Instructor Only forum

[Paul T England]

Hi,

I have been looking around for an area that Chinese Martial Arts teachers can share knowledge of teaching and running schools etc. Does anyone think it would be a good idea to have an area here? I know it would be difficult to administer but kung fu instructors need to get our heads together and promote the arts we love before we are over run with little Ninjas and blackbelt schools!!!

Paul

[MonkeySlap Too]

Sounds like a good idea, but how do you vet the members?

[David Jamieson]

Throwdowns! LOL

[Mika]

I am with MST on this one. Some "instructors" are still in high school and some experienced peeps aren't instructors (at the moment or never officially have been). Which ones would be welcomed to this new area?

Then again, if it's supposed to be open to all, then I am all for it :)

//mika

[shaolinboxer]

I think that's a great idea and would be happy to participate.

Anyone who teaches in any capacity is something of an "instructor". Perhaps instead of focusing on people's age and experience, we should focus on the common experience of teaching.

So why not create a forum about teaching and see what happens. No need to try to figure out who's supposed to be teaching whom.

[Fu-Pow]

Awesome idea!

[PangQuan]

Dont mean to butt in here, as I am not an instructor. But I think this is a great idea. Although I may not be an instructor, on occasion I do have to instruct newer students on particulars. Having a base forum dedicated to the job of teaching will help those of us who are just begining to learn from others experience, and gain a little insight as to what methods have proven effective time and time again all across the board.

Do this so that I may leach off of your wisdom O' great teachers of others. :D

[red5angel]

sure, I think one more division in the martial arts, whether it be on the internet or not wil definitely help with "get our heads together and promote the arts we love "

:rolleyes:

[MonkeySlap Too]

I don't think this is a case of divisions, but a way to help those who teach share knowledge and become better teachers.

Very different than standing on a pedestal.

[red5angel]

but what reason would you have for creating a completely seperate forum if it's just a sharing of information? Certainly students could bnefit from this type of information AND instructors certainly would benefit from students perspectives as well.

[Ming Yue]

There are elements of teaching and running a school that don't often get discussed here or get derailed.

Most people who post in style specific forums here are knowledgable or involved in that area. Although it's not my style, I read the shaolin forum, but I don't post there because I have more to learn than to offer. Doesn't mean a student couldn't read and/or post in the instructor forum where applicable, I don't think.

[Brad]

Yes, sometimes you can get valuable info from hearing the students perspective on teaching too. It should defenitely be open to everyone as it's nearly impossible to come up with any criterea to decide if someone is really a teacher, whether they're qualified to teach, etc. on this kind of forum.

[SevenStar]

There are elements of teaching and running a school that don't often get discussed here or get derailed.

Most people who post in style specific forums here are knowledgable or involved in that area. Although it's not my style, I read the shaolin forum, but I don't post there because I have more to learn than to offer. Doesn't mean a student couldn't read and/or post in the instructor forum where applicable, I don't think.

MY raises a good point. karateforums has an instructors section as well. It's doable, but would have to be run in mod nazi fashion to keep it in check. I think most of the forums do pretty well at staying on topic though. We let this one stray because it's the closest thing to a general forum that we have.

[shen ku]

OK guys lets get past the who cans and who can'ts and get to what we are talking about the teaching quetions??
1 . do you divid classes, such as kids , what ages , teen agers ( ? size , and 13 year old 4', and a 13 year old 5' 11'' ? )
2. do you start biginners in sparring or wait untill they get a belt , or 2 , before you start in on sparring , and then is it no-contact, lite-contact , or all out give he'''' sparring?
3. do you give intro classes , if so how many and how long?
4. if you teach what is it worth, what do you charge and what does a student get for that ?

sorry got carried away i guess i have alot of things i would love to hear from other instructors and just thought i would start a the bottom ( you beginners, your first level of students, what a new person sees, gets, and thinks of what they have gotten) so please all teachers share, and beginners share what you have seen and gotten as you have walked in the door for the first time

[Ming Yue]

... It's doable, but would have to be run in mod nazi fashion to keep it in check...

Maybe BTL can fit another board into his schedule, he runs a tight ship on the Mantis forum.

[ShaolinJOJO]

Hey whats wrong with being and instructor, and helping and being in high school. Thats what I am. :confused:

[ZIM]

sure, I think one more division in the martial arts, whether it be on the internet or not wil definitely help with "get our heads together and promote the arts we love "

:rolleyes:
Yeah yeah. Just go over to the WC forum where everybody is an 'instructor' in the same way that everyone in McDonalds is a 'manager'.
Peace and harmony for all. :p

[red5angel]

shaolinjojo - no offense but it takes more then just knowing how to do it to be an instructor. If you're an assistant in class then ok, that's an entirely different thing but age counts for a lot when you're teaching.


Zim - :D :p

[norther practitioner]

fu ragz I think added an instructors only area, where you need to get privs to get into the forum.

[Kristoffer]

I'm an instructor, and I think it's a crappy idea. If your teacher didn't inform you how to be an instructor and told you exactly how to teach... then sure, maybe an internet forum can give you alot. But me personally see no meaning in 'discussing ways of teaching'. If I wanted someones opinion or have questions on how to teach - I ask MY teacher.
I guess there's exceptions though. If it were my school and I'm so ****ing clueless how to teach - sure. Or if my school is so open and infact is just a bunch of friends throwing some kicks then go grabs a beer - sure, great idea.

[Ming Yue]

It's not just about how to impart the material, for that your Sigung is the answer, you're right.

But there's school ownership, marketing, class/age divisions, insurance, how and if ranks are given and tested for, do you advertise, do you provide seminars outside the school, how do you handle competitions, liability, emotional issues within a school....

Nice to hear what works and what doesn't from people who have been there.

[red5angel]

fu ragz I think added an instructors only area, where you need to get privs to get into the forum.


that's the type of divisiveness I'm talking about.

[Kaitain(UK)]

just have a "teaching" forum - no need to exclude anyone from it, just keep it on topic.

If it's 'instructors only' then it's just an elitist ****-waving exercise.

[Paul T England]

Ming Yue's point is exactly what I was talking about. So who can get this forum started?

Just as a side note, I have two teachers who I consider to be traditional and I look to them for help and guidance with my martial arts but teaching and running a school are very different. I don't really want to go down the blackbelt schools route but at the same time I would like to progress my teaching from a part-time hobby into a full-time activity so I currently take the best ideas from various sources.