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Summary: Effective yoga teacher training materials should include robust trainer notes that teach a clear YTT teaching methodology, yoga sequencing frameworks that provide your students with a clear roadmap for sequencing, and assessments that include clear assessment criteria.
It’s time to build ~ or refine ~ your yoga teacher training program. YAY!
As you embark on this project, it’s important to include training materials that will support your teaching goals. Training materials include more than just your students manual; they are all the elements that go into supporting the educational process. Let’s take a look at what you need to include in order to craft an excellent experience for your trainees.
200 hours is a lot of time to organize and your training schedule matters. Your YTT curriculum needs to be well-organized in order to provide your trainees with a progressive roadmap for skill development. Create a clear schedule of your lesson plans that start with simple skills and build towards more complex mastery over time. (This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how some trainings overload the training details at the beginning, which can lead to student overwhelm!) Create a clear daily schedule and share it with your students at the beginning of the training so that they can see a map for each day as well as for the entire training. By organizing your time in advance, you will help your students have confidence in the process (and in your organization).
I am a huge fan of teaching your students a sequencing methodology rather than giving them sequencing templates. It’s the difference between givings someone a fish (a template), and teaching them how to fish for themselves (create their own classes). That said, providing your students with sequencing frameworks (worksheets and templates) to help them structure their class plans will be enormously helpful. I like to give students sequencing templates that are partially filled in at the beginning of the training to help students get oriented to the process. By the end of the training, they can start with a “blank page” and develop their own.
All too often, the anatomy in a YTT feels like a separate subject that is disconnected from yoga practice. Often, an expert (like a massage therapist) comes in to teach anatomy over a weekend, which leaves the material disconnected from alignment, asana and injury prevention. I prefer to anatomy to be woven through the program in bite-sized chunks and directly related to asana labs and teaching so that it is relevant to the practice. For the anatomy portion of your program, effective student materials may include presentations, videos, activities relating anatomy to practice, and clear student handouts with lots of visual reference. When you assess students’ anatomical knowledge, names are far less important than being able to describe how anatomical principles impact practice.
Teaching methodology includes the principles for teaching students how to teach. In other words, you need to outline a process that defines your school’s teaching style and values. Do you always cue the breath first? Cue from the ground up? Teach energetics? Your teaching methodology should outline a clear process for cueing postures so that students have a place to start. Your teaching materials may include worksheets and activities that help students build their cueing skills progressively. Remember: teaching is about more than just cuing and language; your teaching methodology may also include skills like verbal assists, demonstrations, body language, and vocal tone.
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice! Theory isn’t enough; a teacher training needs to include lots of time for skill implementation and feedback. I’m a huge fan of including teaching rubrics with measurable competencies so that your students can build their self-reliance with self-assessments.
Finally, strong YTT materials always make expectations transparent and measurable. Trainees should know exactly how they will be evaluated. Clear teaching rubrics can eliminate confusion and build trust in the process. Outlining your assessment protocol at the beginning of your training also goes a long way to alleviating “exam anxiety” in your student.
When we first hear the term “yoga teacher training materials,” it’s easy to only think of the student manual. But the student manual is just one piece of your training puzzle. Your training schedule, teaching methodology, progressive worksheets, and assessment rubrics are also key components for your training’s success. To brainstorm further, book a free chat with me.
Rachel supports yoga teachers and studios around the world to create transformational education experiences that help them thrive in their business, share their passion, and inspire more people to practice yoga. Her extensive knowledge and experience include: earning two masters degrees, authoring three books, leading 4,000+ hours of TT, building a teacher training college for a national yoga company, and working behind the scenes in yoga studio & teacher management for more than fifteen years. As a writer and speaker, she continually wrestles with the juicy bits of life: relationships, authenticity, and discovering meaning in this crazy, wildish world. E-RYT 500, YACEP, BA, MFA, MSci. Learn more about Rachel.
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