Alexander Technique Teacher Training Program
Susan Sinclair is the Director of Training and primary program teacher of the Studio’s Alexander Technique Teacher Training, which is a 1200-hour, three-to-four year program. Upon satisfactory completion of all requirements, including payment of tuition, students will be certified by the Studio; as well as being eligible for further certification through Alexander Technique International (ATI), a worldwide organization of Alexander Technique teachers, students, researchers and supporters.
The training meets once a month for an intensive period from September through July of each year; each session ranging from two to nine days. The training schedule is designed in such a way that students who have regular work schedules, or who live outside the city of Toronto, may train to be teachers.
In the course of training, the students progress through a graduated development process: gaining a personal experience of the potentials of the Technique (first year); acquiring skill in the directed application of the Technique together with fellow students (second year); cultivating teaching expertise in one-on-one and small group situations in general (third year and beyond). Students in the program can expect to experience: a more refined understanding and awareness regarding an appropriate ‘use of the self’, personally and objectively; training in the direct application of the Technique’s fundamental procedures and teaching methods; grounding in the Technique’s basic principles and theoretical foundations; application of the Technique in a wide range of psycho-physical activities; anatomical knowledge fundamental to the Technique; familiarity with the writings of F. M. Alexander.
Each year senior Alexander Technique teacher, Sakiko Ishitsubo, a sponsoring member of ATI, makes a visit to the program. The program incorporates, as well, a visit from at least one other international teacher each year, enabling students to experience a diversity of teaching styles and gain exposure to the wider Alexander Technique community. Previous visiting teachers to the program have included: Martha Hansen Fertman, Meade Andrews, Rosa Luisa Rossi, Peter Nobes, Janet Feindel, Ariel Weiss Holyst, Bruce Fertman, Monica Gray, Tommy Thompson, Gilles Estran and Kathryn Armour. During the course of the program an effort is made to ensure visits by teachers who are sponsoring members of ATI in order to facilitate subsequent certification after graduation.
Students wishing to enroll in the program must: have had a minimum of thirty private lessons with the program Director or a recognized and certified teacher of the Technique; be interviewed by the Director; provide a written statement describing the applicant’s motivations and intentions for training.
Fees for the program: $9,040.00 (HST included), annually, payable in three instalments (Sept/Jan/May) of $3,013.33.
Visitors and prospective students are welcome to participate in the training program at a rate of $153.22/day (HST included) for up to seven days. At the discretion of the Director, visiting hours may be applied to the requirements of the training program should the participant wish to enroll.
Adjunct Teachers: Sakiko Ishitsubo
International Guest Teachers for 2016: Meade Andrews, Kathryn Armour and David Gorman.
International Guest Teachers for 2017: Eric Bendix and David Gorman.
International Guest Teachers for 2018: David Gorman.
International Guest Teachers for 2019: Kathryn Armour.
Recent International Guest Teachers: Tommy Thompson, Gilles Estran, Rosa Luisa Rossi and Peter Nobes
See the Training Schedule for days and times of Sessions.