Step 1. The Discovery Session
The Discovery Session is a personalised process, which helps to identify the growth areas and pathways the client teacher is focused on, and results in a tailored development plan and structure for collaboratively moving forward to make the most of our time together.
The Discovery Session takes the form of a 90 minute online one-to-one session, where the following topics are discussed, centred around the client teacher:
- Yoga teaching experience
- Background yoga training and personal practice
- Main areas of interest within their teaching role
- Potential areas of improvement/development
- Any personal goals within the context of the yoga framework.
After this initial consultation, we work with our client teachers to identify and define areas for improvement, creating a personalised plan designed to help mature their training and improve their teaching effectiveness.
Step 2. Insights
After the initial Discovery Session, client teachers gain access to pre-recorded tutorials relevant to the learning path identified during the first consultation. These tutorials give client teachers insights into different approaches, and open the door for discussion moving forward.
Example tutorials include:
- A meditation course to develop a personal practice so that these learnings can be taken into the classroom
- Yoga classes both audio and video where the teacher demonstrates the teaching features we are working on (e.g. Mindfulness instructions within asana)
- In depth breathing physiology explained
- Asana sequencing tutorials.
- Cueing tutorials detailing different categories of class cues.
Step 3. The Inquiry
In this step, we begin to work through the development plan as identified in the Discovery Session. This step is personalised to the individual, and is therefore very fluid in its makeup.
Examples of some typical scenarios and components are as follows:
- The client teacher sends in 2-3 either audio or video copies of them teaching a class (alternatively this can be excerpts of a class) – often transcripts of the sequence may also be required
And/or
- The client teacher sends in transcripts of 2-3 sequences that they have designed, or workshop/retreat plans
And/or
- The client teacher spends time working through selected pre-recorded tutorials before completing assigned development tasks – this may include creating specified themed sequences, or practising a specific development or therapeutic sequence around body, breath or mind, and documenting progress and observations
And/or
- The client teacher completes specific projects/tasks for development that were identified and formulated in the Discovery Session – this may initially involve a reading task, and then designing an associated practice that directly relates to the studied texts; or creating components for a retreat or structured workshop
And/or
- A combination of the above points.
Step 4. The Interpretation
This is the main learning stage of The Connection, designed to lead client teachers to the point where they can use the knowledge gained to effect discernable growth in their yoga teaching development.
After a detailed analysis by your mentor of the material presented in The Inquiry, this stage involves 3 one-on-one 60 minute online consultations. The mentor and the client teacher will work through the material shared in a methodical way, refining teaching processes and identifying and planning new areas of learning. All suggestions given will have as their goal for the teacher to flourish and thrive in their teaching profession.
The Interpretation involves the following elements:
- Refining and developing identified skill sets
- Structured processes and methodology for the client teacher to implement in their teaching process
- Suggestions around further areas of development and study the client teacher can pursue
- Suggestions around further development of their personal practice.
