The four aspects required to become an effective Water Method arts teacher are:
The desire to maintain a daily practice (minimum five days per week), along with the willingness to teach and help others must come from inside of you, and cannot be taught. Paul's mentorship programme is designed to help you develop and deepen skill with neigong and teaching effectively.
All prospective instructors who wish to become certified must complete the following prerequisites.
Prerequisite Training Hours
In-person and online course training hours are required to become a TTCS Instructor.
Required In-person Training
In order to become a certified tai chi and/or qigong teacher, a minimum of 80 hours are required over a period of two years as follows:
-
30 hours — through in-person courses, public courses or private tuition in the specific subject in which you wish to become certified with Paul and/or TTCS Instructors (Tier 1).
-
30 hours — through in-person, neigong and teaching skills upgrade courses (or previous instructor certification trainings) offered by Paul. See courses.
-
20 hours — through in-person, public courses or private tuition of supporting Water Method programmes (i.e. Five Element neigong, Taoist breathing and meditation, and bagua) offered by Paul and/or TTCS Instructors (Tier 1).
Note: Typically it takes a practitioner longer than the minimum requirements above to become a certified tai chi and/or qigong teacher. However, with dedication and a consistent daily practice, most students can achieve teacher certification. TTCS online courses give you access to 24/7 training support.
Required Online Training
Completion of TTCS online courses in the subject in which you wish to become a certified tai chi and/or qigong instructor, and any prerequisite material, where applicable.
Assessment
Once you have completed prerequisite training, you will be eligible to schedule an in-person assessment at the next available neigong and teaching skills upgrade course or privately with Paul.
This concludes the requirements for existing TTCS and EA Instructors. Prospective instructors will be required to complete three additional steps.
Instructor-trainees
Once completing the above steps and a one-time admin fee ($50), prospective instructors who are not currently certified by Paul Cavel and/or Master Bruce Frantzis, will become instructor-trainees while fulfilling three additional steps.
Practical Application
First-time instructor-trainees who do not have any other certifications in our system must:
-
Practise for six months following the completion of course hours and the initial assessment.
-
Teach 20 hours of in-person courses or private lessons in the subject in which they wish to become certified.
Exit Assessment
Once all the above is completed, you can schedule a Zoom meeting or in-person assessment with Paul to confirm you have maintained the quality of your practice and completed all teacher requirements.
Note: If for any reason you do not meet the minimum skills to pass the first module of the subject in which you wish to become certified at the time of your first assessment, you may work with Paul and/or the TTCS Instructors of your choice to develop skill in the areas that require improvement.
This training can be done in any format, in person or online, through public courses or private training. When you are ready for the final assessment, you can book an appointment with Paul at a discounted rate (in person or via Zoom). We do our best to support prospective teachers to become certified once they enter into the mentorship programme.
