Yona Circle
Tuesday Techniques, Travel & Tarot

Advanced Practicum
Teaching Past Tribulations

We are all busy Practitioner by all accounts. We have planned another Ritual for December, our usual World Magick as well as having set a date to Focus our Psychic Energy for the Winter Solstice. So of us have even been teaching public classes or performing public rituals, not too mention everything else we each are obligated to do with Self, family, and even friends. YOU ARE BUSY. As a teacher of Magick & Medicine, we are also busy providing support and Craft challenges for all of our fellow students or Mentees. Have you check in lately? If you do not have a Mentee, have you checked in on your fellow Yona walkers? Remember, we are only given what we need to keep balance. We are the ones who choose to take on more or less that the Universe provides us. Balance is what it always seeks … and you will KNOW if you are balanced or not.

This can seem impossible at times But, establishing an inclusive magickal learning Experience  – one in which all of your participants or Practitioners feel able to progress – rely heavily on some key principles for us to consider.

Take time to work out Practitioners’ starting points by pitching the Lesson in the most effective way we can. Talk about it before we decided to do it. If it is a Lesson that does not enhance anyone’s Experience, or one that does not interest them, we may be expending energy for little return.

Do not always try to teach everyone altogether at the same time. Mentally prepare. Go into the Lesson with the thought that “this one” or “that one” will be asking questions, but the Lesson in GENERAL can be understood enough that most can begin working independently, working it out for their own Intent or practices, sometimes even pitching in and assisting their peers. Do not try to take everything on alone. Let others help. Some Practitioner’s who lead groups have even divided the groups up for convenience in both size and time. This appeals more often to more people.

Here are a few more Knowledge Sharing tips!

Pre-Gaming

Pose the option as stated above for dual sessions, or a group chat on the subject for Practitioners to work together. Providing these avenues for supporting each other is very rewarding for everyone. Practitioners can often explain scientific, metaphysical or even magickal ideas more effectively than we can – they explain in a language that other Practitioners at their stage can often understand more readily as we all are NOT “experts” on “all Magicks or Medicine”. We often forget this as advanced practitioners.

Give yourself the chance to help those who we KNOW will need it. We cannot always do that from the front of the room, in a scheduled Magickal Moot or Ritual. If Practitioners are working on learning activities independently and together, we can circulate around the class, take questions in a call, address specific emailed questions, and further help students who are having specifically known difficulties.

The Small Stuff Counts

Make sure every student Experiences success in the Lessons presented, big or small.

Read that again.

Some level of that goal has to be felt or that Practitioner will become easily discouraged as both Magick & Medicine are already considered “taboo” in American society. Remember, “we are the Magick” and “no two Paths are the same”.

Questions? Preguntas?

If we have presented a Lesson and are asking questions, start with easier questions to give Practitioners a Logic Trail to follow and also so they sense they can achieve the task. Praise Practitioners’ achievements by helping them to see what they have done well, or what was good about their answer. (You have Experienced this trait from Three Circles Medicine and Magick already. Logic Trails have been left. The secret is out! ;-p )

Practitioner Value

Value the Practitioners’ Medicine, Magick, Craft, Work, and help to develop their belief in their OWN power and abilities. This is the biggest key to growing Spirit amongst all of us in our chosen ways.

Be Able to Adapt

Be prepared to adapt the Lesson. This is the hardest and most frustrating task at time. If they do not understand, explain in a different way that was not what you meant, or ask questions to diagnose their problems… EXPLORE THAT. Or, present the Lesson again some time later, modifying it. Modify it by explaining complex words, for example. If something, a tool, breaks or does not work, use descriptor words for what they would be seeing. Paint a good mental picture for them. This often works better than having only one type of input such as visual or auditory. The more senses we can include, the more solid the memory.

Time is Important

Give Practitioners more time to complete their Work. Especially if it is KNOWN that they are trying to complete the task sincerely. Even if they are a week “late”, it is okay. We are on a cosmic clock and there are few penalties. If we are in a rented facility and the allotted time is up, we allow the completion at home. Make it a point to walk with them on the project to a certain point in the time we have alotted. Provide resources. Mention that “group chat” again.

With an inclusive classroom, what else can you do to support and challenge Practitioners in the magickal classroom in particular?

Encouragement for the Mind

Encourage a mental stretch and challenge. Design tasks with command words from the highest levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, e.g. analyze, classify, construct, create, critique or justify. Use words of Magick like imbue, empower, Craft, and others. Even use words of Medicine if that is what we are working on, such as Plant Ally, Animal Ally, etc. It helps to stay vocally in the vein of that which we are creating. Ask them to work with a partner or group to provide the ability to have more than one interpreting what is said. Dig into deep esoteric Knowledge and share it as a challenge.

Help Practitioners with that magickal language. Use word banks if needed; practice saying magickal or arcane words as a class; ZOOM, or chat. Visually link a word to its explanation; talk about the meaning of words (e.g. photo – light, synthesis – making); label shelves with the names of equipment stored there. Label tools of the altar. Diagram an altar.

Communicate in ways that replace or supplement language that they may already be hearing in their other circles. Use demonstrations, graphs, images, diagrams, animations and photographs; give instructions orally, in writing, in diagrammatic form, and in video form. We have untapped trusted resources with the web across the world. Remember, “no two Paths are the same.”

Focus

Focus on safety. Working with Element Fire? Have a burn kit or remedy. Establish routines; KNOW who is ‘out of the broom closet’ and who is not. Keep Moon Days “magickal” and Wednesdays “witchy” or full of Works if need be. Undertake separate risk assessments, or Knowledge Checks, for each class. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

Set Expectations Up Front

Encourage positive behavior and participation from ALL Practitioners BEFORE meeting. Allow Practitioners to report practical investigations without needing to write (e.g. videos or PowerPoints); value and build on students’ interests in Lessons; encourage curiosity, Practitioners’ questions and sharing of personal experience. This often comes in the form of a simple email. PRAISE THE EFFORT!

Reduce the chance of poor behavior, participation, or boredom by setting things in motion BEFORE this point. Position practical Lessons to minimize Practitioners’ opportunity to disrupt others; YOU allocate Practitioners to groups, rather than letting them choose; stagger the start of a practicum to avoid Practitioners of different levels crowding or overwhelming the allotted time.

Clarity of Understanding

Break things down for Practitioners. Split stages in a process into separate small steps; think about questions in advance, focusing one question on each concept. Help Practitioners to process information. Design practical instructions so any level Magickian or Healer can know what to do, think and write; before starting a practicum or group Work, ask Practitioners to explain the Lesson in their own words, if in person. Allow them to mirror back what they heard or understood.

Provide support with abstract ideas. Focus on the meaning of technical words; start by exploring magickal ideas in everyday contexts; use modelling, drama, simulation and role play; focus on one concept at a time, rather than several at once.

Teaching Medicine & Magick is not as hard as you may think. Focus on building an inclusive classroom for all level Practitioners, and you will begin see the difference in your them!

Happy Crafting!

Tuesday YD1

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