Edinburgh Alexander Training School (EATS)

Course structure

Training takes place over 3 years and is organised in three terms per year. Students benefit from a high level of individual attention from our talented and experienced training team. The student to trainer ratio is around 3 to 1, and will never rise above 5 to 1.

Class hours consist of approximately 80% practical and 20% theory work, and training consists of a mixture of group and one-to-one practical work and discussion organised around a weekly schedule.

From year one, students are doing hands-on work with other students and teachers and this gradually progresses from simple hands-on contact to being able to guide someone in movement. In the first and second years of training the focus is on exploration, developing awareness of own habitual patterns and deepening an understanding of the theoretical foundations and practical applications of the Alexander Technique. In the third year, the focus shifts to learning how to teach the Technique to individuals and groups, through further development of hands-on and verbal communication skills. Under supervision, third year students work with members of the public. Throughout, students work together regardless of their year of training, as this provides a rich learning environment.

In total, the training consists of 1600 hours of class time plus own study time. Own study comprises i) students are encouraged to read widely around the Alexander Technique ii) students are expected to maintain a reflective diary of their thoughts and experiences throughout their training; iii) each term students will complete a simple project. Initially, this could just be reflecting on a daily activity and in later terms it might involve producing a short presentation (or, if preferred, performance or video), or piece of writing, on topics related to the Alexander Technique – all of which is aimed at helping develop greater awareness, deepen understanding and learning how to communicate the Alexander Technique creatively and effectively to others; iv) since the training involves gradually absorbing and embodying the Alexander Technique, students will find that as their training progresses they will become increasingly interested in applying Alexander thinking and awareness as they go about their normal daily life – given that such everyday application constitutes an important part of own study, students can anticipate that overall own study time is likely to be similar to the total amount for class time, and also that it is generally feasible to combine training with part-time work.

Course content

The curriculum comprises:

• Essential Alexander skills including: inhibition and direction, expansive/integrated awareness (and appreciation of dominance of external focus for action and internal focus for monitoring), panoramic vision, eyes leading movement, attending to the supporting surface, being present, non-judgemental thinking
• Classical procedures including: chair work, table work, folding, walking, squatting, tiptoe, wall work, four footedness, lunge, hands-on-back-of-chair, whispered ah
• Application to everyday activities, for example, lifting and carrying, using a computer and mobile technology, stairs
• Clear guidance on how to work on yourself outside of class hours
• Living anatomy
• Basic neuroscience e.g. practical understanding of neuroplasticity and of pain
• Dart procedures
• Saddle work
• Voice work
• Application of the Alexander Technique to walking, running and mindful movement-based practices (e.g. T’ai chi) on Portobello beach and in the park
• Study of selected Alexander books, articles and other teaching materials including Missy Vineyard, Frank Pierce Jones, Walter Carrington, Kathleen Ballard, Pedro De Alcantara (students are welcome to borrow from EATS extensive library)
• Teaching and communication skills
• Considerations for working with people living with: chronic pain, hypermobility, trauma, Parkinson’s, stroke, MS, chronic fatigue
• Professional codes of practice
• Business skills: setting up and running a successful Alexander practice (business planning, marketing – including SEO & social media – finance, regulations)
• Research: personal research skills; awareness of and evaluation of available Alexander-related research
• Student projects (own choice of format: written / presentation / performance / video)
• Basic training in red flag recognition and awareness of common medical conditions; knowledge of limits of competence and need for referral to other professionals.

Admission Process

Adults of all backgrounds and ages are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Students are able to enrol at the beginning of any term.

It is in the student’s own best interest to be as certain as they can be of their ability to commit to the demands of training. Prior to enrolling, they should therefore:

• Have sufficient experience of learning the Alexander Technique to understand the basic principles and to develop an interest in continuing learning and application of the skills (guideline: around 20–30 one-to-one lessons with a STAT-registered teacher/teachers, or completion of the EATS Foundation course)
• Be committed to their own ongoing personal development through deepening their understanding and application of the Alexander Technique, as well as to the development of the necessary professional and social skills required of an Alexander teacher
• Reasonably expect to be able to complete the 3-year training course on the basis of their health status
• Have adequate financial plans in place to see them through the 3 years’ training.

The application process consists of:

• Informal chat with the Head of Training
• Visits to the School
• At least one lesson with the Head of Training and with the Assistant Head
• Completion of the Application form
• Interview with the Head of Training and Assistant Head
• On acceptance of an offer, the Professional Training Course Registration Document is signed. An enrolment deposit of one sixth of one term’s fees must be paid within one month of the offer, and before beginning training.

Student Support

• A key aim of EATS is to create a supportive, collaborative ‘safe space’ learning environment. On a daily ongoing basis, students benefit from support and feedback from the regular training team, visiting teachers and the other students. Student wellbeing is of great importance to the training team.
• Informal meetings between each student and the Head of Training and/or Assistant Head of Training take place in the first term and, thereafter at least annually. The student also has the support of an External Moderator. Students are encouraged to raise any questions and discuss any concerns as they arise.
• As part of usual good practice with the aim of constantly improving training, feedback is sought and welcomed from the students on their experiences of training and other aspects of the running of the school.
• All students are required to become student members of STAT when they enrol on the course unless they do not wish to gain STAT certification (teaching qualification) at the end of their training.
• Post-graduate support is considered to be extremely important. Graduates are encouraged to continue to visit the school on a regular basis to help their ongoing development and to assist them in the transition to teaching. Each graduating student is offered a nominated mentor who can provide informal support until they feel sufficiently established in their teaching practice.

Qualifying

Certification is through the STAT Assessment Process. Students can be put forward for assessment following completion of at least 1600 hours of class time, plus projects completed in their own time (one project per term).

The STAT Assessment Process is designed to give a fair, robust and well-rounded evaluation of an individual’s competence to teach the Alexander Technique. It consists of a practical assessment conducted by an Independent External Assessor (unknown to the student) together with the course Moderator (or other experienced teacher who has some knowledge of the student’s journey); this ‘on-the-day’ assessment is combined with ongoing evaluation by the training course team. So, a student’s readiness to begin teaching is determined jointly by the two External Assessors together with the training course representative (usually the Head of Training).

Any student who is considered not to have reached the standard needed to be competent to teach the Alexander Technique, may continue their studies until they are ready to be put forward for re-assessment.

Teachers qualifying from EATS will have an ability to:

• Convey to another person(s), through combined dialogue and hands-on work, an understanding of the principles of the Alexander Technique (use affects functioning, force of habit, inhibition, direction, primary control, end-gaining, means whereby, psychophysical unity)
• Effect a positive change for the individual with whom they are working
• Tailor their teaching to different individuals and settings (different individual learning styles and group versus one-to-one work), and to be able to describe for different audiences the Alexander Technique and its benefits
• Teach with empathy, respect and compassion.

They will also have:

• A clear commitment to their own continuing professional development, with an expectation of ongoing positive change in their own use and deepening understanding of the Alexander Technique and its teaching
• An understanding of, and undertaking to embrace and fully comply with, the Code of Professional Conduct and Professional Competence, Continuing Professional Development and other STAT policies.

On graduation the student receives a teaching certificate from the Society of the Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT).

At any stage of a student’s training, should progress be significantly slower than expected, attendance be poor, or a project not satisfactorily completed, the Head of Training will meet with the individual with the aim of resolving any issues. If necessary, the student may be asked to undertake additional training and/or to re-submit a project.

All students undertake not to carry out any unsupervised teaching of the Alexander Technique to the public until they are qualified.

Fees

• Fees for the professional training course are £1,850 per term.
• Payment is due in advance. Choose between making payment in full on the first day of each term, or spread the costs over the whole year by paying monthly in advance by standing order (£462.50/month).
• A deposit of one sixth of a term’s fees is required to be paid before beginning training and this amount will be deducted from the final term’s fees.
• The fees are in line with those of other Alexander Technique teacher training courses in the UK. They are subject to annual review; however, our aim is to keep the fees constant for each individual throughout their nine terms of training.