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Advanced Certification For Instructors?
Just wondering how instructors feel about advanced classes for instructors. Do you feel there should be more? Or should there be a basic set of standards set first for new instructors?
Take a breath before answering please. No one is questioning anyone's teaching credentials.
Take a breath before answering please. No one is questioning anyone's teaching credentials.
Views: 154
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael McAleese on
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What will it prove? is it important? I am still in the "I don't know stage...
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Permalink Reply by Taya Countryman LMT on
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This is a very loaded word: Advanced. Who do you get the definition? from a physician, physical therapist, a big name from our industry? AND what makes a good instructor? Someone who can rattle off the origins and insertions? someone who is opinionated? A better way to handle this whole issue might be CE hours for educators by other educators. AMTA has had a tract for educators which has been wonderful. I took a class from Angie Palmier and Chris Alvarado they were amazing. They didn't talk down to us and made the class input part of the information we learned.
An Advanced Certification does not make a better teacher.
Taya Countryman LMT
Lake Stevens, WA -
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on
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I'm not thinking really anything. I keep hearing advanced certification. Not sure what direction it is headed. Alliance for Education is forming. NCB is saying it. No direction. Just wondering how teachers feel about it.
I see at least two distinct teachers. Those that teach in schools and those that are, what I call "Road Warriors". Some are both.
Maybe what needs addressed are standards. What do you think?
Susan G. Salvo said:With all due respect, what we need is basic certification for instructors (how to write a lesson plan, how to evaluate, elements of effective presentations, learning styles, etc).
So many instructors in massage schools are “content experts” rather than instructors skilled in how to teach.
This is where the emphasis should be.
Mike, give some examples about what you are thinking about. -
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Sue, I do agree with you on this;however, a teacher Must believe in what they are sharing/Teaching. We had a 30 year Professor from a local college Teaching A/P even with all his advance Knowledge he was boring and inneffective
Susan G. Salvo said:With all due respect, what we need is basic certification for instructors (how to write a lesson plan, how to evaluate, elements of effective presentations, learning styles, etc).
So many instructors in massage schools are “content experts” rather than instructors skilled in how to teach.
This is where the emphasis should be.
Mike, give some examples about what you are thinking about. -
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Read answer below to Susan. Hi Taya. I agree. These are great questions, just wondering how you felt about it!
Taya Countryman LMT said:This is a very loaded word: Advanced. Who do you get the definition? from a physician, physical therapist, a big name from our industry? AND what makes a good instructor? Someone who can rattle off the origins and insertions? someone who is opinionated? A better way to handle this whole issue might be CE hours for educators by other educators. AMTA has had a tract for educators which has been wonderful. I took a class from Angie Palmier and Chris Alvarado they were amazing. They didn't talk down to us and made the class input part of the information we learned.
An Advanced Certification does not make a better teacher.
Taya Countryman LMT
Lake Stevens, WA -
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Good questions, Michael. I don't either.
Michael McAleese said:What will it prove? is it important? I am still in the "I don't know stage... -
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Permalink Reply by Bonny Donnelly on
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I think that there are already lots of good courses for people to take who want to learn to teach, or improve their teaching skills, and I'm sure there will be more. Susan's idea of a basic certification for new teachers is good, and those types of courses are out there for people who choose to take them. Educators like those in class who are great with A&P ( as Taya described the O&I) and the like can also be boring as can be. I have learned so many more valuable things from teachers outside the schools- things that were never covered in class and should have been. Teaching isn't for everyone and you really have to have the heart and the passion for it.
I also don't necessarily agree with NCB's idea of this new "advanced certification" . It's yet another cert we are being asked to spend more money on. Those who choose to be nationally certified already have an advanced cert on the most basic level in a sense. The courses CEU and otherwise we take to advance ourselves and our works, and the experienced hours we accumulate are what further heighten our level of competence to teach, so why should the board determine what they consider advanced now on top of that? We already have to meet certain criteria to be able to be CE providers. Choosing to take your work to another level should be optional once one has met that basic criteria. -
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Thank you Bonny!
Bonny Donnelly said:I think that there are already lots of good courses for people to take who want to learn to teach, or improve their teaching skills, and I'm sure there will be more. Susan's idea of a basic certification for new teachers is good, and those types of courses are out there for people who choose to take them. Educators like those in class who are great with A&P ( as Taya described the O&I) and the like can also be boring as can be. I have learned so many more valuable things from teachers outside the schools- things that were never covered in class and should have been. Teaching isn't for everyone and you really have to have the heart for it.
I also don't necessarily agree with NCB's idea of new "advanced certification" . It's yet another cert we are being asked to spend more money on. Those who choose to be nationally certified already have an advanced cert on the most basic level in a sense. The courses CEU and otherwise we take to advance ourselves and our works, and the experienced hours we accumulate are what further heighten our level of competence to teach, so why should the board determine what they consider advanced now on top of that? We already have to meet certain criteria to be able to be CE providers. Choosing to take your work to another level should be optional once one has met that basic criteria. -
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Permalink Reply by Angela Palmier on
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Hi Bonny,
I posted on another page that it appears there is some confusion between Advanced Certification and specialty training/potential credentials for Teachers. I think we can all agree--okay, some of us can agree---that Massage Therapy Instructors could use some assistance in teaching methodologies. The massage therapy classrooms are filled with people who graduate from school and then become "instructors" very soon after. I'm a little unclear as to why the question would be asked about Instructors having some sort of training specific to teaching methodologies? I would hope that this profession would take a step back and look at the value of instructor training to ensure that the new therapists coming into our field are taught by people who know how to teach.
Mike Hinkle said:Thank you Bonny!
Bonny Donnelly said:I think that there are already lots of good courses for people to take who want to learn to teach, or improve their teaching skills, and I'm sure there will be more. Susan's idea of a basic certification for new teachers is good, and those types of courses are out there for people who choose to take them. Educators like those in class who are great with A&P ( as Taya described the O&I) and the like can also be boring as can be. I have learned so many more valuable things from teachers outside the schools- things that were never covered in class and should have been. Teaching isn't for everyone and you really have to have the heart for it.
I also don't necessarily agree with NCB's idea of new "advanced certification" . It's yet another cert we are being asked to spend more money on. Those who choose to be nationally certified already have an advanced cert on the most basic level in a sense. The courses CEU and otherwise we take to advance ourselves and our works, and the experienced hours we accumulate are what further heighten our level of competence to teach, so why should the board determine what they consider advanced now on top of that? We already have to meet certain criteria to be able to be CE providers. Choosing to take your work to another level should be optional once one has met that basic criteria. -
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Permalink Reply by Patricia J. Pape on
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Hi Mike - I'm all for more education. I'm not a Continuing Ed provider, I've taught sciences, hands-on and ethics in basic massage education programs - each quite different. I had no problems with lesson plan design, content delivery and keeping students with different learning styles engaged.
Although I am not teaching just now, I think I could have benefited from some classroom management instruction. Some of the students in the post-secondary vocational ed programs simply don't want to be there. Additionally, guidelines around helping students to manage the 'stuff' that comes up for everyone experiencing a quantum leap in the amount of bodywork they're receiving (massage students) would be beneficial, as well. Many students show up so very damaged.
By the time someone enrolls in an advanced certification setting, I think those things are pretty well handled. I think if I wanted to teach something on an advanced level, I would absolutely want to be more than a content expert.
PJ Pape
LMT Clinton, CT -
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As a school owner and a teacher, I think that we need a basic set of standards for teachers that is focused on both content knowledge and "how to teach" skills. There are teacher training courses and a recent book from ABMP and Lippincott on teaching massage out there in the market. If the all of the schools or even most of them required such training for their teachers, these teacher training programs could not handle the demand. A larger program would be needed to accomplish widespread credentialing of teachers.
I do not believe that we need advanced certification for instructors. Until and unless we establish a basic standard for massage instructors, why would we need an advanced standard? I think where we do need some advanced standards is for continuing ed providers. In the classes that present content that is not typically taught in basic massage school curricula, advanced certification or advanced standards might be necessary. -
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Permalink Reply by Peggy Lamb on
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Personally I would love to take classes on more effective teaching strategies. Just because someone has advanced skills does not make him/her a good teacher. I'm sure we've all experienced teachers who may be good clinicians but their teaching skills leave a lot to be desired. In my workshops for the last year, I've been concentrating on my speech rhythms and cadence. This came about because I took a class on the ankle from a PT, who is probably a great clinician but I couldn't understand half of what he said because he spoke so fast and his words ran together. An integral part of teaching is public speaking and I cringe to think of my early teaching when I didn't pay attention to the rhythm and cadence of my speech patterns.
Peggy Lamb
Austin, TX -
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