Mind in Motion

Ready for a job you can love for the rest of your life?

As a certified Feldenkrais Method^® teacher you will:

• Understand how people learn and move.
• Resolve chronic tension and pain, athletic and artistic performance problems, deteriorating function and neurological difficulties.
• Help infants through elders to realize their innate abilities, learn new skills and recover old ones.
• Pioneer the emerging field of somatics.

Find out how Mind in Motion's exclusive Amsterdam International Feldenkrais Teacher Training (AIFTT) program blends experiential and cognitive learning, small class size and one-on-one guidance, innovative teaching and online support, personal growth and professional development.

Learn how you can develop the observation skills, hands-on sensitivity, theoretical understanding and teaching proficiency necessary for a successful Feldenkrais career.

For information about enrolling in the next Amsterdam International Feldenkrais Teacher training, please contact the Mind in Motion office.

In The Netherlands you are also able to contact Caro van Iersel at [31] (36) 530 40 10

AIFTT Learning Strategies

The Amsterdam International Feldenkrais^® Teacher Training uses many different teaching/learning approaches that benefit the trainees. This includes experiential movement lessons, individual hands-on lessons, small group exercises, class discussions, lectures, community projects, supervision, and between-segment assignments:

Awareness Through Movement^® classes

On most days, the faculty teaches two Awareness Through Movement^® (ATM) classes. The majority of these lessons will be drawn from the training programs that Dr. Feldenkrais conducted and from the public classes he taught. Occasionally we will play audio or video recordings of Feldenkrais’ original lessons.

The training begins with the trainees developing their abilities to be students and benefit personally from doing ATM. After an initial period of asking the trainees to simply experience lessons, the faculty instigates a process of reflecting on how and why ATM works. This is the beginning of an interactive, lively investigation into the structure and strategy that underlie the lessons that unfold during the course of the program. One core assumption of the AIFTT is that to teach ATM well, a future Feldenkrais teacher must understand the why and how of each lesson.

Because it is important for trainees to experience the full spectrum of ATM, the faculty teaches lessons that run the gamut from simple, introductory ones to intricate, interwoven series that unfold over days or weeks. Because it is not enough to just teach lessons, we prepare future teachers to talk about and promote the Method. Trainees also learn to teach short ATMs—as would be appropriate in an introductory talk—and “three-minute miracles” to illustrate briefly the efficacy of the Method.

As noted above, we do not make a strong distinction between ATM and Functional Integration^® (FI) lessons. When we practice the Method, we know that they are the same—simply two sides of the same coin. We use each to illuminate the other.

Functional Integration^® lessons

The AIFTT teaches Functional Integration (FI) by first developing basic abilities of touch—“making skeletal contact,” “seeing with the hands,” and “conversing about direction.” Trainees learn anatomy experientially while doing ATM, by palpating other students, and by the tactile tracking of others as they practice ATM. Trainees refine tactile, as well as kinesthetic, acuity in ATM lessons and in small group work. To understand the teacher’s perspective, trainees coach each other in practicing hands on skills and, eventually, giving FIs. Peer supervision provides the basis for giving lessons to the public and prepares trainees to give lessons while under faculty supervision.

All along, trainees will receive the feedback necessary for refining “the touch that teaches.” As part of the training, each trainee receives at least three individual Functional Integration (FI) lessons each year. Receiving these lessons—given by members of the faculty and by invited, experienced practitioners—is a central aspect in becoming a good teacher. Beyond that, trainees will be given opportunities to observe FI lessons given during class, FI lessons given to other trainees during non-class hours, and videos of Dr. Feldenkrais and others practitioners giving FI lessons.

Class Discussion

We hold regular discussions, both in small groups and with the entire class. These discussions will vary in style from question-and-answer periods, dialogues, open-ended talks, and conversations oriented around specific topics. These discussions ask the trainees to grapple with difficult questions—those without pre-determined answers—and actively investigate them. To encourage autonomy and develop competence in in-depth inquiry there are opportunities for trainee-led discussions.

Small Group Exercises

Small group activities allow the trainees to learn from, and with, each other. Small groups are used to develop the understanding and skills needed to teach FI and ATM. Group work is based on assigned activities, such as observing a particular movement, practicing a specific technique or analyzing a lesson. For example, in preparation for teaching an ATM lesson, between class segments trainees plan, at home, how to present the lesson and then practice teaching sections to each other.

At the AIFTT we are committed to creating a constructive atmosphere for small groups. Our intention is to create a place where each trainee can speak and be heard. In small groups, trainees discuss the training process by reflecting on class events, identifying difficulties, and developing solutions. By drawing on the different skills and background that each trainee brings, the group becomes a place for collaborative interaction and cooperative learning. We expand beyond the idea of being in a group and learning individually to create a process of learning with a group.

Lecture

Faculty and guest lecturers will give presentations about the background of the Method, related areas of current knowledge, and developing and running a practice. Trainees learn about Moshe Feldenkrais to gain insight into how the historic, philosophical, and scientific bases of his experience and education led to the development of the Method. To understand how the Feldenkrais approach differs from prevailing ideas about movement and instruction, trainees are introduced to relevant topics in the movement arts and sciences, contemporary education and philosophy.

Community Project

During the third year, or early fourth year, trainees participate in a community-based ATM teaching project. This could be a presentation, a class, or optimally, a series of classes for some group or institution in your home or professional community. In this way, while still developing skills, trainees are given a legitimate reason for offering their services for free. This project gives the opportunity to apply what the trainee has learned for the benefit of a specific group, serves as a stepping stone to asking to be paid, and offers an important first step in becoming known as a Feldenkrais teacher.

Trainees work on the plans, curriculum and presentation both in study groups and with the faculty, thereby giving us another means for keeping alive the topic of learning how to better teach ATM beyond the second year of the program.

Support and Supervision

So that we can track your progress through the program, the Educational Director and faculty get to know each trainee. Observing each trainee learn, interact, and practice gives us the information and overview needed to assess your progress and nurture your development. This means that supervision, in the sense of watching and guiding, is an ongoing aspect of the program.

Each trainee can invite one practitioner they know, and work with, to be their Big Sister or Big Brother. In exchange for promising to work with them regularly, answer their questions and support their learning, this practitioner will be given access to selected recorded materials from the training so as to be able to follow the progress of the program.

To facilitate learning, Larry Goldfarb, the AIFTT Educational Director, stays in regular contact with the individual trainees both during classes and between segments (via e-mail, phone and video-calling). Larry discusses each trainee’s learning processes individually so that he or she can identify subject areas and/or skills that need work and map a personalized strategy for further study, including individual assignments for learning between segments.

Between Segment Assignments

The AIFTT training is designed to facilitate continuous, incremental learning. That means that we are committed to making sure that the intervals between training segments are well utilized.

To that end, we encourage trainees to take ATM classes or workshops offered by your local practitioners during the interim periods. In this way, trainees can learn about many styles of teaching and begin to interact with future colleagues. For the same reason, we also suggest that you receive at least a few series of FI lessons between segments.

To keep in touch with other trainees, and with the learning process, we ask each trainee to participate in regular study group meetings between class segments. Study groups are a place to do ATM, practice teaching and touching, discuss questions, prepare lessons, and keep learning outside of class. Online support via the Mind in Motion website, which is for the exclusive use of participants in this training, provides another opportunity for keeping learning alive between segments.

To create a deep understanding of the Method and to strengthen the ability to express that understanding, we offer both individual and group homework at the end of each training module. These assignments include asking trainees to read articles and books, write about their experiences, practice teaching ATM and hands-on work, do certain movement observation techniques, etc. For example, during the second year, we ask trainees to write an outline for a talk to the public; these outlines are then discussed and improved upon in study group meetings.

Trainees have access to an exclusive section of the Mind in Motion website where they can download MP3 recordings of class lessons (for which there is no supplemental charge) and so on. Unlike Feldenkrais training programs that charge their trainees anywhere from €150 - €300 per year, for CDs of audio recordings, these materials are included in the training tuition.

Please note: each trainee should consider the additional expenses above and beyond the AIFTT course tuition. Please realize that becoming a Feldenkrais teacher means purchasing several hundred Euro worth of books and other educational materials. Trainees might also want to budget for classes and individual lessons outside of the training. Future practitioners also need to purchase a Feldenkrais table along with rollers, pads and a stool, which can cost anywhere to €500 to €1,200.

AIFTT Program Curriculum

"By my body's action, teach my mind."
William Shakespeare

"What I'm after isn't flexible bodies, but flexible brains. What I'm after is to restore each person to their human dignity."
Moshe Feldenkrais

Year One

The first year of the program presents the basic tenets of the method. The faculty introduces the method through Moshe Feldenkrais’ life and work. Building on these historical foundations, the AIFTT develops the conceptual and observational tools needed to understand the method.

Trainees are immersed in Awareness Through Movement^® (ATM) lessons. We begin with the classic ATMs that Dr. Feldenkrais taught over and over in his public presentations. We then move to the movements of babies and toddlers, exploring the roots of how coordination and dexterity arise, and giving trainees a first-person appreciation of the underlying processes. ATM lessons also bring fundamental ideas—from anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, neurophysiology, and learning theory—to life and demonstrate their relevance to practicing the method.

Working in interactive small group exercises, trainees develop their ability to listen with their ears, eyes and hands. Expanding their appreciation for how others move and sense themselves develops a growing appreciation for how we experience our physicality and express it. Observing oneself and the others in the program creates a foundation for observing movement and understanding the mover. This process of observation is, in turn, the basis for becoming an observant “movement detective.”

From the start of the AIFTT, trainees begin to learn the tactics and techniques of Functional Integration^® (FI) lessons. The faculty introduce basic skills hands-on work with an emphasis on developing the art of making contact. Exercises emphasize developing tactile sensitivity, working with awareness through touch, learning skeletal anatomy experientially, and understanding the principles of movement.

Year Two

Learning to give Functional Integration^® (FI) lessons is not separated from learning to teach ATM. Trainees explore the relationship between ATM and FI, learning to teach the same "lesson" both ways: verbally and tactilely. In order to foster real understanding and move beyond simply following “recipes,” the lesson themes are developed from different perspectives. The emphasis is not on learning to move others, but on developing awareness of, and skill in, moving oneself to move the student. Much of the hands-on work is introduced through guided work in pairs and small groups, providing each trainee the support and supervision needed to learn to move safely and efficiently while working with others.

In the second year, trainees begin to develop an understanding of the grammar and syntax of ATM lessons. Developing a basic ATM repertoire, the faculty examines a number of classic ATMs in depth. Elaborating and building on the lessons from the first year, we indentify on what constitutes a lesson and examine the structures of different lessons. Preparing to teach ATM to the public at the end of the second year, trainees work on giving instructions, planning and promoting a class, and relating lessons to the activities of daily life. Trainees are supervised teaching lessons in class by faculty members.

Year Three

By simultaneously cultivating hands-on and verbal teaching skills from the beginning the program, we de-emphasize what has historically been a difficult transition between learning to teach ATM and learning to give FIs.

The program continues to clarify and build up movement observation and hands-on skills in a step-by-step fashion. So that they do not simply mimic what is demonstrated, trainees participate in active problem-solving situations, such as translating from ATMs to FIs or creating alternative approaches to do things they already know how to do. The trainees learn the logic and strategy of lessons from the inside-out, fostering a growing intuitive appreciation of educational strategy.

Knowing that it takes time to become a compelling ATM teacher, the program continues to foster the skillful teaching of ATM in the third year (and the fourth year, too). As trainees begin to teach ATM outside the program, the faculty delves deeper into the structure of lessons and the composition of series. More complex and challenging ATM lessons are taught. Trainees work on improving their presentation skills and developing an understanding of curriculum design. To provide an intermediary step between practicing teaching with friends and offering regular classes (and to provide a means for promoting their new profession), trainees participate in an externship program in which they offer a free ATM class or workshop to the public and receive (written) feedback.

Trainees supervise each other giving FI lessons to other trainees in the third year. To create a safe environment for exploration and learning, the educational director works closely with each trainee, identifying gaps in skills and understanding, and developing specific, personalized solutions.

Year Four

In the final year, in both group lessons and hands-on work the faculty introduces more unusual and challenging positions and situations. Trainees continue to refine and broaden their skills in all aspects of the work. As the trainees develop their understanding of what constitutes a lesson and of how the learning process works, the faculty pays special attention to each person’s ability to articulate and present the work. To provide as much individualized feedback and attention as possible in the final year, trainees work closely with their peers and faculty. Trainees are supervised by the faculty as they give lessons to people from the general public and also are given support in setting up their practices.

AIFTT III Training Schedule 2008-2012

Spanning from November 2008 to May 2012, the Third Amsterdam International Feldenkrais^® Teacher Training (AIFTT III) integrates quarterly modules of live learning with personalized guidance, individual and group homework, and innovative state-of-the-art online learning.

Classes meet from 10:00 to 17:30 Monday through Thursday, and from 9:00 to 13:30 on Friday. With approximately twenty-six hours of classroom instruction per week, this makes for more than 800 hours of live instruction over the 32-week course of the program. Please note: in addition to attending class, each trainee is expected to commit 1,600 hours to learning outside of class. This includes reading, doing homework assignments alone and in study group, reviewing the recorded materials, practicing teaching classes and doing hands-on work, etc.

The AIFTT III meets fifteen times over a three-and-a-half year period as follows:

This training is fully accredited by the European Feldenkrais Training Accredidation Board (EuroTAB).

Make-up trainees & visiting pracitioners

We accept make-up trainees from other accredited Feldenkrais programs. Trainees and practitioners may attend by advance reservation only. Please contact the Mind in Motion office to make your reservation.