Teaching Techniques?

[sasquatchnaruto]

If you are a teacher I would greatly appreciate any testimonials of your teaching technique.I am 18 and a teacher, but I would like to be better than I am now, I hate it when I start to lose my class and I would like to not have that problem anymore among others like coming up with the next thing to do.If any teachers here would like to share theyre style or method of teaching I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[MJS]

What age group are you teaching? What are you covering when you're teaching a class? Give us some info. and we can possibly give you some ideas!!

Mike

 

[sasquatchnaruto]

Please forgive my lack of information.

Classes range from 4-13 Year old students, ranging from white to red belt.

Teach Kuk Sool Won, general kicking, punching, techniques, forms, and falling.

 

[Sin]

I teach an older class and when i am running class, I go over what sensei wants first, then i ask..."is there anything in general you wanna work on" Or "Is there anything you wanna know about our MA" Something like that. Anywho, one thing leads to another and we just talk about everything. From Forms to real life siuations.

 

[MJS]

Please forgive my lack of information.

Classes range from 4-13 Year old students, ranging from white to red belt.

Teach Kuk Sool Won, general kicking, punching, techniques, forms, and falling.

Thanks for the info. When I would teach, depending on what day it was, that would determine what was the main idea of the class. For example, Mondays were the lower ranks and that day was dedicated towards strictly rank required material. IE- Kata, SD, Punches, Kicks, etc. Tue. was the adv. class and it was the same format. Wed. was an open class, ranging from white to black. That class format was pretty much left up to whatever the inst. wanted to cover. We would however, keep a running format. For example, if we were going to be working on locks, we'd make sure during warm ups to stretch the wrists, then slowly progress into various locks, and eventually ending with a tech. that had that lock in it. There were days when rather than doing the basics with everyone lined up, we'd break into 4 different stations..one having punches, one having kicks, one working on SD, and another on kata. We'd devote a certain amount of time to each station and then switch. Other days we'd working on falling, rolling, etc.

One thing that might be of a help is to pre-plan your class. The day before, sit down and write out what you want to do. Example- If the class is an hour. 10 min warm up, 20 min punches/kicks, 15 min each on kata and SD.

You're teaching kids, so another thing to keep in mind, is that you need to keep their attention and keep the class fun!!!! Once you loose control of the class, its hard to get that control back. Our 4yo program was a half hour and the kids 45min.

I hope that this was a help. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!

Mike

 

[loki09789]

One thing that might be of a help is to pre-plan your class. The day before, sit down and write out what you want to do. Example- If the class is an hour. 10 min warm up, 20 min punches/kicks, 15 min each on kata and SD.

You're teaching kids, so another thing to keep in mind, is that you need to keep their attention and keep the class fun!!!! Once you loose control of the class, its hard to get that control back. Our 4yo program was a half hour and the kids 45min.

I hope that this was a help. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!

Mike

MJS is right on the money. Do you have 4 and up on the floor at the same time? I hope not because that is a tough thing to manage. I if you do and are doing fundamentals, I would say use the junior belts as 'class leaders' and have them lead small groups where the youngsters are dispersed and older students can get responsibility/leadership lessons mixed into their technical training. This reduces how much you have to 'teach' to each one and allows you to circulate. Make sure that you specify 2/3 things that you want them to correct or reinforce with each activity.

The other thing thing that might make the time seem faster and break up the 'long time' into smaller junks (more conducive to the short attention span that MJS mentioned) by doing this in 'stations.' Have corners of the floor or something set up as 'block stations/punch stations....' what have you and time how long each group spends at each station (shorter for younger groups, longer for older groups, but judge length also by interest... if they start talking and stop working, time to move) and then have them rotate to the next station. You would be amazed at how that simple shift of perspective can recharge your attention span (esp. for kids.).

Throwing in a 'word of the night' theme might jazz it up too. For example, when you say the word "Cup cake" (dorky sounding words in a training environment seem to keep them laughing) they have to do 10 push ups, ten crunches, 10 lunges and 10 jumping jacks and then go right back to work can be like an extended 'simon says' game. It is also completely self defense relatable because we, as aware people, have to be able to recongize and respond to environmental stimuli accurately...this will train/reinforce that skill in a fun/non threatening way (some times you can make it very specifically self defense like as well).

Hope that helps.

 

[KenpoTex]

I help teach one of the kids classes at my studio and there are times that it can be a handful. My advice would be to "keep things moving." In other words, don't stick to any one drill long enough for them to get bored (some days this will mean doing a lot of switching around ). As soon as you see their attention start to lapse, switch to something else. This doesn't mean that you have to quit working on what you were doing, just work it a different way. For example, If we were working wheel-kicks (lead-leg roundhouse) we might have them do the kicks from their normal lines, when they start getting bored we will switch to a game called "kick the can" where they try to lightly kick each other on the butt or on the thigh using the wheel-kick. Same kick, different approach. This is just one example, you can come up with similar stuff for just about anything.

 

[sifu Adams]

I have been teaching ADD/AdHD kids for over 5 years now. One of my black belt students use to teach in a school for ADD/ ADHD kids. They were using breathing tech. and persure points to help control the kids. However they did not know what they were doing. The teachers were just taught to do the tech. My student and I built a program off it. here's some tech to try. and let me know how they work out (a_r_adams@msn.com) because we are working on the book now.

We found that if you have the students
1. rub the ears it will calm them down.
2. Calf streches will also calm them down.
3. when you need them to stop talking have them put thier first finger on their upper lip and push in. this activats a pressure point the will help with focusing.
We also use 6 sound chi kong. from master Jin Foon Mark. You can stemulat the liver meridian by having them put both hands on their stomic and breath in and out using thier stomic. (I tell them to make themselfs fat then skinny) on the exhale have them make the SSSSS sound. this will vibrat the liver organ which will send gucose to the front part of the brain which is needed for learning and focasing.

If any one wont more information on the program let me know I will send you some of the pages all I ask is you let me know how it works for you.

 

[loki09789]

I have been teaching ADD/AdHD kids for over 5 years now. One of my black belt students use to teach in a school for ADD/ ADHD kids. They were using breathing tech. and persure points to help control the kids. However they did not know what they were doing. The teachers were just taught to do the tech. My student and I built a program off it. here's some tech to try. and let me know how they work out (a_r_adams@msn.com) because we are working on the book now.

We found that if you have the students
1. rub the ears it will calm them down.
2. Calf streches will also calm them down.
3. when you need them to stop talking have them put thier first finger on their upper lip and push in. this activats a pressure point the will help with focusing.
We also use 6 sound chi kong. from master Jin Foon Mark. You can stemulat the liver meridian by having them put both hands on their stomic and breath in and out using thier stomic. (I tell them to make themselfs fat then skinny) on the exhale have them make the SSSSS sound. this will vibrat the liver organ which will send gucose to the front part of the brain which is needed for learning and focasing.

If any one wont more information on the program let me know I will send you some of the pages all I ask is you let me know how it works for you.

My chiropractor has a 'touch for life' chart (euro/steal of pressure point therapy) and has literature on the same applications... is the program you designed self created or modelled after an already existing program?

I use some of these same pressure points with my parents dog as well.

 

[sifu Adams]

The tech. that we use in the program are for Tai Chi, Yoga, Breathing Meditation, Chi Kong, and the study of pressure points. The program has been put together thru trial and error. The program goes beond the breathing tech. Ex. most Add/ADHD kids use only one side of the brain. Many doctors send kids to martial arts schools for seveal reasons. They don't know why the martial arts works they just know it works. In our study we found that most young kids and ADD/ADHA kids have uncontroled energy that run thourgh the body. we also learn that a kid that is a "Bully" or "into sports" use one side of the brain oposed to the the kid that is "book Smart" or "neard" use the other side of the brain. If you been in martial arts veary long you know that these two kids can get a long and will find a happy median in the martial arts. The reason is in martial arts we balance them (some styles more than others). Are you ready for this? we found in our study that any time you cross center point of the body you use both sides of the brain. That means that you will use both sides of the brain when you block your "center line" with your arm or if you punch with the right hand and kick with the left foot in a combination. After a few months of this the students begin to build the week part of the brain.

 

[sifu Adams]

Sorry, back to your question. we have used seval modles and put them together to develop the program.

 

[loki09789]

The tech. that we use in the program are for Tai Chi, Yoga, Breathing Meditation, Chi Kong, and the study of pressure points. The program has been put together thru trial and error. The program goes beond the breathing tech. Ex. most Add/ADHD kids use only one side of the brain. Many doctors send kids to martial arts schools for seveal reasons. They don't know why the martial arts works they just know it works. In our study we found that most young kids and ADD/ADHA kids have uncontroled energy that run thourgh the body. we also learn that a kid that is a "Bully" or "into sports" use one side of the brain oposed to the the kid that is "book Smart" or "neard" use the other side of the brain. If you been in martial arts veary long you know that these two kids can get a long and will find a happy median in the martial arts. The reason is in martial arts we balance them (some styles more than others). Are you ready for this? we found in our study that any time you cross center point of the body you use both sides of the brain. That means that you will use both sides of the brain when you block your "center line" with your arm or if you punch with the right hand and kick with the left foot in a combination. After a few months of this the students begin to build the week part of the brain.

Good stuff. I would recommend that you contact a local Child Psych or some other 'brain expert' on the subject though.

Your theory in general is very substantially rooted in Wholistic medicine/Eastern approaches, but the 1/2 brain explanations are not totally accurate in relation to ADHD and the multiple intelligence/'book smart' vs. 'sport smart' explanations.

ADHD/ADD and other impulse/attention related disorders are linked to the regulatory part of the brain near/in the hypothalemus (sp? - please forgive any inaccuracies in my explanation, it's been awhile since my ed psych classes where this stuff was covered.) not in the hemispheres.

Also, there have been some great studies that have expanded/articulated the hemisphere idea beyond the basic explanation of 'left brain is logical/linear' and 'right brain is abstract' as it has been presented in the past. The new info might help tighten your program all the more, as well as open new possibilities for you based on the learning. Some medical research that supports the Chi/Bioelectrical link also discovered that there are part of the body/systems that are regulated by primitive 'brains' that allow those parts to stay in operation even when the 'big brain' is broken in some way (coma, concussion, stroke, ....).

I like your idea of 'crossing the centerline' in terms of body awareness/balancing. Even in active learning activities (either classroom or training floor) there are so many benefits to making people 'do it with their left hand' so to speak. The mental juices get challenged and your brain power improves because you are forcing it to work from a different 'side' or perspective - REALLY kicks up the kinesthetic awareness/coordination factor. I would imagine within the Chi/life force theory of therapy that same benefit is attested to as well.

One question: Have you had any negative reactions to the pressure point/breath control applications during the program development? What discoveries did you make and how did you change it to take it into a positive direction.

This is really interesting BTW. I don't mean to hijack the thread. If more appropriate, we could start a separate thread if it is going to be very involved in explanation.

 

[sifu Adams]

You are right. I generalized it because most people do not understand the brain in deapth. there is a section in the book that explains the brain and how it relates to what we are doing. We have worked with Doctors, Phy, and Ciropractors in the development of the programs. my Student has done most of the reserch on the brain and can indepth explain how it effects it. I like the idea of starting a new thread. I have only been Martial talk for three days but have found some interesting points. Not sure how everything works but i will learn. If you start a new thread I will work with my student and have him join in. As for negitive reation. Ya, we had some. As will all martial arts we found some tech if done can cause the kids to bounce off the walls. Some of the Hsing-I tech. we tryed has that reaction. My Student Kieth Lykins used it in his class room over the past few years. when he would get ready to send his class out to play he would use these tech to pump them up and when they came back in he would calm the back down.

 

[loki09789]

You are right. I generalized it because most people do not understand the brain in deapth. there is a section in the book that explains the brain and how it relates to what we are doing. We have worked with Doctors, Phy, and Ciropractors in the development of the programs. my Student has done most of the reserch on the brain and can indepth explain how it effects it. I like the idea of starting a new thread. I have only been Martial talk for three days but have found some interesting points. Not sure how everything works but i will learn. If you start a new thread I will work with my student and have him join in. As for negitive reation. Ya, we had some. As will all martial arts we found some tech if done can cause the kids to bounce off the walls. Some of the Hsing-I tech. we tryed has that reaction. My Student Kieth Lykins used it in his class room over the past few years. when he would get ready to send his class out to play he would use these tech to pump them up and when they came back in he would calm the back down.

Cool. Your explanation and referencing the book are enough to answer my questions/concerns. I don't think a whole thread is necessary as long as I can check out the text.

Is any of the technical stuff self administered or is it all applied by a second personn/teacher. Reason I am asking is because of the 'molestation' hypersensitivity surrounding education and children. I could see a parent misinterpret any ministrations as 'inappropriate' because of ignorance or a million other reasons. Also, self administered tech's would put the student in the 'personal power' range of learning - even with ADHD/ADD kids, there are some self regulatory skills - just take longer.

 

[sifu Adams]

No, No, No we don't touch the kids they do all of it to themselfs.!!!!! If you would like to view some of the text email me at a_r_adams@msn.com. I will send you some of the pages. We are having a editor reviewing it so it will be a few month before we can get it to print. We just got the copyright last month.