Welcome!
If you are reading this right now you've no doubt been looking for a place to get some answers or at least see what other teachers are doing about the inevitable challenges and pitfalls of teaching. Well, here we go. There is only one guarantee I can make you right from the start and that is that you will recognize yourself here in the comments, stories, successes and challenges. What we all encounter teaching is universal. We are all working with the intricacies and complexities of human nature and those don't change with teaching style. Oh, and I guess I can also guarantee you there is no one answer to any question. You will find, however, there are many wise and practical answers - it's your job (and mine if I do it right) to guide you in the direction of the answer that is authentic to you and your deepest values as a person and a teacher.
So, it's exciting. It seems to me that I know I am supposed to be teaching because it's not always easy. Kind of like being a parent - it constantly makes you reevaluate who you are, your intentions, motivations and values. In short, it's a hell of an undertaking, but worth it.
Both the Skillful Teaching website and the local Teacher's Exchange are an opportunity to help us improve those skills that often get left out of our teacher training no matter if we are Pilates, yoga, dance or any other kind of movement teacher.
The content generated here is a sounding board for articles, podcasts and audio workshops that will populate Skillfulteaching.com, so don't be shy. I want to know what's really going on in your teaching and in your studio.
Keep in mind this is a place to share good and bad - I would love to hear from you about what is important to you as a teacher: what kind of teacher do you want to be; what challenges to do you face day-to-day; what successes have you had; what inspires you to teach; what are your ongoing struggles? Make us laugh or cry - it's likely we've done both at some point in our teaching journey.
If you'd rather remain anonymous just email me at chantill@skillfulteaching.com.
With gratitude,
Chantill
Monday, February 1, 2010
Welcome to the Teacher's Exchange
The Teacher's Exchange: An opportunity to build community and support; an chance to inspire, be inspired, share and learn; a moment to slow down and share our work, to discover our roles as teachers, mentors and students.
"No one achieves anything in life on one's own." Deng Ming-Dao
The Teacher's Exchange is a small way for us as movement teachers to share the path together and support one another through challenge and success. It is so easy to get involved in the moment to moment of teaching, working and achieving that we often loose track - unintentionally - of our greater path as teachers.
I can't imagine a more important gift to be given: to be a teacher and to teach.
It is with gratitude for you that we start this endeavor. We have many hopes and ideas for what the Teacher's Exchange might become and lead to, but it is with curiosity and a sense of openness that we begin.
Teacher's Exchange is:
- First and foremost, a place to laugh, have fun, find and share the joys of teaching
- A place to share what kind of teacher you are and want to be
- A place to share what inspires you, what challenges you and just outright perplexes you
- A place to tell stories, ask questions and learn
- A place to build support for ideas, endeavors and goals
- And really anything else you imagine it to be
How we started:
Teacher's Exchange began as an idea spurred by our involvement with the Philanthropy and Outreach program for the United Pilates Collective (UPC) out of San Francisco. The UPC is a professional organization for Pilates teachers that supports teachers in their training, businesses and beyond.
The discussion of philanthropy and outreach in the Pilates community lead us to identify several areas in need of attention: scholarships for professional training; community participation, outreach and volunteerism; teacher collaboration; resources for teachers.
We have learned the hard way that starting simple is more often then not, the wisest path. So, we started the Teacher's Exchange.
So far it consists of monthly gatherings the last Sunday of each month from Noon - 2 at our studio, Pilates Collective and this Blog.
From here, we see where it takes us.
Other elements in the works:
- A forum for a quarterly column or article related to skillful teaching
- Collaboration with veteran teacher, Carol Appel, on a six month workshop series for supporting teachers beyond the Method: Beyond The Technique – Business Skills, Savvy, & Strategies For a Thriving Pilates Business.
See our website for details. pilatescollective.com. Begins February 5th, 2010.
- The Teacher's Exchange Newsletter: A Resource for Pilates Professionals.
Sign up by emailing us at info@pilatescollective.com.
We hope you will join us on this journey. You can start by sharing any thoughts you have about teaching movement whether it's Pilates or Yoga or any other kind of practice.
We can't wait to hear from you.
"No one achieves anything in life on one's own." Deng Ming-Dao
The Teacher's Exchange is a small way for us as movement teachers to share the path together and support one another through challenge and success. It is so easy to get involved in the moment to moment of teaching, working and achieving that we often loose track - unintentionally - of our greater path as teachers.
I can't imagine a more important gift to be given: to be a teacher and to teach.
It is with gratitude for you that we start this endeavor. We have many hopes and ideas for what the Teacher's Exchange might become and lead to, but it is with curiosity and a sense of openness that we begin.
Teacher's Exchange is:
- First and foremost, a place to laugh, have fun, find and share the joys of teaching
- A place to share what kind of teacher you are and want to be
- A place to share what inspires you, what challenges you and just outright perplexes you
- A place to tell stories, ask questions and learn
- A place to build support for ideas, endeavors and goals
- And really anything else you imagine it to be
How we started:
Teacher's Exchange began as an idea spurred by our involvement with the Philanthropy and Outreach program for the United Pilates Collective (UPC) out of San Francisco. The UPC is a professional organization for Pilates teachers that supports teachers in their training, businesses and beyond.
The discussion of philanthropy and outreach in the Pilates community lead us to identify several areas in need of attention: scholarships for professional training; community participation, outreach and volunteerism; teacher collaboration; resources for teachers.
We have learned the hard way that starting simple is more often then not, the wisest path. So, we started the Teacher's Exchange.
So far it consists of monthly gatherings the last Sunday of each month from Noon - 2 at our studio, Pilates Collective and this Blog.
From here, we see where it takes us.
Other elements in the works:
- A forum for a quarterly column or article related to skillful teaching
- Collaboration with veteran teacher, Carol Appel, on a six month workshop series for supporting teachers beyond the Method: Beyond The Technique – Business Skills, Savvy, & Strategies For a Thriving Pilates Business.
See our website for details. pilatescollective.com. Begins February 5th, 2010.
- The Teacher's Exchange Newsletter: A Resource for Pilates Professionals.
Sign up by emailing us at info@pilatescollective.com.
We hope you will join us on this journey. You can start by sharing any thoughts you have about teaching movement whether it's Pilates or Yoga or any other kind of practice.
We can't wait to hear from you.
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