Become a Great Teacher at the
Center for Somatic Teacher Education
Directed by Carey Elizabeth Smith
BTI Co-director Carey Smith is a leader and pioneer in bringing teacher training to the field of massage and other touch therapies. In recognition of this contribution, she was honored by the American Massage Therapy Association as the 2009 National Teacher of the Year. In addition, she is a 2011 inductee into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame. Under Carey's guidance, the Center for Somatic Teacher Education is the “home” for all offerings at BTI designed to meet the needs of body-oriented educators.
Whether you are a beginner; a seasoned instructor or program director in a school of massage, movement, or spa therapies; a provider of continuing education seminars; or a practitioner who wants to learn how to better educate your clients, the Center for Somatic Teacher Education will help you Become a Great Teacher.
- For 2012, we are offering three new 1-day Teacher Skills Seminars. These focused courses will help you develop the core competencies every teacher needs for effective classroom instruction. They are designed for existing teachers who want to increase their skills, as well as those who are seeking to enter the field of teaching.
- The Spirit of Learning®, our highly-respected teacher certification program, is the centerpiece. This course integrates, deepens and adds to many of the subject areas covered in the Skills Series. It also focuses on the process of embodiment and self-development that is essential for achieving teaching excellence.
- Finally, Carey offers the annual Graduate Forum for those who have completed The Spirit of Learning. This two-day event provides educators an ongoing opportunity for community, supervision and the expansion of their knowledge and skills.
CE Approval: BTI is designated as an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by NCBTMB. All courses through the Center for Somatic Teacher Education meet requirements for recertification, license renewal in North Carolina, and membership renewal for AMTA and ABMP. Be sure to check the exact requirements for your particular renewal situation. The 100-hour Spirit of Learning® program includes 10 hours of ethics education; the September 20th Teacher Skills Seminar provides 7 hours of ethics education.
Go to the REQUEST page to download a catalog and application for The Spirit of Learning.
Teacher Skills Seminars
Three 1-day seminars | 7 continuing education hours each
Thursdays, 9:30am-5:30pm | $145 each or $375 for the series (save $60)
These seminars are for classroom teachers, CE providers, and therapists who bring an
educative component to their work with clients. No prior teaching experience is needed to enroll.
Designing Lesson Plans for Inspired and Effective Learning
May 31 with CSTE Faculty
Create engaging and achievable lesson plans, from development of learning objectives, to the selection of appropriate teaching methods, timing and pacing. We will examine each aspect of a lesson plan, both in isolation and as an integrative element in the overall plan for that class. We will practice writing lesson plans and analyze them for effectiveness, efficiency and impact. In addition, we will come to see lesson plans as the creative form for delivering inspirational teaching, as they provide support and predictability for the teacher.
Enlivening Anatomy, Physiology & Kinesiology
with Experiential Learning
July 26 with Carol Verner, LMBT, MSC
Explore body-oriented approaches that will transform student attitudes towards these traditionally “difficult” subjects in the massage curriculum. (For both A&P and hands-on teachers.) Through movement, somatic practices and kinesthetic experiences, we will explore how to convey cognitive-based material in ways that engage students in whole-body learning.
Cultivating Ethical and Mature Behavior in the Classroom
September 20 with CSTE Faculty
Build a classroom environment that supports students in their journey of personal and professional development. Learn strategies for assisting students to build the capacity to express respect and compassion, both for self and others. These internal skills are the foundation of social interactions that inspire safety and trust. We will discuss how to transform classroom scenarios of challenge and conflict into opportunities that guide students to cultivate the ethical and mature behavior needed as a massage therapy professional.
Click here to register for these seminars
The Spirit of Learning®
A Teacher Certification Program
for Massage, Movement & Spa Educators
Taught by Carey Smith and the Faculty of the Center for Somatic Teacher Education
Next training begins September 14, 2012 | Application Deadline, August 1
INTRODUCTION
The Spirit of Learning® embraces and integrates the cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of the educational process. The program provides a solid foundation in the core competencies required for effective teaching – while exploring the dynamic relationship between philosophy and methodology in an embodied learning environment.
Now entering its 14th year, this remains one of the only comprehensive teacher training programs designed for the touch therapy profession. Through an innovative curriculum, Carey unites the passionate, life-giving nature of the spirit with the art and craft of teaching.
A UNIQUE TRAINING EXPERIENCEThis program consists of 100 contact hours presented in a series of five 3-day training sessions over a period of nine months. Each session includes: presentations on educational philosophy, teaching methods, somatic movement practices, observation and assessment exercises, group discussions, opportunities for quiet reflection in nature, and conversation among colleagues.
In The Spirit of Learning® you will: develop a confident and embodied teaching presence that will result in more successful learning outcomes; be able to lead your students to access their inner and outer resources to achieve their professional goals; and create ongoing experiences that sustain and enrich you as a teacher.
The program is grounded in universal archetypes and themes that facilitate greater self-awareness, compassion and understanding of the diversity of others. The specific teaching methods and professional strategies you will develop include:
- Presentation skills
- Managing classroom dynamics
- Curriculum and lesson plan design
- Communication skills and team building
- Techniques for observation and assessment
- Delivering feedback and evaluations
- Addressing the needs of a diverse student population
- Learning styles and multiple intelligences
- Handling ethical challenges
- Creating an inspiring learning environment
This program has a broad range of application in educational, clinical and business settings that deal with touch therapies. Those who have taken The Spirit of Learning® have included massage school teachers, movement teachers, program directors and owners, spa managers and trainers, continuing education presenters -- as well as therapists who want to bring more of an educational component to their clinical practices. The program is designed to accommodate participants with a broad range of professional experience.
REGISTRATION
Admission to this program is by application only. Enrollment is limited to 16 students, so early application is advised. You may download a program catalog and application form through the Request Page on this website, or call the BTI Office to receive it by mail.
Tuition for The Spirit of Learning® is $2500. A $25 fee is paid along with the submission of your application, and a $200 tuition deposit is required once you are accepted into the program. Application deadline is August 1, 2012. A short-term payment plan is available through BTI.
The five training sessions will be held on: September 14-16, 2012; November 9-11, 2012;
January 18-20, 2013; March 15-17, 2013; and May 17-19, 2013.
CERTIFICATION
Certification will be awarded by the Body Therapy Institute to those who attend all class sessions and complete all required work, both in and outside the classroom. While there are no national standards in place for teacher education at the present time, many state regulatory boards and accrediting commissions require that instructors in massage schools have been trained to teach. This certification will demonstrate that you have met those requirements.
Carey Smith is a master teacher trainer, creator of The Spirit of Learning®, and a Master Somatic Coach. She is Co-director of the Body Therapy Institute and served as as the school's Director of Education for 17 years. She began her work in the education field in 1978 with the Montessori Method of Childhood Education, and has provided teacher training, team-building and inspirational programs for both public and private schools. She is the recipient of AMTA's 2009 National Teacher of The Year Award, and is a 2011 inductee into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame. Carey specializes in body-oriented learning, curriculum design and the creation of optimal educational environments.
Through her work with both teachers and students, she holds a vision of the inherent worth, dignity and originality of each person as they manifest their life’s purpose. Carey has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in romance literature and languages, as well as a teaching certificate from the American Montessori Society. She is a BTI graduate and is certified in DansKinetics from Kripalu Institute. She has completed advanced studies in Embodied Leadership through the Strozzi Institute, and has a private practice as a Somatic Coach.
She is a contributing author to the book, TEACHING MASSAGE: Fundamental Principles in Adult Education for Massage Program Instructors (2008, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). To document her work as an artist and poet, she published Awakening Wisdom: Exploring the Confluence between Learning, Healing and Creativity (2006, Southwind Press).
Here are quotes from people who have graduated from The Spirit of Learning:
The Spirit of Learning helped me remember why I teach, and what it is that I have to share. I have remembered how much fun it is to be challenged by students, and to have the freedom for us to learn together in the classroom. Thank you for helping me to rediscover my creativity and my passion for teaching.Sheila Cook, Massage Therapy Educator
Birmingham, Alabama
The program was and continues to be a source of inspiration and support. What had been formless and unexpressed in my teaching came alive with words and action. The practical skills alone would have been enough, but The Spirit of Learning supported an inward journey that brings greater truth, skill and meaning to my life and work.Niko Preusse, Co-director & Lead Instructor, Touchstone Healing Arts School
South Burlington, Vermont
The program has broadened the teaching experience for me, and helped me to see things in my students that I was missing before. I took The Spirit of Learning because of problems I was having in the classroom. It helped me solve those, but more, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of teaching as a true calling. If you take the craft of teaching seriously, this is a course you should take.Eric Munn, Director and Lead Instructor
Berdan Institute, Totowa, New Jersey
As a result of the program, I am a different person... a much better teacher, a better listener, and more open to differences in people and their styles of learning. The Spirit of Learning did more to shape who I am in my professional roles than any other class since I graduated from massage school.Daisy C. Millett, Educator, Therapist, Past Chair - NC Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy
Ocala, Florida
Go to the REQUEST page to download a catalog and application for The Spirit of Learning.
Spirit of Learning 2012 Graduate Forum
with Carey Smith | Thursday-Friday, August 2-3 | 9:30am-5:30pm
14 continuing education contact hours | $250
This event is limited to those who have graduated from The Spirit of Learning®. Please check back for the theme and content of the 2012 Forum.