Course prep

Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, teachers have been preparing for the start of a new school year during the summer months, considering what to teach, gathering materials, and planning their curriculum.

Whether it’s a program for the public, a bespoke series for a group of athletes, musicians, artists, or others, or the module of a teacher training course, I find immense joy in the process of preparing a lesson plan. I relish setting time aside to review my materials, spreading my open books and notes across the floor, and rolling on the floor, against a wall, on a chair, or even in a doorway to find the components for a new course.

Often, I begin developing a curriculum by identifying a specific situation or skill set that I want to address. Sometimes I start with a series that Dr. Feldenkrais taught. At other times, I simply explore ideas, waiting for a theme to emerge or coalesce. I revel in combining existing lessons into novel sequences, creating entirely new series, and, once the combination starts to come together, identifying missing lessons and creating new ones to fill the gaps.

There was a time when I didn’t plan. I would just teach whatever inspired me from my practice and the questions I was exploring, or what had happened in my work with individual students that week, or based on a question or comment from one of the students. I grew unsatisfied with that approach because it didn’t allow me to develop an idea over time. I also realized that teaching on the fly meant I didn’t give students a chance to revisit previous sessions, reflect on and realize what they’d learned, measure their progress, and build on their discoveries and realizations. Also, without a theme, it proved difficult, if not impossible, to advertise a course in advance.

I know a colleague who has been teaching the same thirty lessons for the past thirty years. That hasn’t been my approach. In the fifty years since my introduction to ATM, I have continued to explore Moshe’s methodology, hone my practice, and explore new directions and possibilities. Perhaps it would have been wiser (as I’ve been advised numerous times) to take one series or theme, promote it far and wide, and build a business around it.

Instead, I have continued to come up with new curricula, exploring specific themes such as the movements of prayer or the function of breathing, and unique situations like doing ATMs in a doorway.

Starting in the latter half of the 1980s, I led professional seminars, such as ‘Back Into Action’ and ‘On Your Feet,' for physical and occupational therapists and other rehabilitation professionals in the US and Europe. I knew from personal experience how challenging it was to remember lessons, especially when you’re new to the Feldenkrais approach. Because I wanted the participants to engage in the lessons without worrying about remembering them or being distracted by taking notes, and because I wanted them to apply what they’d learned from me to their patients and clients, I provided written transcripts of the ATM lessons I taught.

I know that not everyone enjoys making lesson plans. To make it easier for colleagues and interested individuals to prepare to teach and use the lessons I’ve composed, I started creating transcripts for some of my courses. For the so-called ‘doorway series,’ The Human Frame, I went beyond providing transcripts to developing easy-to-follow teaching summaries of the lesson with the help of some of the colleagues participating in the course. These guidelines for teaching arrange the directions in two columns; the first column contains a description of the student’s positions and instructions for the action they will take, while the second column delineates what to ask the students to notice.

As a way of showing our appreciation for your interest in my work and to support your teaching, we're offering a discount.

Use the coupon code THINGSRLOOKINGUP to receive 20% off your purchase price of The Human Frame transcripts, audio recordings, or both. The coupon is valid only until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, August 15, 2025.

Please stay tuned for the announcement of my autumn 2025 ATM series . . .