Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Thinking Ahead

You have studied and lived something for decades. Within certain circles and for certain applications, you are getting recognition as an authority. In ten days you will be given an audience of 100 people ranging from beginners to experts. You will be one of a dozen teachers. You will have one hour.

Do you teach the beautiful historic roots of your specialty?

Do you give the talk that has led to your recognition?

Do you present your latest epiphany?

Do you get them out on the mat and make them sweat?

Demonstrate at real-life speed and ferocity?

Try to teach them to see?

Give them a single, solid building block of technique?

Introduce them to the new teaching methodology?

Do all of these? Some of these?

Or get out there on the mat and just wing it- Let's play!

Technique, principles or scenario based?

On the plane trip I will, as usual, outline a dozen possible classes, prepare notes, list equipment. Then I'll probably wing it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As long as the focus is on 'me' (what do I give them, what do I present) then you will give them what you most need to understand - and this is a good thing, it's what attracts us to teaching. But, perhaps, mutual eurekas can occur. You walk in the room/on the mat, you see the class, their expectant faces, some with hope, some with skepticism, boredom, challenge, stubbornness, fear; and an emotion, most always subtle, wells up. This emotion is your intuition talking to you, allowing instinct, knowledge, skill to be expressed through pure intention. Spontaneously, the knowledge flows, teacher is connected with student at a deep level. Learning and growth commence.