The Training Process
The EAST/WEST Functional Integration Training will offer participants extensive practical experience and in-depth training in Functional Integration. The training program will also provide a thorough exploration of the theory underlying the Feldenkrais Method through lectures, discussions, study groups and assigned readings. By exploring the neurological, biological and psychological aspects of the Feldenkrais Method, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become outstanding practitioners.
The training program is designed to bring forth each student’s development in a noncompetitive and highly supportive environment. Throughout the training there will be a team of instructors. At times, one of the instructors will do most of the teaching. At other times the staff will teach simultaneously to small groups of students. The variety of teachers is designed to give students a broad and deep exposure to the multifaceted nature of the Feldenkrais Method. The Feldenkrais FI training is designed to introduce and embody in the participants an understanding of the underlying dynamics of Functional Integration. Essential to the Feldenkrais Method is the experience of “learning how to learn.” Each student will come to realize their own creative learning strategies and how to engender in others the process of self-discovery.
CURRICULUM and PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
The training process is structured as one integrated gestalt lasting over the entire course of the training period. The EAST/WEST Functional Integration training program will offer a minimum of 425 hours over 85 days, for a period of approximately two years. The FI Training Program differs from other schools in that the trainee is involved in a continuous experiential movement process, rather than instructed in a certain number of independent courses. Conceptual and theoretical information is introduced while the student is doing pertinent, associated movement processes.
Learning in the training program is always grounded in the participants experience of their own movement and practical learning of hands on touch. The training involves introduction and study of FI practices and techniques with ample opportunity towards hands on practice among trainees. The training will also introduce ATM lessons that lend themselves towards learning effective self-use in giving FI. Immersion in FI over the two years allows the participants to build upon and deepen their previous training within the Method. As such, for many students the training itself can be a profound and unexpected transformative process.
Functional Integration Lessons: Students in the ATM Training will receive 3 sessions of Individualized Functional Integration as part of their training. Functional Integration is a one-to-one approach to working with people. Learning, change and improvement are achieved through the use of specific skilled manipulation and passive movement individualized for the student’s particular needs. The practice of Functional Integration is based on the same large movement repertoire as ATM. However, 2-year ATM training does not include professional training in the hands-on work Functional Integration.
Small Groups: Small-size groups are used to foster your learning with the training staff in an intimate and personalized context and to. For example, in topic-oriented discussions you will bridge the gap between readings and your class experiences, to make connections between ideas and devise ways to put those connections into action.
Small groups processes will be used often in the program. They are a wonderful way to facilitate the process of learning cooperatively with your fellow students. Learning in a Feldenkrais training does not go in one direction i.e., teacher to student, but in multiple directions as individuals work creatively together to study, learn and solve problems. You will spend ample time in pairs to practice FI repertoire and specific lessons. We are committed to creating a constructive atmosphere, where all students can speak and be heard. We want to expand beyond the idea of being in a group and learning individually to create a process of learning with a group and as a group. By drawing on the different skills and background that each participant brings, the training will be a place for collaborative interaction and cooperative learning.
Class discussions: We will hold regular discussions, both in small groups and with the entire class. These discussions will vary in style including question and answer periods, dialogues, open-ended talks, and conversations oriented to specific topics. The Staff and occasional guest lecturers will present talks on the background of the Feldenkrais Method, on related areas of current interest, and on the specifics of developing and conducting a practice. You will learn about Moshe Feldenkrais and how he developed the Method, and you will learn about the historical, philosophical, and scientific bases of his thinking and work. To help you understand how the Feldenkrais Method relates to prevailing ideas, you will be introduced to relevant topics in contemporary cognitive science, neurophysiology and movement sciences.
STUDY GROUPS & BETWEEN-SEGMENT ASSIGNMENTS
The training is designed to facilitate your continuous learning. This includes making sure that the intervals between training segments are well utilized. We will encourage you to take ATM classes or workshops in the interim periods in order to learn about different styles of teaching, and to begin to interact with future colleagues.
We will organize weekly meetings for the majority of the training program. The meetings will vary in length from one to two and half hours. We will use these meetings for a wide variety of learning processes including discussions of readings, discussions of lectures, FI practice sessions, etc.
A variety of readings will be assigned including a number of Moshe Feldenkrais’s books.
STUDENT EVALUATION PROCESS
In an ongoing process, the Educational Director, trainers, and assistant trainers will evaluate each student on the basis of class attendance, participation, homework, and supervised in-class Functional Integration practice.
The progress and learning of each student in the training program will be closely supported, guided and followed throughout the two years.
Personalized supervision will be an ongoing part of the training process and will be used to build the student’s skills and understanding. A minimum teacher to student ratio of 1 to 20 will be maintained throughout the program. On many days of the training the ratio will be much lower.
Students are evaluated by Feldenkrais instructors who are certified by the Feldenkrais Guild of North America. Observational evaluations by certified instructors, rather than grading standards or written exams, are used to track student’s progress and competency in the Feldenkrais Method. This evaluation is based on the instructor’s observations of the student’s participation in Functional Integration lessons, group discussions, written homework processes, the student’s self-evaluation.