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| | Another alternative is to encourage students in children's classes to arrive dressed for class. This can be problematic from the standpoint of keeping uniforms clean, but is often easier for parents in any case. | | Another alternative is to encourage students in children's classes to arrive dressed for class. This can be problematic from the standpoint of keeping uniforms clean, but is often easier for parents in any case. |
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| | + | ===== Safety Rules ===== |
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| | + | With children, in particular, expectations of student behavior must be spelled out pretty clearly. This is especially true of rules aimed at safety. Horseplay, running, and fighting are just a few examples of behavior which must be actively discouraged. |
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| | == Teaching in Someone Else's School == | | == Teaching in Someone Else's School == |
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| | Whether you are invited to teach or are expressing a desire to teach, you have a responsibility to the school and to potential students to be sure that you have the proper qualifications. You also have a responsibility to understand and follow the policies of the school. | | Whether you are invited to teach or are expressing a desire to teach, you have a responsibility to the school and to potential students to be sure that you have the proper qualifications. You also have a responsibility to understand and follow the policies of the school. |
Revision as of 18:59, 23 April 2008
General Issues in Teaching Aikido
Starting a School
Equipment
Insurance
Legal Issues
General
The advice here is from the perspective of an Aikido instructor who has run a school. It's a good place to start, but legal issues really should be discussed with a qualified attorney. All legal documents used by the school should be read and approved by an attorney, possibly even written by an attorney.
Certifying Teachers
It's likely that non-certified yudansha and higher-ranking mudansha students will be required to teach on some occasions. But for anyone who teaches as a matter of course, there should be some sort of certification program which includes some familiarization with school policies. In some cases, it may be worthwhile for anyone wanting to be a regular teacher to sign a document stating that they have read and understood the policies.
Teaching Minors
A number of issues arise in teaching minors that are not generally at issue with adults. Allegations of abuse, justified or not, against a teacher can destroy the reputation of the teacher and the school. Policies regarding minors must protect the minor students from potentially abusive teachers by screening out such teachers and by ensuring that opportunities for abuse are minimized or eliminated. These policies should also protect the instructor from any potential for unjustified allegations.
A good, general policy to have is to avoid even the appearance of misconduct. Structure policies such that no misconduct can occur without witnesses and make sure they are enforced.
Always More than one adult with a minor
It's never a good idea for an instructor to be alone with minors, even when the parents trust the instructor. It may present an image of impropriety even if there is none and it opens the instructor to allegations of misconduct even if no such misconduct occurs.
Certainly, any potential misconduct would occur in such a situation.
Separate dressing facilities for teachers where possible
It's best for instructors not to use the same dressing rooms as children. Even other adult students should be discouraged from changing at the same time as minors.
Where separate facilities are not possible, changing in "shifts" is a viable alternative.
Another alternative is to encourage students in children's classes to arrive dressed for class. This can be problematic from the standpoint of keeping uniforms clean, but is often easier for parents in any case.
Safety Rules
With children, in particular, expectations of student behavior must be spelled out pretty clearly. This is especially true of rules aimed at safety. Horseplay, running, and fighting are just a few examples of behavior which must be actively discouraged.
Teaching in Someone Else's School
Whether you are invited to teach or are expressing a desire to teach, you have a responsibility to the school and to potential students to be sure that you have the proper qualifications. You also have a responsibility to understand and follow the policies of the school.
