A Post-Accreditation Mentoring Pilot Program

After their November 2024 T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) Teacher Accreditation in Colorado Springs, members of the graduating class of new teachers chose to participate in an optional pilot program we have named “New Teachers’ Cohort,” designed to better support the transition into becoming active TCC teachers. Facilitated by a senior TCC teacher who had audited the Accreditation, the November 2024 graduating cohort of new teachers met online once a month for six months post-accreditation.

New approach & its benefits:

The group connection formed during accreditation was formally supported and maintained for six months post-accreditation via Zoom in service to transitioning into being active TCC teachers.

Each of our monthly Zoom sessions included:

1.) A full TCC practice led by two of our newly accredited teachers (each led half a practice) which cultivated the following skills and awareness:

• A chance to practice counting, verbalizing movements, and directing the group to focus on an aspect of TCC of their choosing. They were encouraged to “lead” in whatever way they wanted to.

• Without being explicitly directed to do so, in experiencing one another’s TCC and different approaches to leading, they were able to reflect on and refine their own preferences. They began to develop a heightened awareness especially regarding pacing (both during the flow and in the pauses between sides and movements), and ways to introduce a particular focus for a movement, etc.

2.) Discussion about TCC teaching strategies as well as the practice of TCC itself as a healing practice and spiritual discipline. Topics included but were not limited to:

• Integrating back into one’s life after the “high” of accreditation week

• The depth of healing experiences that can occur with TCC

• Comparing teaching notes, approaches and ideas; developing a Google Drive of shared teaching resources available to use by the cohort and add to going forward

• Discussion about and experiences with teaching specific populations including Parkinsons, Memory Care, etc.

• A special seated TCC session (thanks to Lisa Stroyan) to support new teachers who were sharing TCC with populations who needed to do seated TCC

• Changes in our relationship to practicing TCC (time of day, approach to and duration of practice, etc.)

• Teaching approaches and challenges that arose, including attrition, where to focus one’s attention if there is a particularly distracting student in the front row, giving homework, how to get students to practice, structuring one’s lesson plans, how many movements to teach in each class session, etc.

• Joys discovered from teaching TCC

• How to stay grounded while teaching; how to help your students stay grounded; how to identify when your students are not grounded

Over the course of six months, 13 of the 15 newly accredited teachers attended at least one time. We had an average of 9 to 11 people attend each month. Best of all, by the end of six months, post-accreditation, 13 of the 15 new teachers were actively teaching.

Following up: Where do we go next?

The New Teachers’ Cohort mentoring model is intended to be self-sustaining and does not depend on any one facilitator. While there are topics and teaching ideas and strategies that might be relevant to all new cohorts, each individual cohort has its own flavor and will determine what is needed to best support the individuals and group as a whole.

Once the six-month cohort program is complete, each individual cohort may decide how they themselves want to proceed. The accreditation in October 2025 in Kansas City will be our second cohort to experience this model. The vision going forward also includes a visit during the second monthly session where available members from the previous cohort join members of the new cohort to offer “new teacher” support.

In this way, each group of new teachers experiences necessary scaffolding as they step into their call to teach, maintains connections formed with one another, and experiences strength derived from circles within circles of community. Each person’s active TCC teaching simultaneously amplifies their inner unfolding and experience of “Knowledge of the Supreme Ultimate” and develops a greater confidence in teaching and sharing TCC with students who are waiting for them in the world.