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T'ai Chi Teacher Training Programme 2009 The Health Benefits of the arts I teach has created a problem - Perhaps You can help me solve it... I constantly receive requests from organizations, sports centre's and the adult education service, to name just a few, for teachers. And I can’t help them because the qualified teachers we have in the East - West Taoist Association are already taking as many classes as they wish to.
Whilst
one or two teach full time, most prefer to teach on a part time basis, happy to
help others improve their health whilst earning a useful part time income.
This
means there are thousands of people wanting to learn these arts who have no
local teacher. My promise to myself to pass on the benefits of these wonderful
arts to others certainly needed a rethink. So with the help of my wife Gisela, together we developed a course to train students to be teachers of the short form of T'ai Chi and a selection of K’ai Men and Dao Yin exercises. See testimonials from Chee Soo and Sir Steve Russell below. The T'ai Chi teacher training course has been run as a stand alone course over the past five years and produced many excellent teachers who have gone on to open successful classes, others just wish to benefit from the training and get qualified to teach for use at a later date, when their job is less demanding or they retire. Whatever their reason for wishing to become a T'ai Chi teacher we welcome them all. We now want to make it more accessible to our existing members who feel they would like to qualify as teachers To be eligible you must have been practising our style for at least two years/or come with a personal recommendation from your present Lee Style T'ai Chi Instructor. However, if you don't fall into either of these categories and are still keen to teach by all means telephone Howard 01723 354072 to discuss your options. If you would like to discuss the teacher training programme or have any questions you would like answered please email Howard with your membership number, instructors name and a suitable time for Howard to telephone you to discuss it. The next teacher training course starts with attendance at the Advanced T'ai Chi day 23rd January 2010 or if that is not an option for you then the Advanced T'ai Chi day on the 22nd May 2010. Attendance at these Advanced courses will form the basis of your training and where Howard will give you personal instruction to improve your own standard. Most teacher trainees are astounded by how much they learn about what they thought they already new. Understanding is the key to becoming a good teacher, if you understand your subject you do not fear questions and are confident in your ability to teach others. After passing the final exam, which includes a practical and written element, a teaching certificate will be issued. But before you can be selected as a teacher trainee you must confirm your enrolment directly to Howard after your personal conversation with him and then pay the deposit of £99 for the course modules and the final exam fees. You will be expected to attend the advanced T'ai Chi training dates at Scarborough, North Yorkshire. attending a Summer course this year or next and all other course attendances in the various areas will be credited towards your minimum 60hrs of instruction on courses taken by our Chief Instructor Howard, of which 30hrs must be by attending courses in Scarborough. This shows Howard you are prepared to make the commitment to learn and may be suitable for further training should you wish to extend you knowledge of our unique arts later. If a place becomes available at other - invitation only - courses run by Howard where he teaches selected people to pass on the depth of the arts to, these courses are only open to people who have successfully completed the teacher training course, they are not shown on the website.
How long would it take you to qualify? That depends on the effort you put into
your practice, you will need to practise half an hour per day five days a week
between courses to reach the required standard. If you do that, we envisage most students with two years previous experience will reach exam
standard in around 12 to 15 months. A word of warning people thinking this is a forgone conclusion i.e. turn up and pay my money and in 12 months I will have a teaching certificate. Please don't waste your time and money, it won't happen. Only genuine people expecting to put in the effort to learn to understand the arts properly will make it. If you are in this category - then please do apply - because you are exactly what we are looking for. If you would like to know more about our teacher training program, please send your Name address and telephone to me by email stating a convenient time for me to call i.e. Daytime, Evening Weekends. I will then contact you with further details.
I
only accept people I have spoken to over the phone. This way we can both ask any
relevant questions we may have and also see if we feel we can work together. Yours
sincerely
Testimonials from Grandmaster Chee Soo Sir Steve Russell |
