The TCC Habit

After the third class, I realized some of the students just were not doing the daily practice.

SOLUTION:

After review practice at the fourth class, I explained that in addition to learning the movements and the “how” of doing them, there remained something else of great importance. What good is TCC if we do not practice? In order for me to do the very best for each student, it is necessary to help each student establish the TCC daily habit (practice).

I asked them if they wanted to play the “homework” game.

THE GAME:

“Your homework is to practice each day through the next class. That will be six practice sessions on your own. There is no time requirement for your practice.”

“You will be asked if you did your homework either here in class or in private as you choose. You will answer yes or you will give one reason why you failed to do your homework. No one in class is interested in your reason. They could care less, but this gives you an opportunity to be with your response. This way you hear your excuse, whatever it is, and face yourself with the answer. You will get to examine where you are coming from on this daily practice discipline of TCC. Any questions? Who wants to play?”

Each student committed to play the game with reports to be made in class. I then gave each student a calendar page (copy) for the next four classes (November). They were instructed to place the calendar in a place where they could not miss seeing it each morning. This served as a reminder. They were to mark the practice for each day on the calendar as completed.

RESULTS:

It was never necessary to take class time for individual reports. Each student owned a commitment made in class. They kept their commitments as best they could. Eye contact with each student and reference to the calendar was sufficient to nudge each one gently into the habit of TCC.

At the conclusion of the eighth class, I told the students their commitment in class was now complete. I told them they each now owned the three elements of TCC: the movements, the “how” of the movements, and the habit of daily practice. With that, I tore up the November calendar and thanked them for completion for themselves, and for allowing me to do the very best for each of them.

The certificates of completion were given to the students with the reminder that entitlement to many hours of regular personal practice is their commitment to themselves and to the daily TCC practice.