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SPONSORSHIP

Of Alexander Technique International

ATI's Approach to Professional Standards

ATI has not attempted to set a quantitative standard of Alexander teacher training courses such as a certain number of hours, weeks and years of training or a specific ratio of students to teachers. Some Alexander Technique training's courses run by ATI Teaching Members have a more flexible, extended schedule for those who work full-time or an apprenticeship-like structure. Some training programs are run on the standard three-year training schedule.

Rather than regulating training courses ATI has set up a standard that relies on the qualitative recognition of a teacher's competence to teach. After all, no amount of time in training, by itself, is sufficient to become a teacher. A trainee applying to become a certified teacher must prove that he/she has reached a level of understanding and ability to adequately and safely teach the public as recognized by a head of training or another person with skill and experience.

Therefore, the sponsorship mechanism takes care of allowing everyone who has trained in an apprenticeship or other 'non-standard' approach to become an ATI Teaching Member. They simply need to work with any three ATI Sponsoring Members and from this work gain their Sponsor's written support.

Sponsor Guidelines
Sponsorship Application Form
Sponsor Feedback Form
ATI Teaching Membership Criteria Sponsorship Form — Candidate Evaluation Form
ATI Teaching Membership Candidate Questionnaire — Candidate Feedback Form

To summarize, the organization is based on the membership's trust that if three of these Sponsors say they assess someone as a teacher, then the applicant is designated as a competent teacher. It is further based on the willingness of all its members to accept the standards and mechanisms of certification of the other existing societies, even if those mechanisms differ from ATI's. The members of ATI agree to extend an informed trust to all parts of the Alexander profession.

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ATI Criteria for Certification as a Teaching Member

In order to be eligible for certification by Alexander Technique International, teacher-candidates should be of good character, have a clear understanding of the Alexander Technique concepts and principles, and have the basic skills to convey these concepts and principles clearly to a pupil. Candidates must be approved by three Sponsoring Members to be certified as teaching members.

Candidates must fulfill the following criteria:

I. Conduct

A. Demonstrate qualities of patience, compassion, honesty, and respect in interactions with peers and students.  A letter, provided by the candidate, from a teacher/mentor whom the candidate designates as having a significant role in their training to be a teacher, shall be considered confirmation that the candidate has satisfactorily demonstrated these characteristics of patience, compassion, honesty, and respect in interactions with peers and students, provided the examining teacher sees no evidence to the contrary.

II. Knowledge

A. Demonstrate an understanding of the commonly used Alexander Technique concepts and principles in their own coordination and use of themselves in activity. This understanding can be observed as 1) poise of the head in relation to the body, yielding a fluid and continually adaptive response to gravity; 2) alertness, awareness, fluidity of movement, and poise; 3) and a speaking voice that is full, clear, and fluent.

B. Demonstrate intellectual comprehension of and the ability to communicate effectively Alexander's ideas and the principles of the Technique. These principles include (but are not limited to) the importance of the relationship of the head to the spine in coordination ("Primary Control"); the ability to suspend acting on a habitual impulse to allow a new response to a demand for action ("Inhibition"); and the ability to direct energy to support natural coordination while carrying out an activity in accord with natural coordination, rather than habitual discoordination ("Direction").

C. Demonstrate an understanding of anatomy and physiology as these relate to human movement and behavior; be able to help pupils understand how mistaken ideas about their structure interfere with their best use, answer their basic questions about anatomy, and refer them to other sources for more detailed answers.

D. Demonstrate understanding of the ATI Code of Ethics, appreciation of safety issues, and awareness of when it is appropriate to refer a pupil to another professional.

III. Teaching Skills

A. Demonstrate an ability to clearly and simply communicate and demonstrate the concepts and principles of the Alexander Technique by giving clear demonstrations and verbal explanations that are appropriate to the pupil's learning in the moment; when using hands, to use their hands sensitively and appropriately. Both verbal explanations and any use of hands will allow pupils to effect a positive change in their psycho-physical coordination.

B. Demonstrate an ability to observe themselves while teaching, and later articulate to an observer the choices they made with regard to using their hands, verbal explanations, and physical demonstrations.

 

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Current ATI Sponsors

 

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How to Become a Sponsor

Sponsors are ATI Teaching Members who have been nominated and elected by the membership. These Sponsors have the experience to evaluate the competency and qualifications of those who apply to become teaching members.

Sponsors have had extensive experience in teaching the Alexander Technique in a variety of responsible roles, such as:

• Directors of Alexander Technique training programs
  
• Experienced senior faculty on training courses
  
• Experienced in training teachers and very experienced working in private practice.

In October 2000 by vote of the membership, ATI Criteria were created for evaluating the competency of teachers. ATI Sponsors use these criteria to evaluate candidates for ATI certification. The study of the Alexander Technique is a life long process, which is characterized by continual learning, awareness, and self-development. Teachers certified by Alexander Technique International are committed to continually improving their understanding of the Technique and refining their use of the Technique and their teaching skills. These criteria are intended to establish a starting point for beginning teachers. ATI will address the questions of continuing education, re-certification and opportunities for expanding personal and collective knowledge of the Alexander Technique and its teaching at a future date.

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