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Instructor Teaching Style

If an instructor’s name is on the door, then he or she should do most of the teaching.

During a class, observe the differences between exercise, practice, and instruction. Poor instructors are similar to drill sergeants, emphasizing heavy repetition of techniques that seldom vary. Average instructors conduct a brief warm-up, vary types of drills and repetitions according to class needs, and teach techniques. Senior instructors expect their students to warm up before class, frequently surprise students with variations on the basics, and teach concepts.

When looking for a Taekwondo instructor, observe the teaching style of several instructors. Look for an instructor that:

• Starts and ends class with a formal salutation and demands formal courtesies during class.

• Always uses warm-up exercises before beginning stretching and strength exercises, and uses cool-down exercises at the end of class.

• Only uses medically correct exercises. Good instructors do not just blindly use old fashioned exercises they learned from their instructors; they investigate the purpose and effect of each exercise and discard any that are useless or potentially harmful. Overexertion or injury will slow a student's progress.

• Encourages students to do warm up, stretching, and conditioning exercises before class and at home, so that more class time can be spent teaching actual techniques. Good instructors stress to students that it is their responsibility maintain themselves in top physical condition.

• Maintains order, encourages team spirit, and ensures all students move together during exercises.

• Maintains strict, but not overbearing, discipline during class.

• Explains proper techniques and why they must be performed in the manner they are taught. Good instructors explain the physics behind each movement and explain each movement's component parts. If students correctly understand the physics of techniques, it makes it easier for them to understand why they must perform the techniques in the prescribed manner.

• Encourages students to ask questions and always answers questions to the best of his/her knowledge. If a good instructor does not know an answer, he/she will tell the student he/she will find the answer and get back with them, and then he/she ensures he/she does get back with the student.

• Teaches the best techniques that they know. Good instructors tell students when they are teaching modified techniques or techniques that are replacing older techniques. They try to teach each student something new every class; but not more than the students can absorb and remember. Good instructors allow adequate class time for students to practice new techniques.

• Makes step-sparring, self-defense, forms, and free-sparring a part of every class.

• Attempts to make each class a fun experience for students. Good instructors appreciate the emotional thrill that students experience when they do things that they had previously thought they were incapable of doing.

• Encourages students to help each other learn. Good instructors pair senior belts with junior belts to reinforce proper techniques and behavior.

• Always uses positive reinforcement—the most productive teaching method. Good instructors praise good performance by students when they notice it. When students perform a technique incorrectly, good instructors avoid criticism and explain to the students how to improve the technique. If students must be criticized, good instructors do it in private. They explain to students that undesirable behavior will not be tolerated because it is discourteous, wastes other students' time, makes it difficult for others to learn, and may result in injuries to others as well as to themselves. Never ridicules or embarrasses students under any circumstances; it can destroy their self-confidence. Good instructors try to build self-confidence and self-esteem in each student since it is essential to producing excellent Taekwondo students. They repeatedly compliment students for some attribute, action, or accomplishment, so the students feel good about themselves. After a promotion test, good instructors acknowledge and congratulate each student in front of the entire class. After a tournament, good instructors compliment each student for every award and, for those who did not win an award, acknowledges their courage and initiative for participating.

• Treats students with respect and ensures student dignity is maintained. Students refer to the instructor and each other as sir or ma'am. This helps all students, especially children, learn to be respectful of others. Good instructors never use punishment as a teaching tool because it is degrading and counter productive. Good instructors attribute student misbehavior to their own failure to motivate the student to be a good student. When students exhibit undesirable behavior, it usually indicates insecurity, especially among children. Good instructors make an effort to praise something positive that students do, even if it is difficult to find something, to encourage positive behaviors. If students obviously do not want to participate, instructors may eventually have to ask them to leave. Instructors may then have to explain to the parents that the student really does not want to learn Taekwondo and should try another activity.

Quality of Instructor

A yellow belt walked up to the Gates of Heaven and asked to be let in. "Tell me one good thing you did in your life," St. Peter said to him. "Well," replied the yellow belt, "One time I saw my instructor yelling at a white belt so I stepped up and told him that he should not do that." "When did this happen" asked St. Peter? "Oh, about 30 seconds ago!" said the yellow belt.

Instructors are similar to coaches. They do not have to be able to perform what they teach, but they must have the ability to get students to perform what they teach, and perform it well. Some instructors may be tournament champions, which is great for them, but it does not necessarily mean they are good instructors. Students hire instructors for what the instructors can teach them to do, not for what the instructor can do. Many times a good instructor may also be a great technician, but this is not necessarily make him or her a good instructor.

A good instructor loves teaching Taekwondo and can motivate students to love it also. Good instructors are able to point out specific things each student may do to improve his/her techniques. They are able to see the small things that may make a good technique a great technique. Good instructors motivate students to do more than they felt possible.

When looking for a good Taekwondo instructor, look for instructors that:

• Never tire of teaching.

• Never abdicate the role of instructor, even outside the dojang. Students, and the public in general, watch everything instructors do, both inside and outside the dojang. Good instructors always present themselves as the epitome of Taekwondo values.

• Teach to the best of their ability and continually strive to improve their knowledge and skills. Good instructors constantly seek the latest teaching methods and Taekwondo techniques and then incorporate them into their instruction.

• Are eager for their students to surpass then; this is the ultimate compliment. Good instructors never hold students back just because they are advancing too quickly. A good instructor will send his/her students to a higher instructor or a different school if the students develop beyond the instructor's teaching capabilities or when a student's particular aptitude, attitude, or ambition is not consistent with the teaching philosophies of the instructor.

• Encourage students to visit other dojangs, or even other martial art styles, where they may observe techniques more suited to them and may compare their own techniques to those of the other styles.

• Feel responsible for the welfare of their students. Good instructors encourage students to associate with their classmates and help students develop good contacts outside the dojang, such as professional services or business opportunities that may be beneficial to them. Good instructors place student development ahead of commercialism. Instructors who are too concerned with materialism will lose the respect of their students.

• Maintain a formal relationship with their students and avoid social or personal familiarity. Instructors who have personal affairs with students lose student respect and may create uncontrollable situations or develop a dishonorable reputation.

• Never take advantage of their students by way of positional authority. Good instructors are not "power hungry." They exercise their authority to maintain control of their classes but they do not abuse their authority.

• Never betray a trust given in confidence. Good instructors always set a good example. They continuously work to earn the respect of their students and never take the respect for granted.

• Have the highest level of personal integrity. Good instructors are always honest and never attempt to defraud students. They always make decisions based on what is best for their students and the dojang.

• Treat all students equally and show no favoritism. Good instructors ensure individual attention is distributed evenly amongst all students during a training session. They never strike or abuse students under any circumstances.

• Display a quiet and calm demeanor. Good instructors never appear frustrated or temperamental, even when under duress or in pain.

• An instructor is merely a student of his or her students. A good instructor is guided by his or her students and is only as good as his other students.

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