Alexander lessons should be stimulating, rewarding and a lot of fun. However, if you are going to spend your time and money learning it you should choose a teacher carefully.
The first thing to consider is what sort of training they have had. Members of STAT (or teachers who trained at a STAT approved school, but have chosen not to join STAT) have completed a three-year, full time training. That is Monday to Friday for 3 terms a year, 12 weeks a term. This constitutes a minimum of 1600 hours of contact tuition over the three years. When you qualify you have reached the beginning of the work!
However, it is not just the amount of tuition time, but the continuous nature of it - day in, day out - that counts.
Alexander thought the training should be six continuous years, but was persuaded that at that length no-one would come so reluctantly agreed to three. Since that first training course in the 1930's the training of teachers has changed and improved a great deal, based on the model perfected by Walter and Dilys Carrington at The Constructive Teaching Centre, London.
When you are looking for a teacher ask them where they trained. If they didn't take a STAT training (or one of the worldwide affiliated societies) ask them if their training was continuous and how many hours of contact tuition they had - that is tuition on site with trainers, not home study or reading or exams etc.
If you are a clinic or an institution thinking of employing an Alexander teacher ask the same questions. A bad Alexander teacher is very unlikely to do you any harm (although they might), but you will be wasting your time and money. Accept no substitutes!
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