New teacher prep requirements

This and the last issue of The Vital Force have included an ongoing discussion of the challenges that affect the T’ai Chi Chih teacher candidate preparation and training process. I’ve also held discussions at length about this matter with Justin Stone as well as Teacher Trainers Sandy McAlister and Pam Towne. We all agree that continuing to hand out deferrals to unprepared candidates is not a viable option for the future. I’ve also engaged teachers in the discussion at each of the events that I have led this year to seek input from the community, and have received numerous cards, letters and e-mail messages from teachers and students as well.

Recently, a thorough discussion on the subject was held at the annual T’ai Chi Chih Teachers’ Conference in San Antonio. The problem was clearly defined and the spectrum of potential solutions was thoroughly discussed. An opinion by Justin Stone on how to solve the problem was also provided to every teacher, and all attendees were given the opportunity to contribute to the discussion. As I had hoped, the discussion led to a new suggestion by several people, and I feel this will address the problem in the most productive way. As a result, the following changes will be made to the Teacher Training registration policy beginning with all Teacher Training courses offered in 2003:

1. All candidates who wish to attend a T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Training course will need to get two teachers to verify that they are well-prepared and sign a referral form. The first referral signature will come from the student’s personal instructor, preferably after completing a thorough teacher candidate preparation course. The second (counter-signature) referral will come from any other accredited T’ai Chi Chih teacher after having reviewed the candidate’s movements. This process is already being used with great success in many areas of the community.

2. Once both referral signatures have been received, candidates will have six months to attend a Teacher Training course. Candidates who do not attend a Teacher Training course during that timeframe will need to get another referral form signed (by two instructors) and the six-month countdown will start over again.

3. All courses will be offered on a “Pass / Fail” basis. No more deferrals will be handed out.

4. Candidates who are unable to pass the Teacher Training course will be able to retake the course as many times as necessary to receive their accreditation. However, no discounts will be available as course fees pay for space rental and compensate course hosts and instructors for their time. My hope is that a scholarship fund may one day be available for this purpose.

In addition, the T’ai Chi Chih community will begin offering T’ai Chi Chih Intensive courses to allow serious students and teacher candidates an opportunity to deepen their personal practice. These four-day courses will focus on making detailed refinements and discussing the underlying philosophy of the T’ai Chi Chih movements. The course instructors for these Intensives will be Teacher Trainers or the Head of the T’ai Chi Chih community. The course will be open to:

• T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Training candidates
• Advanced T’ai Chi Chih students who have practiced the movements for at least one year
• Accredited T’ai Chi Chih Teachers may also audit as space permits

The T’ai Chi Chih Intensive course will not be required, but will be made available for those who wish to work closely with a Teacher Trainer or the Head of the T’ai Chi Chih Community. In order to allow attendees to get the most from this intensive course, enrollment will be limited, and attendees will need to be recommended by their teacher. This will help keep the focus on exploring the deeper aspects of the practice rather than on simply learning the T’ai Chi Chih movements as a beginner.

At the end of the intensive, the course instructor will assess the strengths and weaknesses of the attendees and will provide a second referral signature for those who are ready to proceed to a Teacher Training course. Students will be able to repeat this course as many times as desired.

The changes outlined above were designed to reduce the number of ill-prepared candidates coming to Teacher Training courses. Having another accredited teacher examine the candidate’s movements should help identify those who need further time and instruction before attending a course. The cornerstone of the preparation process remains the referring teacher, and the best way teachers can make sure they understand these requirements is to renew their practice by attending or auditing events themselves. It is absolutely essential that accredited teachers understand what is expected of a well-prepared candidate as they are responsible to make sure the students they send are able to pass the course.

Referral Fee No Longer In Effect

I also wanted to let all accredited teachers know that the referral stipend that is currently sent when a candidate becomes accredited will no longer be in effect beginning in 2003. Once two referring teachers are required, the process will be too complex, and nearly every teacher I’ve spoken with about it feels this fee should be eliminated.

The timing for this change is particularly noteworthy, as rising costs for space rental have made it nearly impossible to offer Teacher Training courses in certain high-population areas. Unfortunately, these are the areas with a large number of students, and the community needs to be able to continue to offer courses there. At the beginning of 1998, course instruction time at teacher trainings was increased from 22 to nearly 35 hours, and maximum course size allowed has also been reduced as of January 2002 to make sure everyone receives personalized instruction from the Teacher Trainer. Though these changes were intended to make the course more valuable to candidates, they have also made it even more expensive to host a successful T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Training course.

As a result, the money that was previously allocated to the referral fee will now be used to address the rising costs of courses without increasing the T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Training course fees. I know it was particularly important to Justin that an increase in course fees be avoided if at all possible, and I’m pleased to be able to accommodate his request.

I want to thank all the T’ai Chi Chih teachers and students who have participated in this discussion. Your input and feedback have been invaluable to me in reaching what I feel is a balanced approach to the challenges we are facing. I also want to thank Justin Stone for his guidance and support. Lastly, I want to thank the teacher candidates themselves who are the future of our growing community. My goal as the Head of the T’ai Chi Chih Community is to make sure you gain the most from the accreditation process, and that you are well-equipped as you begin teaching the T’ai Chi Chih movements to your own students.