Are you a teacher… Of life, of music, of yoga, of children, of sports, of business or anything? Did you know that according to the learning pyramid the masters are not the readers, not the participants, and not even the practitioners. The masters are the people who have retained the most information, the ones who can recite it from the back of their hand and put it into practice without blinking. These are the master teachers. Of course you could also just call these great human beings. They’ve evolved past most, hold high standards and Play role models for most of us on how to live life to its fullest.
Ever wonder if you’re on the right track of becoming a master teacher or how to get on it? There are some clear signs that you will receive from your environment to indicate whether you are a really great teacher or if you need some more development. And by the way, you’re never finished developing as a teacher or a human being. It’s a lifelong process towards mastery.
I’ve been teaching yoga now for over 11 years and I’ve been teaching guitar for about three years and I’ve also taught personal development for seven years and there are some similarities that I’ve noticed between the feedback I get from each of these disciplines. This feedback points me in the right direction and lets me know if I’m on the right path towards mastery of my craft.
If someone compliments you, it may or may not be a sign that you’re actually a really good teacher. If the person says “where else do you teach” or “when else do you teach” then… you’re onto something.
Now if that person happens to be a long time practitioner or an expert themselves and asks you where else do you teach or when else do you teach… you’re definitely onto something.
And if any of the above ask you “where you were trained” then… you’re onto the Big leagues, and most likely you will have learned from many masters in many lives. And lastly if “people refer you or talk you up without ever asking,” then again, you’re moving on to the Big Leagues. As a guitar teacher, I never advertised a damn thing, but these students and mothers would go out of their way to go post on neighborhood chats to talk about me, so I knew I was on to something.
Of course getting to this point is the biggest challenge. If you’re not getting this kind of feedback and you are a teacher my greatest piece of advice is to go take from as many teachers as possible and listen to not only what resonates with you but what resonates with the rest of the class as you may not be as connected as you think. Self-honesty is always the solution! Secondly, you gotta get feedback, ask for it and don’t be shy or arrogant. And lastly, you gotta put all your heart and soul into it! When you show up, you’re there to change someone’s life, not sometimes, but all the times.
It wasn’t until I had been teaching for a good five years that I started to get this kind of feedback from my environment. Now I get this feedback pretty regularly, so be patient and commit to being a lifelong learner. For as much as you know, there’s always someone who knows more.
please feel free to share or comment on your experiences below.