Hints for New Teachers

Reprinted with permission from The New Mexico T’ai Chi Chih News, November, 2002.

You have just completed your Teacher’s Training Course, have polished your own practice, and have learned how to teach others. Having just received your accreditation, you now face the problem of how to form classes. Here are a few suggestions:

You have been prepared, in the Course just completed, to give presentations to large general groups or, perhaps, to small special audiences. Your presentation must be good, and you must look good while moving, so that members of the audience will say, “Oh, I’d like to move like that!” Be sure to refer to your own experiences in learning T’ai Chi Chih, and to tell the listeners of the benefits you have received from your practice. Personal experience goes over much better than abstract philosophy. If you refer to how the CHI flows through the meridian channels, be sure you know what you’re talking about. Also, tell them that if the practice is not soft, and does not flow effortlessly through heavy air, the meridian channels will close up and make it difficult for the CHI to flow through them. You might add that this flow of CHI connects with the ears, and it is because of this flow that Chinese doctors are now able to perform serious operations without anesthesia. This CHI, called PRANA in Sanskrit, is the modus operandi for creation and sustainer of life. Nothing can be more beneficial than the circulation and balancing of the CHI, the purpose of T’ai Chi Chih practice.

If your sincerity comes through to the audience, you will sign up people for classes. Don’t ask what dates they prefer; just offer them a choice of several scheduled classes, and tell them the price of the eight meetings that make up a class. At present, the charge for courses probably ranges from $60 to $100. If you give private classes for one or two, charge them the amount you would receive for an average course of seven or eight students. You are offering something valuable; do not underrate yourself.

In every town there are radio talk shows, and they want an interesting guest as much as you want to be that guest. Early in T’ai Chi Chih’s history I was scheduled for a short appearance on a radio show in Los Angeles that reached the entire state of California. The hostess was very interested, and, instead of conversing for fifteen minutes, we took up the whole hour and one half. Later in the day, when I visited the Sai Baba Center (where I was teaching classes), I found my two friends busy on the phone, talking to people from all over the state, with many more sitting in chairs in my friend’s office. From that 8 a.m. broadcast on a Saturday morning came FIFTEEN weekly classes, which furnished most of the candidates for the first Teachers’ Training class. It was a turning point at the beginning of T’ai Chi Chih. Everybody is interested in what T’ai Chi Chih has to offer — just do a good job in presenting it. After your first few classes you will find that students have recommended new students. Don’t underestimate what you are presenting!

In the beginning I had success with short ads placed in classified sections of newspapers. Just one provacative statement, very inexpensive, together with a phone number can get a reaction. When someone calls, be sure to sound convincing. A typical ad might read: “Enter the Cosmic Energy with T’ai Chi Chih. Simple movements align you with Universal Energy for longer life, better health, and JOY THRU MOVEMENT.” (Add the telephone number and time to call.)

There are many other ways of presentation to groups such as Parent-Teacher, Senior Citizens, Groups from some company, etc. Get off your butt and get out there and sell yourself! You will be benefitting others!