From the teacher's point of view...

At a class last week at the dojo, the beginners were so non-responsive, sensei had them doing extra pushups to help "correct" their behavior.  The week before, during a drill, I got some pushback (resistance) to instruction I was giving on how to do a technique.

It made me think that a lot of people would benefit tremendously from being in a teaching position and having their own behavior put in front of them:

• How would you feel if you asked people to get to a spot/drum and they took their time strolling over there, when you were ready to get to the lesson?

• What would you think when you gave a simple instruction, followed by "okay?" and got back blank stares?

• How would you react to a student who didn't want to do what you told them, when it was a perfectly normal instruction?

• What would it do to your enthusiasm for teaching when people acted like they didn't want to be there, with body language that signaled boredom?

Are you guilty of these things?  To some extent, most of us are at some point.  But if you realized what it was like for your teacher or instructor to deal with a bunch of you acting that way, you'd probably feel like apologizing, ha!

It may not be instinctual to step out of your own head and put yourself in the instructor's during a class, but it might reveal some habits or behaviors you exhibit that you may not be aware of!