Massage & Bodywork

November/December 2009

Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68016

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 92 of 139

TEN FOR TODAY or class handouts to be sent to you beforehand, Riggs suggests. "Learning about the technique before you take the course could help you make good choices, save you money, and get you what you're looking for," Williams says. CLASSES ONLINE Online classes offer several advantages: you avoid travel costs, and you can often work through the course at your own pace and at a time convenient for you. From a strictly economic standpoint, online learning is a bargain. But it can also be a gamble. "There's 7. bad online education all over the place," Williams warns. "Most often, you get what you pay for. If you're buying a $25 two-hour course, you'll likely read a section of material, then take a quiz on it, then read another section. There may be very little interaction." Some topics—especially techniques—simply don't lend themselves to online teaching. But other topics are fi ne, she says. The best online classes provide opportunities for students to interact with each other. "I just did a workshop on how to create an online workshop," Werner says. "And it was really hard. The online courses that fi t the format well are ones that involve the participants in activities. So an assignment to 'go forth and do this thing,' and come back and tell us how it went—that works well." 8. HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS Weekend classes are a great way to be introduced to something new. But it's just that—an introduction. "Some people come to a weekend workshop thinking they'll go home with a new skill," Myers says. "That's a really short time in which to learn connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 91 CONSIDER TAKING something new, especially if you're talking about taking on a new modality. I'm suspicious of those who say you can learn acupressure in a weekend. You get just enough information in a weekend to be dangerous." On the other hand, don't be too hard on yourself if you don't grasp the new material as quickly as you'd hoped. "Nobody gets everything out of a class," Riggs says. "Learn what you learn and don't be hard on yourself fretting over what you think you didn't get 'perfectly.' If the material is worthwhile, it should be complex enough and thought-stimulating to need practice after you return home." LIVE UP TO ITS BILLING, LET THE INSTRUCTOR KNOW It's even OK to ask for your money back, if you do so early on. But don't sit through the whole class and then ask for a refund. If you do stick it out, spell out your 9. complaints in the class evaluation form. "Don't just write good things to avoid hurting the instructor's feelings," Werner says. "On any given evaluation form, a couple of questions are most meaningful: What could improve this class? What ideas are going to stick with you that you got today? As a class provider, those are the questions I skip right to." 10. MAKE IT AN ADVENTURE There's no reason you can't take a class in a beautiful spot and tie your class work to a vacation. Providers such as Erik Dalton and James Waslaski have been teaching in exotic destinations IF THE CLASS DOESN'T like Costa Rica with great success. Talk to your accountant about the appropriate tax deductions, and talk a friend into coming with you. It may be that all you need to fulfi ll your licensure requirements is a one-day class. But that's no reason not to sign up for something more adventurous. "People ought to be seeking out continuing education anyway, regardless of whether it's attached to their license, or certifi cation, or a credential they want to keep," Werner says. "The coolest, most amazing thing about this profession is that no one will ever reach the day when they can say, 'Now I know all there is to know about that.'" freelance writer. Contact her at killarneyrose@ comcast.net. Rebecca Jones is a Denver-based

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Massage & Bodywork - November/December 2009