full charge of the floor because whatever is explained, can be overruled by whomever is in charge of the floor at any given time.

Imho, that relationship can be a very sensitive and unstable one.

[bushido_man96]

Are those students TEACHING, or are they ASSISTING?? If they're teaching, then they're in full charge of the floor. If they're assisting, then they're not in full charge of the floor.

To effectively teach, that individual must be in full charge of the floor because whatever is explained, can be overruled by whomever is in charge of the floor at any given time.

Imho, that relationship can be a very sensitive and unstable one.

I agree, it can be, but it can be managed, too. The instructor needs to be able to step in if something terribly errant is being explained by the assistant. If the assistant is doing a good job, then the instructor can sit back and let them go on for as long as they are doing well. There should come a point, though, when the new instructor is allowed to take care of the class, and then any issues can be dealt with afterwards, between chief and assistant. This will help build confidence, and still provide a learning experience.

[gunner]

I assist as part of my training. The instuctors want to see you teach to be sure you understand the principles and techniques. It's considered part of your training.

[Nidan Melbourne]

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.

Can you elaborate on what this STORM Team is? I have heard the name before but haven't been told what it is before.

Generally in the States, it's a acronym for "Special Team of Role Models." Basically the demo team for events, made up of advanced students.

Ok thanks for elaborating that for me.

I am aware of many schools having a similar program, but others have a demo team that demonstrate whatever the instructor in charge deems fit at Open Days or at Special Events that we attend as guests or asked to demonstrate at.

[tallgeese]

Are those students TEACHING, or are they ASSISTING?? If they're teaching, then they're in full charge of the floor. If they're assisting, then they're not in full charge of the floor.

To effectively teach, that individual must be in full charge of the floor because whatever is explained, can be overruled by whomever is in charge of the floor at any given time.

Imho, that relationship can be a very sensitive and unstable one.

In our case, they always have the floor. Even if I'm around and they are teaching it's their class.

[sensei8]

Are those students TEACHING, or are they ASSISTING?? If they're teaching, then they're in full charge of the floor. If they're assisting, then they're not in full charge of the floor.

To effectively teach, that individual must be in full charge of the floor because whatever is explained, can be overruled by whomever is in charge of the floor at any given time.

Imho, that relationship can be a very sensitive and unstable one.

In our case, they always have the floor. Even if I'm around and they are teaching it's their class.

Yeppers!! If said person is in control of the floor, even when the CI is around, then that person is teaching. Delegating skills are important for the CI, otherwise, CI's can run the risk of burnout prematurely. And if burnout rears its ugly head, than the student body suffers the most.

Imho!