first time tutoring. advice needed please

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 01 Oct 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

loveinspirit	01 Oct 2004
i have just been asked to tutor a class of 20 people of course its called learn to read tarot lol its last for 10 weeks, and each class is for 2 hours once a week, i am looking forward to it very much, but my brain has left me... im trying to come up with some good ideas, im all of a fluster, would like lots of thoughts of how to make the class interesting. without it being boring... as in what to teach them each week for 2 hours, what would be the best way, how to get them involved.. i dont want the snoring in the first class..... wowwwwwww me being a tutor, its something i always wanted to do and now... scary thoughts lol please any advice would be great

Vilyariel	01 Oct 2004
hey, Well first of all, i dont think they'll be bored, they'll probably be eager to learn anything to can teach them and hang off your every word [they wont want to miss out on anything important!] I don't know if ten weeks is long enough, but maybe if each lesson, you taught them, say, 2 majors per lesson [3 in some or else you def. wont have enough time], and then their homework for the week was to create the majors out of collage, etc. that way they will learn the deck AND have _something_ ready to use whem the course is finished. [like what major tom did...even tho he had as much time as he needed] even if their 'homework' doesnt get finished by the course end, there isnt anything stopping them from comtinuing on with it after. You could also make up a crossword puzzle, [at the first lesson... see whether they can get their intuition working ;)] and for each 'question' have a main...erm...how would you call it.... point? property? for each major card. something like that. I know i havent focused on any of the minors...sorry!

Maelin	01 Oct 2004
What a wonderful thing to do, and a great opportunity. I read your post and thought "Hmm... appeals to the secret organized part of me - OK, so that part is VERY secret!", but it did start me thinking how one could organize a course for 10 weeks. If you can whet their appetites, you will have done a great thing - good for you! Here are my thoughts on how you might proceed. Most people will be keen to do or get readings, so I would spread your coverage of the deck with some basic reading techniques. For example: Week 1: History and intro: The Fool's Journey Week 2: The Major Arcana, the inner circle, the Magician to the Lovers Week 3: the Major Arcana, the struggle with the outer world: Strength to Justice Week 4: The Major Arcana, Death, resurrection and fulfillment - Death through to the World Week 5: Minor Arcana, the Wands Week 6: Minor Arcana, the Swords Week 7: The cups Week 8: The pentacles Week 9: A great lengthy spread - like the celtic cross, a short discussion of reversals Week 10: putting it in practice, reading for yourself and others You could then pair people up and have them do a three card reading for each other as the last part of each class. I certainly know for myself that the cards don't come to life until they start combining in a reading. This will get them started to actually use the cards, but in a short reading where they can think about the meanings, instead of stumbling through ( as I did when I started) the celtic cross right from the start. Congrats on this, and best wishes!

loveinspirit	02 Oct 2004
thank you for the advice you both gave me.... and to you maelin, i hope i can come up with a good plan for the course... yours gave me lots of ideas i feel my biggest worry is my self confidence to stand up in front of 20 strangers, Gosh am i worried a VERY BIG BIT.... how do i start the lesson and insure that i can whet their appetites during every lesson, i feel that there will be older people than me there and probably know more than me....im only 35 lol im even trying to talk myself out of this, part of me is really excited and part of me is scared stiff... i would like to make the lessons as fun as possible, that they go away think that they cant wait until next lesson. i dont want to end up a nervous heap on the floor,

Vilyariel	02 Oct 2004
You'll be fine. Once the first lesson is over, you'll have gotten to know your students a bit, and it'll get easier. I'm not sure about others, but I find it alot easier to stand up in front of strangers. With people i know, it seems harder. eg- i did a few school plays and music concerts during years 7- 10/4th form/10th grade. Even infront of a crowd of 500+, it was easier than reading out an essay infront of my english class. why? The classmates are waiting for you to slip up; they don't want you to be better than them [in this case; we had to read out our essays as a marked exam], they want you to do badly so they do well. So of course, all this is lurking in you mind. With strangers, they have no preconcieved ideas; for or they knew, i could have been the best actor in my school. They want you to do well, i mean theyre paying to watch you. Same with your class. If they're paying, they want to get the most out of it. they aren't going to sit there idly and twiddle their thumbs. if all else fails, get a discussion going. Ask about a world event and see if they can relate that to the cards and what they might have gotten in a spread [after a lesson]

Imagemaker	02 Oct 2004
Good suggestions so far, but don't wait until late to have them playing with spreads. After you've introduced , say, 6 cards, start having them try 3 card combinations and interpretations. My first teacher had us design our own spreads (after introducing the cards) and have the others try them out for the next week. It's using them that's the fun!

Vilyariel	02 Oct 2004
I like the idea of designing a spread as an exercise... and "It's using them that's the fun!" is so true! Everyone likes having their cards read. Even skeptics will have a go, just to see what their 'fortune' is...

Maelin	02 Oct 2004
I only wanted to add one thing about speaking in public - which is something almost everyone is nervous about. Vilyariel is absolutely right - when people are hoping you will do poorly, it can be tough ( in those circumstances, life becomes just a cruel extention of high school!) But think about it, this is a group of people who signed up to learn about Tarot - what a great group to begin with. Think about the last time you went to a seminar, you probably wanted the class to be fun, hoped the teacher was good - and hoped you, as the student, didn't look foolish ( especially if the teacher was younger!) All those students want you to do well, and will be sending you very supportive thoughts! I am sure you will be great! Best wishes.

SFGMaster	03 Oct 2004
Lady loveinspirit: I've had the privilege before of teaching a prophecy class to a congregation of roughly 60. I was quite nervous every Sunday to say the least--who was I to be teaching prophecy in a church? Especially since I hold a few views on that that can be a bit unorthodox at times... I mean really, I was half expecting lightning to come down out of the sky. :D I can tell you that when you first stand up there it might be rough, but the nerves will only last for about three minutes. Once you see that your teaching is going to be well-received by everyone (see Maelin's post above), you'll calm down and do fine. (Yes, I did get nervous again each week for three minutes. But the first week was the worst.) You should definitely have planned in advance exactly how you mean to open the session, and perhaps have those first few minutes scripted ahead of time like a speech. Deciding how to open up a lesson is the hardest bit anyway, and you'll be the most nervous then; so don't give yourself a chance to draw a blank at the beginning. The rest you can just do in outline form so that you're sure to hit all your points without rambling. It's really not that bad! Best of luck to you. :) --:TKNC

loveinspirit	03 Oct 2004
ive only got until thursday to think of a game plan (so to speak)which isnt easy to do with i have a head full of cold to lol i want to jump in and say yes to doing this course, i think if i stood up and told them i have helped friends and family to read the tarot, but never a large class, so i am rather nervous, and i hope they will understand that. or should i not????????? i was thinking of printing out the fools journey for each of them to read, not sure to read it to them myself as they arent children.... and basically find out who has read before and who hasnt, so we can each lesson go through what each card means at the same time as doing some readings....... would like to be able to make these lessons as fun as possible

Eco74	03 Oct 2004
Loveinspirit, I'm sure you'll do just great. Remember; Even if they would know more than you They have decided to Seek YOU out to learn about Tarot from YOUR perspective. This makes your knowledge very valid and very worthy of being put on display. To "cover your back" you can always state the very first time that learning the Tarot is a personal path and each of the students will need to find their own truths. You are there as a guide to lead them part of the way, but can not take them to the end of the journey. You "can and will lead them to the water, but they will have to drink on their own" so to speak..

loveinspirit	03 Oct 2004
thank you for all the messages eco74 how about you taking the classes for me lol i know we all have to start some where.... just wish i had my parents say to me in life you can do this instead they were the opposite in saying i cant do this and ill be no good at anything. i know thats where my negativity comes from.... i will give it a go to be a tutor nothing ventured nothing gained

Eco74	03 Oct 2004
Hey, if you pay for the trip, cover my bills, feed me and give me a place to sleep I'm so there. :D Seriuosly though, let me (and all the rest of us) know how you end up planning it and how it turns out. I'm sure you'll do well. Trust the Tarot and Trust Yourself.

loveinspirit	04 Oct 2004
sorry eco74 it looks like you cant do my course for me not total sure how to plan the course yet, have to put my thinking cap on.... been give lots of ideas from here though thank you.... i was thinking about asking everyone how they got involved in the tarot, how long they have been reading, if they have read people yet and what was the outcome, were they good readings? i was also thinking of combining a quiz in each lesson, how does this sound?

jmd	04 Oct 2004
As it is over ten weeks, I would probably first ask each and all to say a little about themselves, their interest and experience in Tarot, and if they have a deck, which one(s). This will also give you a sense for who you have working with you and with each other (for working with you and each other is what they'll all be doing). Personally, I wouldn't do too much on history as a separate topic, but rather include bits and pieces as they emerge (decks having VIII Justice and XI Strength with inverted numbering, for example, or the Fool as numbered). Next, I may get them each to separate the deck into Atouts/Major Arcana and suits, each suit and each Atouts in order. And here I would immediately begin a one (random) card description, focussing solely on describing what is depicted on the card (not what it makes them feel, think of, etc - that comes later). Time-limit this per person (thirty seconds, for example). For 'homework', perhaps ask them to describe not only the card again in written form (for its own sake, but also as the impromptu beginning to a journal they may later also develop - around week 5), but also describe, separately, the card solely in terms of how it makes them feel - irrespective as to whether the card may or may not supposedly mean this (one or too words are enough, even like 'Wow!' or 'Blahhhh'). Also, and separately, to write what thoughts seem to be encountered or generated as they look at the image. And finally, what spiritual or transformational message does that one card seem to be hinting at. If each of these is done for ONE card on separate days over a week (before they return to your next class), they will each have the beginning of skills which will develop insights useful in a reading situation. The following week, give them time (those who want to - us Australians generally are timid by nature, just go to any pub in London for proof of this) to provide some feedback. Next put them into groups of three, and each is to shuffle and give the other person a ONE card reading, firstly describing what they see, then how it seems to make them feel, then what it makes them think of, and then what message seems to be in the card. By the time the three in the group have done this for each other, half the second day would have gone. Homework - listing in order the Major arcana - nothing more, but at least three times in the week. Day three, I would then begin with questions, and here mention some of the historical considerations, especially with regards to VIII/XI (Justice/Strength) and the numbering of the Fool. Also, the various representations of XIII (Death - and whether it is named), the Sun, and the arms of the Magician. What are those symbols/letters on the pillars of II the Papess on some decks (such as the BOTA or the WCS). Also, pick a deck and look for relations between cards (for example, in the WCS, Death and the Moon and the towers on each)... AND give THEM time to discover such depicted relations between cards - remember, you're not there to give lectures, but to assist their own learning, and provide SOME keys for deeper reflections. Homework - pick an Atouts (Major Arcana) randomly, and DRAW it... and bring it in to show others the following week (remind them that though perhaps none are artists, they are each artists... and no tracing). I could go on, but will stop here, as it is not my ten-week course. What I have written is merely an indication to provide for a way to focus on various aspects which, though progressively deepens with time, gets them to do a lot of the work. Hope this helps also in some minute way :)

loveinspirit	04 Oct 2004
thank you for your reponse JMD would like to find out what would people expect from an tutor in a tarot course, and how they would get the most out of a class........ maybe i should ask that as a new thread ????????????

The first time tutoring. advice needed please thread was originally posted on 01 Oct 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.