Lately, I’ve been thinking about the work I do with Sue in our AQ/KQ seminars and the way I describe myself.
In the past I’ve described myself as an instructor in Tai Chi but eventually I stop doing that because now it infers all I do is give instructions.
I now use the term ‘Teacher’ because that suggests a deeper sense of helping people to learn.
It’s not about giving instructions, its about finding different ways, depending on the learning styles, for participants to learn a Tai Chi concept or skill.
For example the three basic learning styles are:
- Visual – learn by watching
- Auditory – learn by listening
- Kinaesthetic – learn by doing
But I discovered another term to use when I was recently talking to Sue about facilitation.
The word facilitation’ is not easily understood by most people but it can be described as ‘to make easier, to help bring about.’
When asked what do I do I sometimes use the words ‘teach Tai Chi’ because for most people it is easier to understand.
But, what I really am is a ‘Tai Chi Facilitator’ because I ‘make it easier and help bring about’. And that leads to change in awareness, feeling and understanding of a Tai Chi concept or skill I’ve explained to a participant in our AQ/KQ workshops.
And once you are aware, feel, and understand then you have captured the essence of that concept or skill.
I suppose in some ways I am a facilitator of change.