Teaching Skills for the Workshop Leader 

In this 4-day hands-on course, those who aspire to teach at the professional continuing education level will prepare for the application process and delve into the principles of adult learning:

• Learn how to write and effectively use a syllabus, lesson plans and learning outcomes
• Choose and use teaching strategies that engage your students' interest
• Hone your presentation skills to bring in rave reviews
• Develop a step-by-step plan for obtaining the certification that's right for your course
  
• Come prepared to absolutely have fun and to also be satisfyingly serious.

If you are not currently teaching, but want to begin, the following is recommended:

• Minimum 4 years utilizing the modality to be taught in a full-time practice.
• Advanced certifications in the modality or approach to be taught and/or in related approaches, including certification to teach if that is customary in the modality.
• Clear cut ideas for a course to the point that parts of your ideas are already in writing and perhaps parts of it have been preliminarily taught informally.

Instructor's Note: This is a true workshop. Yes, you will get lots of information. But you will also put what you learn to use right in this workshop. Come prepared to write syllabi, learning objectives and lesson plans for your class, actually try out part of your presentation with your classmates, prepare a written plan for implementation of your marketing strategy, decide what level of certification is right for you, and if it is National Certification, actually begin to fill out the NCBTMB application in class.

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Module Descriptions:

Preparation Equals Success: It can take as much as a full year to properly prepare to teach a three-day workshop that you have never taught before. Preparation includes establishing the need for your course, determining the content, distilling the learning objectives, and professional marketing. You will learn about the essential components of such a plan. You will learn how to develop the content of your course, and to write measurable learning objectives for your students. We will discuss where to teach your class, how to prepare contracts for teaching, how to negotiate payment and record keeping.

Presentation Skills: To effectively impart knowledge to others, good presentation skills are required. The module begins with an introduction to the principles of Adult Learning Theory and an examination of the needs of the adult learner. We will also cover public speaking skills, demonstration skills, and how to effectively supervise the practice of hands-on skills that have been demonstrated.

Development and Implementation of Lesson Plans: Lesson plans are for the teacher. They reflect the instructor's preparation and planning for each workshop segment and ensure that learning objectives and priorities are adequately addressed during the time spent in class. They help the teacher to manage her time while teaching. A good lesson plan includes activities that address the different learning styles of students. We will discuss how to design lesson plans and use the NCBTMB standard form as a model for writing lesson plans.

Dynamics of The Teacher/Student Relationship: The student/teacher relationship has great impact on every individual's life. As an adult we look back on our life and gratefully savor our experience with those "great" teachers who came into our life. Their impact and influence on who we are today is often the very reason we ourselves become teachers. What was it about those outstanding teachers in our life that still brings up feelings of appreciation and connection? And how can we develop those same qualities of greatness in ourselves? We will also discuss the impact of past negative experience with teachers, both for students and ourselves and strategies for diminishing the learning mindset accompanying such experiences.

Evaluating student learning–are they getting it? Most continuing education courses offer approved hours based on attendance only; these courses provide a certificate of completion. Adult learners are self-evaluative; they want to be able to tell for themselves whether or not they have achieved the learning objectives for a course. Thus, feedback from you and to you is critical to the success of your course. You will learn how to get the feedback you need, and how to give the feedback the student needs to find out if he has achieved the course objectives. We will also review options for meeting record-keeping requirements for approved providers.

Classroom Management: We will begin with an overview of the principles of group dynamics. To manage the classroom a teacher must establish their status as an expert in the subject being taught, and step into a leadership role, facilitating the group dynamics of the classroom so that a safe environment, conducive to learning, is established. The teacher must adopt a policy for expected classroom behavior, and quickly and clearly communicate that policy to the group to ensure cooperation. We will also discuss how to deal with the disruptive student, how to distribute your attention, and how to deal with logistics in the classroom. You will have an opportunity to identify your preferred style of leadership.

Learning Outcomes

Preparation equals success:

At the conclusion of the class, participants will

• Name three ways to assess the need for your course in the massage and bodywork community.
• Write 2 measurable learning objectives/outcomes for your course.
• Begin to develop a strategy for marketing the course you plan to offer.

Presentation Skills:

At the conclusion of the class, participants will

• Describe ten characteristics of adult learners.
• Name five ways to present learning material.
• Establish usage guidelines for each style of presentation.
• Describe at least one strength and one weakness for each presentation style.
• List 3 resources for feedback on your teaching.

Development and Implementation of Lesson Plans:

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

• Complete and utilize the NCBTMB form for lesson plans.
• Choose lesson activities that address the diverse learning styles of students and accomplish the objectives of the course.
• Sequence instruction for maximum student learning.

Dynamics of the Teacher/Student Relationship: 

At the conclusion of this workshop each participant will:

• Clarify her motivation to teach.
• Gain insight into how her personality affects classroom learning.
• From the class-generated list of Characteristics of a Good Teacher, identify 5 strengths and 3 weaknesses; formulate a personal plan to address the weaknesses identified.

Evaluating student learning- are they getting it?

At the conclusion of the class, participants will

• Describe 3 strategies for obtaining information about the student's learning progression during a course.
• Be able to design a useful course feedback form.
• Be able to identify the types of testing that appropriately measure achievement.
• Name the necessary forms and information that must be maintained for approved continuing education courses.
• List all the requirements for creating and awarding a certificate to the course participants.

Classroom Management:

At the conclusion of the class, participants will

• State the key to successful classroom management.
• Identify his/her leadership style.
• Begin to develop a policy for classroom behavior.
• Recognize the characteristics of the disruptive student and build a list of strategies for dealing with specific disruptive behaviors quickly and efficiently.
• Identify your strengths and weaknesses in classroom management and choose one weakness to focus on for improvement when you next teach.

 

Agenda

Day 1
Morning 10am-11am
Introductions & overview of the course
11am-6:30pm (with a 1 ½ hours lunch break)
Presentation/Discussion: Planning and marketing your course
Written project: Fill out the Preparation Steps Worksheet

Day 2
Morning
Presentation: Bloom's Taxonomy
Learning domains
Learning Objectives
Writing a syllabus
Written project: Writing learning objectives for your class
Written project: Writing a syllabus for your class
Afternoon
Lecture/Discussion: Adult Learning Theory
Lecture: Teaching Strategies
Student presentations

Day 3
Morning
Lecture: Lesson Plans
Written Project: Writing lesson plans for your class
Work with student syllabi and lesson plans
Student Presentations, continued
Afternoon
Lecture/Discussion: Dynamics of the Student/Teacher Relationship
Dyads: Motivation Exploration
Student Presentations, continued
Work with student syllabi and lesson plans, continued

Day 4
Morning 10am-1pm
Lecture: Evaluating Student Learning
Presentation: Classroom Management
Complete student presentations, review of syllabi and lesson plans

Afternoon 2pm-4pm (optional, no-credit)
Review and complete the NCBTMB application for Continuing Education Approved Provider.