Teaching with Passion
Learning being a journey, not a destination, has always been a philosophy that has guided me as a Sensei. My vision has been to train and develop thinking Karate leaders of tomorrow. Empowering students to be high achievers and critical thinkers in pursuit of life-long excellence in this ever competitive and inter-connected world where knowledge has limited shelf life has always been my mission as a university teacher.
I believe that teaching in the University should realise one’s pedagogical philosophies as they apply to Karate education both inside and outside the Dojo. In an increasingly competitive environment with all kinds of unending demands on our time and resources, being an effective Sensei is a challenging task. To rise to the challenge, it is first of all essential that the Sensei have a passion for teaching. Only then can the Sensei ensure that meaningful learning takes place all the time as he/she helps students to develop as morally sound and upright citizens, committed to diversity of ideas and thoughts and a total understanding of Karate do.
In my view, good teaching produces self-confident and self-disciplined individuals who have been exposed to a core set of knowledge and ideas. To nurture such students successfully, the Sensei should first possess critical thinking skills and be capable of not just transferring such skills to his/her students but also teaching them to apply the skills to novel and changing circumstances. The Sensei should also arouse intellectual curiosity, train the students to develop an expertise in Karatedo and encourage the individual students to gain a breadth of exposure to interdisciplinary topics appropriate the traditional Karatedo training. To achieve this, adopting innovative ways of presenting lectures can easily ignite the spark in students to go the extra mile.
To be an effective Sensei, ample time should be spent on preparing one’s course and lessons. There is no substitute for adequate preparation. A rushed, half-heartedly produced lecture is easily exposed. Once a Sensei loses the respect of his/her students, it is rarely regained. The Sensei should also be aware that his/her behaviour strongly influences the receptivity and motivation of students. I believe that my enthusiasm for the subject I teach keeps students motivated and emotionally positive. Outside the Dojo, it is important to be approachable while maintaining a marked professional distance.
As most students need a greater sense of discipline and order, they tend to associate a less formal relationship with their Senseis as indicative of lower performance expectations. Thus, it is important to continually send the message that ‘we are here to work and learn’. Many students, concerned with how their peers perceive them, become paralysed by the fear to appear ‘dumb’. These students neither speak up nor ask questions in the dojo, thus forfeiting valuable opportunities for clarification and discussion. To encourage Dojo discussion, I intentionally create an inclusive Dojo environment where all questions are good questions. One of the ways I achieve this is by admitting both my mistakes and those instances when I don’t know the answer to a question immediately (I will get the answer later). It has been my experience that such disclosures strengthen rather than erode the students’ respect for the Sensei.
To help students learn and excel, it is necessary for the "Sensei" to establish concrete guidelines on course expectations, performance evaluations and conditions under which exceptions may be granted. Such information should be communicated clearly to the students at the start of the course. The Sensei should help the student understand that firm adherence to these guidelines is in the best interest of those who may require help to develop self-discipline. However, if external issues (illness, family and personal problems) prevent a student from performing well and/or requiring extensions, I strongly advocate a case by case treatment of these exceptions. Such rules and guidelines should help students achieve their goals, not ‘burden’ the students especially when external circumstances have already interfered with the learning process.
Senseis are role models. A misplaced word or inappropriate action may have a damaging effect on a student for years to come. The inherent power accompanying the position demands humility and constant self-reflection to ensure that one acts with wisdom, fairness and professionalism.
As the ‘CEO’ of a ‘knowledge corporation’, the sensei should be able to ensure that the quest for knowledge and learning continues without the teacher being present and that this becomes a way of life. Put simply, a good Sensei should train his/her students to become lifelong learners capable of learning independently reseraching the art. This is especially important in an Asian culture where the Sensei is subconsciously considered supreme. The things one learns from a Senseis instruction are always greater than what is in the book. Sensei-student relationship is both sacred and permanent. However, with changes taking place all around us in the society, the Senseis role should also adjust as well—from the sage of the olden days to more of a guide on the side.
To be an effective Sensei, one must maintain a high level of commitment to teaching and nurturing students while keeping abreast with the latest developments and needs. It is critical to create a warm and supportive learning environment that will ensure optimum learning. A Sensei should also use appropriate assessment data for diagnostic and planning purposes and employ varying methodologies to measure student’s needs, understanding and performance. In this regard, a good pre- and post-module feedback is critical. Respecting students will also motivate them and further ensure all-round learning in and outside the Dojo.
In the final analysis, as a Sensei, I believe in empowering my students to be critical thinkers and independent learners. It is my duty to simulate creativity among the students who would be the future leaders in Karate. My students should be creative, research-oriented and intellectually inquisitive. They should be passionate about learning and eventually, be able to impart knowledge to others. They should develop an unquenchable appetite for knowledge in an increasingly borderless world. Yet, they should be sound citizens with a heart for those who are less fortunate in the community. It is only when I have successfully nurtured some of the mentioned qualities in my students would I have made a difference in the students’ life as an effective Sensei.