Teachers and Students
Wolfeye,
I can totally agree with what you said. In the end, if the teacher cannot
provide that which the student seeks, or the teacher gets caught in their
"fraud" (so to speak) then it all works out. It just bothers me that it has to be that way. But maybe the other side of this coin is that it weeds out those seeking the quick path from those who truly want to learn. Then again, in my experience, most people dont really have enough correct information to make an informed decision. So they fall for it. All I can do is teach as openly as I can, provide as much correct info as I am able, and let the student walk with me. I can't drag them along.
I know I am not alone in this predicament. Other teachers I have talked to see the same thing daily. What really gets me, is that back here at home, there are numerous teachers (real instructors with real lineage and training), who have to "fight" to maintain or gain students, while those that "play the game" get flooded with students.
I have taught all over this area at more that 10 different facilities. In the past 8 yrs, I have had contact with over 200 people willing and wanting to learn, yet none do. At the same time, there is one person in particular, (and I know for a fact his knowledge is slim - cause he attended one of my classes and I saw for myself his knowledge base) who gets tons of students at a local facility. I cannot figure out what is so different between what he is doing and what am doing and have done. I have never confronted this person, and I do NOT intend to - it just sort of gets to you.
I have tried to use this issue as a way to better myself. Sort of a success thru failure mode. If I could figure it out, maybe I might have more students.
But I dont know. I hold to the fact that these arts are not learned overnight, and no amount of pleading by the student will change that. It requires hard work and perserverence over time - I explain that in classes. I tell them that the flashy stuff you may get now may look good, but its not the art and it wont support you. Its the "core" knowledge that makes these arts what they are. With that core, all things are possible. I have never held back on my knowledge, I show it all, explain it all, tell them that it may seem hard at first, but keep at it, and it gets better, and in time, you will understand.
While I dont water my art down, I have broken the information up in to pieces that can learned and understood easily. I have found ways for the student to learn what I want them to learn that does not take a lot of effort,
while still not diluting the material. Doing this is fun in a way cause it challenges me as the teacher to find a method that works for "that" person... and in the end only makes me a better teacher!
dont read me wrong here. I am probably the most open and information giving teacher around. I hold nothing back, I show it, I demonstrate it, I help them every step of the way, and I give them the info and references they need to really learn.
Have you any teaching experience? If so, lets hear your horror stories. Have any student gaining suggestions? I have tried so many different approaches.
I even went so far as to use my experience with Leukemia as a class. (I didnt like that idea - Internal Arts For Cancer, but I tried it.)
Got any suggestions? Lets hear them!
RLM
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