Head of TCC Community responds

I want to thank the T’ai Chi Chih teachers who responded to my call for feedback on the candidate preparation process. These comments have led to a very interesting discussion and I appreciate the diversity of viewpoints that were expressed.

I believe we need to continue to hold a high standard for newly accredited T’ai Chi Chih teachers because they represent the future strength of our community. At this time, I have no intention of raising the standard higher, but I would like to see all candidates properly prepared to meet it. This is why the new “Movement Review Checklist” was developed to help teachers communicate this standard with their students. It is available on our web site, and I encourage all teachers to begin using it.

Numerous hours were also spent on the subject of candidate preparation during the recent Teacher Retreat held in Minnesota. As a result of the discussion, it is clear that any proposed solution would need to incorporate the following elements:

• Referring teachers must continue to be responsible for candidate preparation
• Candidates need to have their movements thoroughly reviewed before being allowed to attend a teacher training course
• The creation of additional bureaucracy should be minimized
• The Teacher Training course doesn’t devote enough time to future candidate preparation
• Deferrals are time consuming and should be eliminated completely, if at all possible

It was suggested that the Teacher Training course be split into two separate courses to focus on the specific needs of teacher candidates. The first course, tentatively called a “T’ai Chi Chih Intensive”, would give candidates and serious students an opportunity to improve their practice while deepening their understanding of the principles of the T’ai Chi Chih movements. This course would be mandatory for all teacher candidates before proceeding on for accreditation. The second course, “T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Training,” would focus on providing further movement instruction as well as in-depth training in how to teach the T’ai Chi Chih movements. This course would include presentations, detailed instruction on teaching, and devote much more time to the subject of future candidate preparation.

As stated earlier, the T’ai Chi Chih Intensive would be required before enrolling in a Teacher Training course. The Intensive course would also be open to students who are serious about their practice, but who may not want to become accredited to teach. Students would still need to be properly prepared and formally referred by an accredited teacher before being allowed to enroll in this course. When students successfully complete the Intensive course they would receive a recommendation from the Teacher Trainer, which would be valid for nine months. During that time, these candidates would be eligible to attend a T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Training course to complete the accreditation process. Students who want to become accredited but do not move properly would need to repeat the Intensive course as many times as necessary until they receive their recommendation. There would be no “deferral” process for the Intensive course, and there would be no limit to the number of times it could be repeated.

Of all the ideas I’ve heard on the subject, separating the Teacher Training course into two courses is the most favorable. It also creates the fewest problems of any proposed solution while addressing many of the problems that face our community. This change would increase the costs of becoming accredited, and candidates would need to devote more time to the process. However, I believe this proposal would reduce the pressure many candidates feel by ensuring their level of preparation prior to going through the formal Teacher Training course. This would allow the community to continue to hold a high standard for new teachers while allowing everyone a chance to become a teacher who feels called in this direction.

I am grateful to The Vital Force for publishing our discussion and for serving as a forum for new ideas that are critical to the growth and integrity of the T’ai Chi Chih community. Obviously, there is much more to this idea than can be discussed in a single article, and I look forward to exploring this in more depth in a panel discussion at the T’ai Chi Chih Teachers’ Conference in San Antonio. I hope all teachers will plan to participate.