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Teacher qualifications
I'm interested in what people think are minimum qualifications for teachers in massage schools. What does it take to teach at the entry level in a career school? What in particular would be qualifications to teach massage modalities? Is that different from minimum qualifications to teach the sciences, or the so-called softer courses of business, ethics and communications?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Nickie Scott on
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One thing that would be helpful to students and teachers is to have clear guidelines as to what is necessary for students to know when by the time they have finished school and to have universal access to lecture material from the best teachers in the field. Hands on courses are probably easiest to teach and the most fun for the students and the teacher. The intellectual portions of the program are the most problematic. As a field I would love to see us have a national database of online instruction for these courses that the schools and students could access for a fee. We could have the most engaging and experienced teachers presenting this peer reviewed instruction that would be consistent throughout. The schools could then have a compassionate consensus builder that would help walk the students through the in class assignments when necessary. It would save the schools and students a tremendous amount of time and energy. All of the major universities are pushing their courses online. Through podcasting and videocasting we could have a wealth of information available that has been peer reviewed. The money saved on gas alone for the students and the teachers would enormous, not to mention the reduction of green house gasses and time spent. Online tutoring could be provided, In fact LLW already has online tutoring for their internet supported texts. Massage teachers could then concentrate on creating safe, healthy, peaceful environments for their students to grow and learn in. Poorer countries could be given access to this central data base to support their work in the field and everyone from the school, teacher, student and general public would benefit. A win, win, win situation for everyone. Publishing companies have already stepped up their efforts in the field. LLW and Mosby's are leading the way with their internet supported texts from excellent teachers like Patricia Benjamin, Sandy Fritz and Leon Chaitow to name a few. We are wasting time now in duplicating efforts by being separate individual entities. While independence certainly sparks creativity once the creative spark has matured and been proven to be effective we need a more efficient cost effective way to bring it to the students and ultimately the people we are caring for. Once again Jan thanks for your excellent efforts.
Jan Schwartz said:It's interesting that you say this as a school owner Nickie--and I'm glad to hear you say it. I'm not sure about the length of time needed in the field, but I am sure that we need better qualified teachers. My previous massage school employer (corporate) did a lot of manipulating in order to push out good, seasoned teachers for two reasons: 1. they cost more, and 2. they complained more about the lack of quality (or in the employer's words, were trouble makers).
On the other hand, the employer I had before that, the sole proprietor of a massage school and a massage therapist herself, insisted on a formal teacher training program for new teachers and a mentoring program for all teachers. They were both mandatory. The teacher training program was taught by someone who was not a massage therapist, but who had a Ph.D. and had been a teacher for 25 years in higher ed and in career schools. Made all the difference in the world for the students and for the self-esteem and confidence of the teachers. There were other requirements too in terms of the subjects taught, but everyone had to be trained as a teacher.
Nickie Scott said:Thank you Jan for starting this discussion. This subject is probably more important than what the qualifications should be for a massage therapist. I own a small massage school and have been teaching for ten years now. I feel that I am just now learning how to teach effectively to a diverse group of students. Adult education is a tough field to work in because we are working with a lot of personal history. I had thirteen years in the field before I began to teach. I wish I would have taken some courses on how to teach adults in school before I started the school. I think that a minimum of ten years in the massage field full time should be the starting point. Any vocation would recognize that as a journey-person level, twenty years in the field would seem to be a master level practitioner. The teacher might only be a master of a specific modality though and we need to recognize this. This still doesn't mean that this person would be a good teacher. As a profession we should have training programs to train teachers. How many hours of training would be the question then? If the average minimum to become a massage therapist is 500 hours them maybe we should start there for teachers.
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Permalink Reply by massagenerd on
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At the school I teach at they require: 3 or more years of experience, Nationally board certified and an associate degree in massage.
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Ray on
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Very insightful conversation. A bit about who is chattering you up here...I was trained in the traditions of Stone Medicine www.SacredStoneMedicine.com for over 20 years before I was allowed to teach another person about how stones should be moved on the human body. Of course there was a formal education along side this apprenticeship that was helpful in learning a variety of teaching techniques... and all this leads me to believe that...
National and International Educator (Schools and continuing education providers) Certification as well as Instructor Certification is a must. To reach every school in the world and try to improve on what is happening with our modality at first looked impossible. But I have been joined by 5 other talented individuals who for the past three years have been helping create an International Certification program for Geothermal Therapy (hot and cold stone education systems and their instructors, practitioners, vendors and employers). www.StoneWalkersAssociation.com
We are only one modality but this seemed the best way to protect our little corner of the massage world. Hot and Cold stones are thought of by some as a sweet little spa foo-foo treatment....
genuine Geothermal Therapy involves more anatomy and physiology (especially as it relates to contraindications) than massage schools are offering, more science than hydrotherapy has even managed to research, more sports and deep tissue education than has been available in continuing education and most important...MORE RISK than any modality in the massage industry.
Insurance companies are dropping liability coverage for many forms of hot and cold stone massage because under educated practitioners fresh from massage school with 12 hours of lecture are being certified by Nationals (NCBTMB) and set free to buy a box of rocks and go to work....causing third degree burns! Even worse is the practitioner who has never had any education and buys that box of rocks with a DVD (receiving CE credits from Nationals!) and has no idea what a contraindication for specific temperatures might be, let alone how many degrees of temperature is safe for the human body, for what length of time and with what amount of pressure?!
There are many unsafe sanitation systems in use that are fully accepted by licensing boards and do not even require inspections. When I was in the Hairdressing business my salon had state inspections twice a year to see if our comb sanitize was strong enough to protect the client from head lice!
Spa's in Greece and Turkey have been closed due to MRSA out breaks that were blamed on unsanitary stones....
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understanding-mrs...
much more serious than head lice!
Massage schools who do not have certified instructors are putting all of us at risk...Those of us who have spent years working in the safe temperature ranges, using effective hygiene and sanitation systems and who understand the multifaceted contraindications when using temperatures and pressure on the body...may soon find our modality taken off of the professional market by insurance companies refusing to cover us which makes our state license invalid!
We may be an extreme case but I dare say it is possible that all massage therapy could be in for some difficult times as the struggling economy has insurance companies looking to reduce expenses (risks). We are building the first National and International Education/Instructors Certification program. Yes it is modality specific, but if we can do it so can a group of you who are willing to work hard for little to no pay and no sleep!! and maybe even go into debt :) but you will be rewarded with the knowledge that you are able to give back to your industry and protect it for future generations.... and I think some of you may be in this conversation...
Blessings All,
Jenny Ray
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Permalink Reply by Marla Bishop on
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I have been researching pediatric massage for nine years and have developed a technique to teach others. What is the best way to get the class qualified for CE's? I would like to go ahead and offer it to therapist, but not sure if one would be interested if they are not getting credit. Thanks! Marla Bishop
Laura Allen said:I teach Ethics as well, and I serve on our state board. I beg to differ about therapists being prone to violations. The nature of what we do, placing our hands on naked and otherwise vulnerable people, puts us in a position that no one else is in, except for doctors and nurses who do the same. There are multiple disciplinary hearings here at every board meeting for people who have been accused of an ethics violation, nine times out of ten something sexual. While we all want to believe that everyone who comes into this profession comes with the intent of helping people, the fact is there are predators among us who have figured out that this is a good way to meet an ongoing fresh crop of victims. The questions I get from students in my continuing education classes make it evident that either their education in that area was very lacking, or they just don't understand the implications of a violation, for themselves or the client.
As for A&P, pathology etc, I find few people without a college education who are what I could refer to as a qualified science instructor. My own anatomy teacher, when I attended massage school, couldn't pronounce half the terms. I used to get so incensed at his lack of knowledge; he'd stutter around and finally say, "you know what I mean." One day I snapped and said, "Yes, I do know what you mean, and I'm paying you to say it, so I expect some professionalism." He was replaced in short order after a number of complaints.
I have found many therapists lacking in their knowledge of the sciences, especially those who were grandfathered in at time of licensure and may have had no formal education at all, or those who come from states with no requirements. I also teach prep classes for passing the exams, and I have had students in my class who have already failed 3,4,5,6 times because they are incapable of answering the questions. They may have the touch, but they don't have the knowledge. I'm not saying they can't give a good massage, but I would prefer to receive a massage from someone who knows what my psoas is and where's it's located.
Noel Norwick said:I believe this should depend on what topic one is proposing to teach and possibly on the level (beginner, intermediate, advanced/CE) and prior educational attainment of one's typical student.
1. Entry level - this typically is determined by State requirement for vocational educators.
2. Massage modalities - This is troublesome because of the numerous trademarked/legally protected modalities and the reality that clients (and many massage practitioners) don't generally know how to distinguish or clearly describe the techniques used by one modality from those used by the myriad others.
3. Sciences - Since clients don't typically expect/want a specialist's perspective re anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc., this does not appear to require a University degree.
4. Business, ethics & communication - My opinion in this area is highly biased. I'm an MBA with 30 plus years of corporate/entrepreneurial experience and 9 years experience teaching this topic to massage students and supervising a student intern clinic in California. Put briefly:
a. I don't find massage students/practitioners uniquely prone to ethical violations
b. There appears to be a vast and irreconcilable difference between the personality of one who is judged by clients to be a "world-class" massage practitioner and one who is a successful business person (highly paid professional).
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Permalink Reply by vinny andrews on
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There are two things that Massage teachers ought to possess to teach entry level massage therapy in a career school: 1. Experience (some years, perhaps 3 or so)
2. The ability to communicate, to engage students, to share their own passion for massage, to excite and encourage stuents...in other words... the ability to teach.
The teachers from whom I learned the most, were those who loved massage, and were able to communicate that love. That, above all, is what inspired me.
My mother was a wonderful teacher in elementary school. She was of an age where only two years of college was needed to teach. (she got her associates degree in 1929 or 30).
When she passed away in 1984 I was amazed at the number of former students who came to the wake or funeral, and the extraordinary variety of comments of just how wonderful she was as a teacher! (she'd only attended "normal" school, the pre-cursor to two year colleges).
I suppose my point is that teachers above all...ought to have the ability to teach; to communicate, to share their passion.
Let us not go down the road of considering qualifications as simply documents or certifications.
I am currently in my fourth year of teaching at a MA massage school and my 11th year of private practice.
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Permalink Reply by Laura Allen on
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Marla, except for a few states like Florida and Nebraska (and there may be others I am not aware of) that require their own approval process, most boards expect you to be approved as a provider by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. You can download the application at the website at www.ncbtmb.org
Marla Bishop said:I have been researching pediatric massage for nine years and have developed a technique to teach others. What is the best way to get the class qualified for CE's? I would like to go ahead and offer it to therapist, but not sure if one would be interested if they are not getting credit. Thanks! Marla Bishop
Laura Allen said:I teach Ethics as well, and I serve on our state board. I beg to differ about therapists being prone to violations. The nature of what we do, placing our hands on naked and otherwise vulnerable people, puts us in a position that no one else is in, except for doctors and nurses who do the same. There are multiple disciplinary hearings here at every board meeting for people who have been accused of an ethics violation, nine times out of ten something sexual. While we all want to believe that everyone who comes into this profession comes with the intent of helping people, the fact is there are predators among us who have figured out that this is a good way to meet an ongoing fresh crop of victims. The questions I get from students in my continuing education classes make it evident that either their education in that area was very lacking, or they just don't understand the implications of a violation, for themselves or the client.
As for A&P, pathology etc, I find few people without a college education who are what I could refer to as a qualified science instructor. My own anatomy teacher, when I attended massage school, couldn't pronounce half the terms. I used to get so incensed at his lack of knowledge; he'd stutter around and finally say, "you know what I mean." One day I snapped and said, "Yes, I do know what you mean, and I'm paying you to say it, so I expect some professionalism." He was replaced in short order after a number of complaints.
I have found many therapists lacking in their knowledge of the sciences, especially those who were grandfathered in at time of licensure and may have had no formal education at all, or those who come from states with no requirements. I also teach prep classes for passing the exams, and I have had students in my class who have already failed 3,4,5,6 times because they are incapable of answering the questions. They may have the touch, but they don't have the knowledge. I'm not saying they can't give a good massage, but I would prefer to receive a massage from someone who knows what my psoas is and where's it's located.
Noel Norwick said:I believe this should depend on what topic one is proposing to teach and possibly on the level (beginner, intermediate, advanced/CE) and prior educational attainment of one's typical student.
1. Entry level - this typically is determined by State requirement for vocational educators.
2. Massage modalities - This is troublesome because of the numerous trademarked/legally protected modalities and the reality that clients (and many massage practitioners) don't generally know how to distinguish or clearly describe the techniques used by one modality from those used by the myriad others.
3. Sciences - Since clients don't typically expect/want a specialist's perspective re anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc., this does not appear to require a University degree.
4. Business, ethics & communication - My opinion in this area is highly biased. I'm an MBA with 30 plus years of corporate/entrepreneurial experience and 9 years experience teaching this topic to massage students and supervising a student intern clinic in California. Put briefly:
a. I don't find massage students/practitioners uniquely prone to ethical violations
b. There appears to be a vast and irreconcilable difference between the personality of one who is judged by clients to be a "world-class" massage practitioner and one who is a successful business person (highly paid professional).
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Noel, I like your response a great deal. It cannot escape notice that education has declined, one might suggest, in direct correlation to the increase in "standards," "degree requirements" .. etc. I have long believed that one's ability to obtain an advanced degree only means one is good at academics, or the subject. It by no means reflects on one's ability to teach.
(p.s. I do have both Bachelor's and Master's degrees); but neither is particularly significant related to my ability to teach massage.
My hope is that we recognize what few professions do. And we encourage those with the ability to engage and communicate to be our teachers. For such people will bring forth the best in students, and result in awesome professionals.
Noel Norwick said:Given the unquestionable decline of USA educational output during the past 30 or so years, I would like to see unimpeachable evidence that current mainstream learning theory, classroom management, instruction design, assessment methods, etc, would, at a reasonable cost, significantly advance our profession's efforts to safely enhance the public welfare.
Whitney Lowe said:One of the things that I think is interesting whenever this topic is brought up is that people tend to focus on emphasizing teaching requirements reflecting the professional practice requirements. For example, a teacher should need to be licensed/credentialed as a practitioner for x number of years. I do think it is important to have knowledge and skills of the clinical practice. However, there is rarely ever mention of skills or training in topics such as learning theory, classroom management, instruction design, assessment methods, etc. These are the skills that are needed by teachers (and rarely taught to many massage educators). These are skills that should be getting more attention when speak about training teachers regardless of the number of hours in the entry level practitioner training.
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It is amazing how many posting here state things like.."when I started little was required, though now, years later, more is.." Not ONE poster stated they have damaged students, ripped naive students off, or in any other way were just scam artists. Everyone talks of what should be required of others, not of themselves.
As in so many other parts of life, most of us appear to think WE are just fine doing what we do/did..but now that we are in positions to make rules, we fervently wish to make them...FOR OTHERS!
One poster actually stated she'd taught for 20 years, but no longer because (it took her 20 years to come to this??) too many teachers now aren't experienced enough.
It is the same in requiring cetifications, licensing etc. Why is it, that so many of us could do the job (both as MT and as instructor), but now have to make others jump thru hoops to do the same job? And we all know, we will be "grandfathered" into whatver requirements we will demand of others.
If schools are turning out less qualified MTs now, I very much doubt it is because there aren't suffcient standards for the teachers.
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I'm one of those people that made a statement like that, Vinny, but just to clarify, I had education, I passed the exam, and I wasn't grandfathered into anything. I got my license the same way others are expected to in the here and now. In spite of whatever shortcomings I have because the massage school I attended was only 525 hours, I have still managed to have two successful textbooks published by Lippincott and another one due in January.
One thing that always impressed me during the time I taught entry-level classes (I now only teach CE) was how excited the students were to be there, and how passionate they were about wanting to become good therapists. I can't recall ever meeting one who wasn't hyped about it and who didn't come into it wanting to be the best they could be.
The knowledge students receive can only be as good as the knowledge the teacher possesses and imparts, except for whatever they happen to glean on their own. If you don't believe the lack of qualified instructors is causing a crop of less qualified MTs, what would you say is the cause?
vinny andrews said:It is amazing how many posting here state things like.."when I started little was required, though now, years later, more is.." Not ONE poster stated they have damaged students, ripped naive students off, or in any other way were just scam artists. Everyone talks of what should be required of others, not of themselves.
As in so many other parts of life, most of us appear to think WE are just fine doing what we do/did..but now that we are in positions to make rules, we fervently wish to make them...FOR OTHERS!
One poster actually stated she'd taught for 20 years, but no longer because (it took her 20 years to come to this??) too many teachers now aren't experienced enough.
It is the same in requiring cetifications, licensing etc. Why is it, that so many of us could do the job (both as MT and as instructor), but now have to make others jump thru hoops to do the same job? And we all know, we will be "grandfathered" into whatver requirements we will demand of others.
If schools are turning out less qualified MTs now, I very much doubt it is because there aren't suffcient standards for the teachers.
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Permalink Reply by Noel Norwick on
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I'm curious what documentary evidence leads you to state that schools are now turning out "a crop of less qualified MTs"?
Laura Allen said:I'm one of those people that made a statement like that, Vinny, but just to clarify, I had education, I passed the exam, and I wasn't grandfathered into anything. I got my license the same way others are expected to in the here and now. In spite of whatever shortcomings I have because the massage school I attended was only 525 hours, I have still managed to have two successful textbooks published by Lippincott and another one due in January.
One thing that always impressed me during the time I taught entry-level classes (I now only teach CE) was how excited the students were to be there, and how passionate they were about wanting to become good therapists. I can't recall ever meeting one who wasn't hyped about it and who didn't come into it wanting to be the best they could be.
The knowledge students receive can only be as good as the knowledge the teacher possesses and imparts, except for whatever they happen to glean on their own. If you don't believe the lack of qualified instructors is causing a crop of less qualified MTs, what would you say is the cause?
vinny andrews said:It is amazing how many posting here state things like.."when I started little was required, though now, years later, more is.." Not ONE poster stated they have damaged students, ripped naive students off, or in any other way were just scam artists. Everyone talks of what should be required of others, not of themselves.
As in so many other parts of life, most of us appear to think WE are just fine doing what we do/did..but now that we are in positions to make rules, we fervently wish to make them...FOR OTHERS!
One poster actually stated she'd taught for 20 years, but no longer because (it took her 20 years to come to this??) too many teachers now aren't experienced enough.
It is the same in requiring cetifications, licensing etc. Why is it, that so many of us could do the job (both as MT and as instructor), but now have to make others jump thru hoops to do the same job? And we all know, we will be "grandfathered" into whatver requirements we will demand of others.
If schools are turning out less qualified MTs now, I very much doubt it is because there aren't suffcient standards for the teachers.
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I base part of that observation on the fact that I have been teaching a prep class in how to pass the NCB exams four or five times a year for about ten years, as well as offering private tutoring, and now including the MBLEx in my prep class as well. My classes are packed with students who have already tried and failed to pass the exam; it's not unusual for me to have attendees who have failed it multiple times. I've had quite a few over the years who have taken it 5 or 6 times, and most have failed it 2 or 3 before they wind up in my class.
Now that the NCB has instituted their 3/5 rule, and my state has adopted the MBLEx as the path to licensure, it will be interesting to see what happens in future classes. I'm not expecting a profound difference, because contrary to the propaganda put out by the NCB, the MBLEx is not "easier." And the 3/5 rule is something I personally find ridiculous, because there is no mandate other than that a student who fails the NCB exams 3 times must complete another 100 hours of education, and those who have failed it five times must complete 500 more hours before being allowed to sit for it again. There aren't any rules governing that, so a student who blew it on the A&P part of the exam can go take 100 hours of business and ethics or massage techniques and take it again. Is that really helping?
I try to stress to students that they don't need to know the origins, insertions, and actions of muscles just so they can pass the exam--but so they can be effective as massage therapists. I regularly have students who are deficient in all but the most basic anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and pathology. Many students leave school with the idea of having their own practice, and I find education in business is very lacking, too. They're just not prepared for the realities of running a business. My experience as a board member who has to sit there every month when therapists are dragged into an ethics violation hearing, and the fact that those are not usually "old hands" but those who haven't been practicing long, is further evidence.
Another part of it is the number of people on here who have commented about fresh graduates being hired as teachers just because they're cheap; and several have commented on the quality of massage they have received. I sometimes hear that from clients as well who have been elsewhere before coming to my clinic. Just last week a client came in who had been to another (newly licensed) therapist a couple of days before and she stated that the massage really hurt her and that it had been too deep for her comfort level. She said that she had asked him to lighten up several times, and his response was, "I can't do that, because this is what you need." Wrong answer.
Is any of this scientifically valid? No. It is just what I have personally observed. It wasn't my intent to mislead anyone that it's a research study.
Noel Norwick said:I'm curious what documentary evidence leads you to state that schools are now turning out "a crop of less qualified MTs"?
Laura Allen said:I'm one of those people that made a statement like that, Vinny, but just to clarify, I had education, I passed the exam, and I wasn't grandfathered into anything. I got my license the same way others are expected to in the here and now. In spite of whatever shortcomings I have because the massage school I attended was only 525 hours, I have still managed to have two successful textbooks published by Lippincott and another one due in January.
One thing that always impressed me during the time I taught entry-level classes (I now only teach CE) was how excited the students were to be there, and how passionate they were about wanting to become good therapists. I can't recall ever meeting one who wasn't hyped about it and who didn't come into it wanting to be the best they could be.
The knowledge students receive can only be as good as the knowledge the teacher possesses and imparts, except for whatever they happen to glean on their own. If you don't believe the lack of qualified instructors is causing a crop of less qualified MTs, what would you say is the cause?
vinny andrews said:It is amazing how many posting here state things like.."when I started little was required, though now, years later, more is.." Not ONE poster stated they have damaged students, ripped naive students off, or in any other way were just scam artists. Everyone talks of what should be required of others, not of themselves.
As in so many other parts of life, most of us appear to think WE are just fine doing what we do/did..but now that we are in positions to make rules, we fervently wish to make them...FOR OTHERS!
One poster actually stated she'd taught for 20 years, but no longer because (it took her 20 years to come to this??) too many teachers now aren't experienced enough.
It is the same in requiring cetifications, licensing etc. Why is it, that so many of us could do the job (both as MT and as instructor), but now have to make others jump thru hoops to do the same job? And we all know, we will be "grandfathered" into whatver requirements we will demand of others.
If schools are turning out less qualified MTs now, I very much doubt it is because there aren't suffcient standards for the teachers.
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Permalink Reply by Charlie Peebles CMT/LMT on
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I think to teach massage therapists one really needs to have gone to one of the top massage schools with very good massage instructors. Also at least four or five years of massage experience. It really helps if they have experience with teaching in general. I don't think Massage therapist in general make good teachers unless they have had some kind of teaching exposure. Some people have a teacher's heart and some don't and you-know-one-when-you-have-had-one.
Cheers
Charlie Peebles
cpeebles@ivytech.edu
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