So you’ve been teaching awhile, and you love yoga. You’d love to share the deeper aspects of the practice with your students. And maybe you’ve even been asked by your students when you’re going to be offering a teacher training.
Should you?
Here’s what you need to think about before you create a training.
Does education align with your personal mission?
Not everyone needs to offer a teacher training. There are many ways to contribute to your community, and you may be more passionate about offering retreats, classes, privates, or immersions. Step back and consider your big picture.
Does your community need a teacher training?
If you live in a community without a reputable, local training, then there may be a high calling to create an offering. But if there is already a lot of competition (and they are good programs), then perhaps there is a different yoga offering that could meet your student’s desires. An immersion, philosophy intensive, or asana progressive may be a better match.
Do you have the skills to be an educator?
Teaching people to teach requires a different set of skills than teaching a public class. As an educator, you need to be focused on structure, learning objectives, time management and meaningful assessment. You must become very clear about the “how” of good teaching, not just the “what” – this is, if you want to create a training that is effective rather than just a nice experience for your participants. There are resources you can use to develop these skills (my Create Your Training course, for example), but you’ll have to be willing to put on your left-brained hat for a good period of time.
Holding space
Running a teacher training isn’t just about teaching skills; it’s about holding space for people to move through a personal transformation. The teacher training room can become intense and emotional. As a trainer, you have to be willing to create a safe and compassionate space for your yoga trainees to be heard, held, and supported.
Time
Creating a 200 hour training takes a boatload of time and project management. Are you they kind of person who can set measurable and tangible goals? Do you have time now to set aside 5-10 hours a week to commit to this endeavour? Again, you can work step by step and complete your program at your own pace, but you’ll need to be a self-started and stay motivated to stay on track.
If you love education and are committed, then dive on in! Creating a teacher training is an extraordinary learning experience to clarify your teaching style and become very clear about the skills required in teaching.
For help determining if teaching a training is right for you, check out my free course: What to Consider Before You Create A Teacher Training.
