A innovative-format Alexander Teacher Training course, which has been approved by the Australian Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (AuSTAT):
Our goal is to train teachers to have a deep understanding of Alexander’s principles, which they can then apply in an infinite number of ways to any situation. We ask our trainees to look for the meaning behind Alexander’s words and behind the various “traditional procedures” that Alexander developed. We ask the question “why?”, while continuing to relate the work to real life.
Canberra Alexander Teacher Training is training that is firmly rooted in a “traditional” approach, with consistent daily content designed to progressively build a solid skill base for our trainees, in a way that we believe is unique in Australia. Yet we embody an approach that relates to our lived experience, experience of applying the Alexander Technique to our own learning and living; relating to people, interacting with our daily environment, engaging in our daily activities.
Virtually no research has been done anywhere into how to train teachers of the Alexander Technique. Training has generally been done in a way that evolved more or less arbitrarily in the 60’s. Standing on the shoulders of our teachers and mentors, we are taking a different approach to structure and content. Additionally, we are logging everything, to provide the start of some deeper understanding of what is important. Our program has 2 key differences to the regular structure:
We are more interested in competency than in hours. While we expect the conventional 1600 hours is in the ballpark for most trainees, we are not committed to this, and we structure the hours differently.
Our structure reflects the fact that we want to remain small. Face to face hours are 7.5 per week over 3 days, plus attendance at occasional extra workshops. Importantly in addition, students are expected to complete a minimum of 6 hours weekly formal logged practice away from school, of a broad but specified list of practice directed activities. In the third year face-to-face hours increase with the additional requirements of giving practice lessons or workshops under supervision.
One-on-one training time exceeds that in a time-based training, courtesy of the high teacher:student ratio (currently 2 trainers : 3 trainees – the rules say 1:5) and both trainers are among the most experienced teachers in Australia.
We have made a departure from the usual structure and “outsourced” the hours spent on a bigger course working on yourself without supervision – hence lower face-to-face hours.
The Head of Training, Assistant Head and Moderator have between them about 100 years’ teaching experience, including of the training of teachers.
Despite the innovations of our model of training, we consider ourselves to be conservative when it comes to skills, training process and the assessment of trainees’ abilities.
We anticipate that our present group of trainees will have completed their formal training around July 2019. At that point we plan to take a break and start again with a new intake sometime in 2020.
Trainees don’t necessarily have to live in Canberra (although it’s a great place to live!). You would need to spend 2 nights a week around Canberra, when school is in.
Embarking on a three-year program is a major commitment on both sides.
Having some one-on-one lessons with us and /or sitting in on our current classes would also be a good “toe in the water”.
Please get in touch!
School runs 9.30 – 12.00, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Next term starts on 16 October.