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Old 07-05-2009, 06:19 AM   #11
Rocky Izumi
Dojo: GUST Aikido Club
Location: Salwa, Kuwait
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 381
Kuwait
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Re: Instruction vs. Teaching, some thoughts

My view of instruction, teaching and coaching seems to differ at bit.

Instruction - you have a curriculum that is general and normatively accepted as "standard". It is probably not your syllabus but you are providing others with a way of learning the "standard syllabus".

Teaching - you are providing the students with learnings based on your own personal knowledge and experience. This is normative but is based on your personal curriculum and my not be a "standard syllabus" for anyone but the teacher.

Coaching - you provide the students with a multiplicity of approaches and knowledge so that they can experience what they need to in order to learn for themselves and by themselves through their own experiences and study. There is no standard syllabus since each student is different and learns differently and wants and needs to learn different things. It is outcome based and the outcomes people need from their training depends on what they want and need.

I have never been a very good teacher. I have had a set of experiences different from everyone else and see the world differently than most other people. I don't like standard syllabii but follow them to some degree to have some standardization so I am not a good instructor. I am a damned good coach. The problem is that all my students' aikido all differ and they all think they have the "right way". Many do not understand that the "right way" differs from person to person and time to time. There is no single "right way". So, many students find it very difficult to study with me because I give them so many options and they have to take the time and trouble to study them all and chose what they need to learn. I've thrown the responsibility of learning on to the student and many don't like that since they feel that they are paying me to teach them something. The problem is, I'm probably paying more to give them the lessons than they are paying to take them. Hah!

And all that applies to business education and other sports as well as Aikido. Oh well. I yam what I yam cuz I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!

Rock
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