An effective instructor should take pride in being a member in good standing of the World Institute Asian Martial Arts. Instructors should relish new challenges, understand, and support the mission, vision, and values of our organization. They should strive to maintain and exemplify the highest standards of values, ethics, and morals of a Black Belt.
An instructor should be:
- Supportive
- Patient
- Respected
- People-oriented
- A Good Motivator
- Respectful of Others
- An Effective Teacher
- Self-confident
- Professional in Actions
An effective instructor can expect his or her students to be competent, credible, ambitious, eager to learn, loyal, and candid; have a positive attitude; and be able to listen, work as a partner, keep confidence, and accept responsibilities.
As an instructor, you should be aware of the stages of instruction:
- Laying the foundation. In this first phase, the foundation is established. As the two partners get to know each other, boundaries are set as to what each expects of the connection. As they begin to know more about each other and become comfortable, trust is established. They reach a point where they can discuss things openly and honestly.
- Clarifying where they’re going. In this phase, the instructor helps the student look at realistic possibilities and options. Together they develop a plan to help the student reach his or her goals and aspirations. The instructor’s roles in this phase are primarily as coach, motivator, and teacher. He or she devotes more time to this phase than any other, focusing on providing detailed information on many workplace issues and procedures and sharing the benefits and insights of his or her experiences. It helps to give examples of good and bad experiences, share what did and did not work along the career path, and suggest pitfalls to avoid. During this time, the instructor gives a lot of praise and builds the student’s self-confidence.
Helping the Student grow:
In this stage, the instructor serves most as a counselor, guide, and door-opener. The Instructor persuades the student to find answers on their own. The instructor also prods the student to take risks, try new strategies, ask questions, and make discoveries. Some of the activities an Instructor might recommend to his or her student during this period are:
- Additional formal training that could help the student become well-rounded and aid in their advancement in the art.
- Reading books, articles, journals, and other publications to enhance their knowledge of the art or of the martial arts in general.
- Trying new projects or special assignments that serve the school and help their Instructor.
- Volunteering to cover for someone who is on vacation or official travel.
- Giving presentations in schools, demonstrations, or other events.
- Involvement in other projects, working groups, or special events
- Assuming lead instructor for a small group, and ultimately for larger project responsibilities.
- Representing the Instructor at meetings
- Attending conferences, seminars, and tournaments
- Writing an article for a newsletter, magazine, or professional publication.
- Teaching a course in martial arts for a youth center, college, university or Institute.
- Involvement in community service.