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Old 01-12-2003, 08:23 PM   #1
Tadhg Bird
 
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Dojo: New School Aikido, Stockton, CA
Location: Casper, WY
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 55
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First paying teaching gig

I'll be starting my first paying teaching job in about a week, teaching in an after-school arts program. I've been assisting and teaching in the Juniors program at my dojo, but this will be the first time that I am somebody's primary "Sensei".

Any advice for a teaching newbie?

"Words and letters can never adequately describe Aikido -- its meaning is revealed only to those who are enlightened through hard training." -- Ueshiba Morihei O Sensei
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http://www.AikidoStuff.com
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Old 01-12-2003, 08:34 PM   #2
Greg Jennings
Dojo: S&G BJJ
Location: Springboro, OH
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Here is something:

A good aikido class should work like a good short story. It should be cohesive from beginning to end. It should grab your attention quickly, have rising action, crescendo, and denoument. It should be have some redeeming quality without being "preachy", etc.

Please let us know how it goes.

Best Regards,

Greg Jennings
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Old 01-12-2003, 09:23 PM   #3
Kevin Beyer
 
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Humor helps a LOT with getting people to relax

Go get 'em,

Kevin

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke
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Old 01-13-2003, 07:57 AM   #4
Jim ashby
Dojo: Phoenix Coventry
Location: Coventry, England
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Tell them what you're going to tell them. Then tell them it. Then tell them that you've told them it. There are a lot of fine phrases and suchlike about teaching/presentations etc but I've found that the three top lines just about cover it. Good luck!

Have fun

Vir Obesus Stola Saeptus
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Old 01-13-2003, 08:07 AM   #5
happysod
Dojo: Kiburn, London, UK
Location: London
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If you make a mistake when teaching a technique, admit it immediately then show it correctly - don't try and bluff it out. Also, try not to get bogged down in answering too many "what if" scenarios from new students, ask them to leave it for beer waza time.

[insert badly translated smug admonishment here]
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Old 01-13-2003, 10:55 AM   #6
DaveO
Dojo: Great Wave Aikido
Location: Alberta, Canada
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Hello, Tadhg.

I don't know how helpful it will be to you, but several months ago, I was asked by my Sensei to draw up a brief teaching tutorial for her son, who as a 3rd. kyu was just beginning to start teaching newcomers. I put the document up on a site for general download; many people have told me they found it useful.

Here's the URL; you might find it handy.

http://www.geocities.com/drachenca/Download.html

Answers are only easy when they're incomplete.
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Old 01-13-2003, 02:34 PM   #7
Tadhg Bird
 
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Dojo: New School Aikido, Stockton, CA
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Thanks so much for all the great advice!!!

I am definatly taking it to heart...
Quote:
try not to get bogged down in answering too many "what if" scenarios from new students, ask them to leave it for beer waza time.
I have learned a good technique dealing with this. When the kids start asking stuff like, "Well what if its 100 ninjas, and they got a tank?" The response is, "Well I just press this invisible button on my wrist here, and it creates a force field and they can't touch me." Tbis will get a response anywhere from a credulous look to outright disbelief, and assertions that its impossible. The resoponse then is, "Well if you can use YOUR imagination to create these problems, then I can use MY imagination to solve them."

I will be teaching school-age children, so beer waza will have to be juice-box waza I think.

First class is scheduled for the 28th!

"Words and letters can never adequately describe Aikido -- its meaning is revealed only to those who are enlightened through hard training." -- Ueshiba Morihei O Sensei
--

http://www.AikidoStuff.com
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