The Habit & Choice Teacher Training Program Beret Arcaya, Director Jed Diamond, Assistant Director The Habit & Choice Teacher Training Program is a three-year course fully qualifying students for professional certification by the American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT). In his life and in his work, Frederick Matthias Alexander was interested in the integrated function of the self - wholeness both physical and psychological. The Alexander Technique offers a way of thinking and a life-practice whereby a consistent means to wholeness replaces our habitual fragmentation. Gradually ease, buoyancy, spontaneity and improvements to general health and well-being become a new way of life. This program will offer teacher training at the highest possible standards of excellence. The first and last emphasis will be upon the individual trainee and his or her use of self. It is only through the experience and practice of excellent use in oneself that a teacher can effectively convey the Technique to others. Alexander's own work, his writings and the principles he established, will be thoroughly studied and practiced. It is my hope that the school will flourish into a joyful creative center for the ongoing exploration of this man's remarkable work and all that his discovery offers to humanity. -- Beret Arcaya Program Structure A 4-to-1 student to teacher ratio will be maintained. AmSAT standards mandate 5-to-1. Program completion requires 1600 hours over three years. The training includes: 168 private lessons broken down into 28 private half-hour lessons per term for the first year, (84 total for the year), and 14 lessons per term for the second and third years, (42 lessons per year). F. M. Alexander's four books, Man's Supreme Inheritance, Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual, The Use of the Self, and The Universal Constant in Living will be read and discussed in their entirety over the 3 years. Other readings will also be undertaken. Each student will prepare an original written essay on the ideas and meanings of Alexander's reasoning as conveyed in his books. Anatomy will be studied. Students are asked to stay on for one teaching term after graduation, free of charge, to develop their teaching experience and to enhance the program. There will be regular guest teachers, and use of the self in relation to singing, speaking, and performance will be examined relative to Alexander's own development. Curriculum Throughout the training, the norm will be daily individual turns and instruction in small groups. First year: Focus will center on how to stop, on the development of self-awareness and observation, on particular habits of use, and on in-depth experience of inhibition and direction. A wide variety of Alexander procedures will be introduced and practiced in a slow and thorough process. These will include: hands on back of the chair, monkey, constructive rest, lunge, squat, walking, whispered "ah," and others. Particular emphasis will be placed upon application of the Technique in daily life. Students may also gradually begin "Hands-On" during the first year, according to the needs and abilities of the individual pupil. Basic anatomy and Alexander's books will be covered and discussed on a weekly basis. Second Year: The second year will continue the study begun in year one, with growing emphasis upon self-observation and attention to one's own use while placing hands on other pupils. More guided hands-on will be conducted. Students will be expected to demonstrate a more thorough knowledge of Alexander's principles in theory and practice. Anatomy and reading continues. Third Year: Adds more advanced chair and table work to the hands-on practice, as pupils continue to integrate the work of years one and two more deeply within themselves. During this year students will also complete a paper about Alexander's writings, which will include their own description of the Technique. They will be asked to define the terms Alexander uses to describe his principles and to discuss the thinking behind his working process. Post Graduation: Students are asked to remain on the course for one teaching term following graduation, at no charge, to deepen their skills and to enhance the training program. Note: Exchange possibilities exist with courses in Europe. Students entering with prior terms completed elsewhere, in AmSAT affiliated training programs, will be given credit at the discretion of the director. Program Requirements A) Admission to the Program Prerequisites: 4 lessons with the Director required, and 30 previous lessons recommended Completion of admission form Personal interview One written recommendation from another teacher (if the student is not personally known to the Director) Education and life experience are important factors A visit to the class is encouraged Enrolled students are required to register as Associate Members of the American Society for the Alexander Technique, and are required to sign an agreement that they will not teach the Alexander Technique without certification. Note: Candidates may be admitted to the program for a Probationary Term, during which their suitability for the training can be assessed. Upon completion of the Probationary Term, successful candidates will be accepted into the second term of training. B) Requirements for Completion of the Program Upon completion of the program, graduates are awarded a Certificate stating that they have successfully completed the training course in the Alexander Technique as set out in Alexander's books. Because of the highly practical nature of the work, the decision to award a Certificate is made on the basis of continuous assessment throughout the three years of training. This training course is very intensive and every part of the process will be adjusted to the individual. It is possible that a pupil may need additional hours beyond 1600 to gain the basic skills needed for certification. While this is generally not expected, prospective pupils must understand that this possibility exists and rests upon the discretion of the Director. Dismissal from the program at any juncture, based upon unsatisfactory work or conduct, is also at the discretion of the Director. Dismissal procedure will generally include a meeting and a clear written warning followed by a probationary period. Successful students are eligible to become teaching members of AmSAT and are awarded a Certificate by the Society. Program Schedule 3 terms per year, 178 hours per term, 3 hours daily for 12 weeks in a term. Most terms will have a mid-term break: 1st term - August to November, 2003 2nd term - January to March, 2004 Summer 2004 Term - April 19th to July 9th, 2004 Summer Break - July, August Fall 2004 Term - August 30th to November 30th, 2004 Fall Break - October 11th to October 22nd (Term resumes Monday October 25th) Thanksgiving Holiday Break - November 25th and 26th (Term resumes Monday November 29th) Winter 2005 term - Schedule will be posted Future years will follow this same basic schedule. Note: the probable hours of the training will be 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. However, this is still being finalized. The expected schedule of the fall term of 2003 is available upon request. Location The school is in Greenwich Village, in the heart of Manhattan, extremely convenient to subway and bus, and everything else New York City has to offer. Tuition $10,680.00 per year, payable on a per term basis in advance of each term. $3,560.00 per term (includes 168 private half-hour lessons over 3 years). There are currently no grants, scholarships or financial aid available through Habit & Choice << Back to Previous Page Top of Page Continue to Next Page >>