Instructor Considerations
Page 6 of 8
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.