In this blog post I wanted to introduce you to the One Breath Freediving philosophy and also to look more specifically of why it is important as a teacher (instructor) to also have a teaching philosophy. Those of you that have freedived with myself will know already that I have my own beliefs on how freediving should be experienced, especially when it is introduced to beginners.
A teaching philosophy is common among professional educators, especially in a classroom setting but of course there is no reason it cannon't be successfully transferred to what we do in and out of the water in freediving. Here are some points of what might constitute a good teacher and be part of their/your philosophy. It is by no means exhaustive so feel free to add in the comments anything else that you believe is important.
A teaching philosophy is common among professional educators, especially in a classroom setting but of course there is no reason it cannon't be successfully transferred to what we do in and out of the water in freediving. Here are some points of what might constitute a good teacher and be part of their/your philosophy. It is by no means exhaustive so feel free to add in the comments anything else that you believe is important.
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops - Henry Adams
- I believe a good teacher, first, has a powerful faith in the future. As Henry Adams says in the quote you see above, how and what you teach someone can be passed on and on and on and far beyond, affecting peoples lives in ways we might not imagine and will never get to see.
- A good teacher must understand motivation and the effects of peer interactions on learning. That most learning occurs through social interaction but at the same time, a competitive environment is not healthy. Promoting curiosity and the broadening of knowledge for self improvement is key.
- A good teacher must know their subjects and how to help students learn those subjects. How to link relevant pieces of the jigsaw together to create the bigger picture and make the subject come alive.
- A good teacher cannot begin or continue to inspire learning without being a learner. The good teacher must constantly learn what is new in the discipline(s) that they teach.
- A teacher is a powerful role model and should be ever aware of the awesome obligation of needing to “walk the talk” with their students. If asking them to live their values and beliefs, the teacher must do the same.
Maybe the teacher’s greatest gift to the learner is helping the learner be motivated to think, and then to want to learn more.....
“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then, is not an act, but a habit” - Aristotle
 The One Breath Freediving Philosophy |
By David Watson, Owner, Founder & Head Instructor / AIDA Instructor Trainer at One Breath Freediving