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Chapter 9: Instructor Anxiety Although excessive anxiety is not common among mobility instructors, it may sometimes occur. The instructor may experience a feeling of anxiety while he is out on a lesson with a student. The feelings may not be as marked as those of the student who is traveling without sight; but they can affect the course and the outcome of instruction. The anxiety may stem from any one of several causes. The instructor may feel a lack of confidence in himself as an instructor. Alternatively, it may result from concern that the student will fall and injure himself because of his own carelessness or lack of ability. The anxiety is thus a function of the instructor's inability to completely control the performance of the student or the circumstances of a lesson. Some anxiety on the part of the instructor may be beneficial. If he feels some anxiety, he will not carelessly ask a student to attempt a task for which he is not prepared. Before assigning the task he will consider the possibility of injury, and evaluate the student's ability in terms of the task he contemplates for the student. This mild anxiety over the welfare of the student does not impede the progress of the student, but rather guides it in a judicious manner. However, when the anxiety of the instructor exceeds reasonable limits, it usually interferes with the progress of the student. He puts severe restrictions on what he allows the student to do. Whenever there is a question concerning the readiness of a particular student for some lesson, he opts in favor of excessive caution. His management of the student during the entire course of training is a picture of overprotection: helping him with things he can do for himself, directing him or guiding him when he is quite capable of performing some task for himself. Alternatively, he may react to his own anxiety by making excessive demands on the student. He sets high goals and standards, and pushes the student beyond his state of readiness. His own anxiety demands completion of a training phase; and he rushes the student into a lesson for which he is not adequately prepared. Admittedly, such extreme anxiety is rare among mobility instructors, but when present it should be dealt with, because it will affect the progress of the student. The basis for extreme anxiety on the part of the instructor may lie in his experience while training as an instructor. The anxiety he experienced while working under a blindfold may help him to understand the feelings of his students; it can also stimulate a need to be overprotective. He is not simply conscientious as he observes, teaches, or assists his students; he interferes with and supports them to a greater extent than he needs to. Through the things he says and the way he intervenes, he transmits his anxiety to the students and stimulates their anxiety. As a result, they do not gain as much from the learning experience as they could. One of my clients who was a poor traveler, but was taking mobility, informed me that his instructor gave him so many instructions and directions on his lessons that it made him nervous. The poor performance of the student may have stimulated the anxiety of the instructor; but, conversely, the student picked up the instructor's anxiety and in turn, became more nervous. In order to deal with such anxiety, it is essential for the instructor to face the possibility that he is too nervous over the safety of his student. I do not suggest that he should not take reasonable precautions concerning student safety. But he should be aware that his own nervousness contributes to the anxiety of the student and affects his performance. By facing these possibilities and discussing them with another mobility instructor, or if necessary with a counselor, he can minimize their effect. Further, he can benefit from the experience as he becomes aware of how his feelings affect the performance of his student. As he becomes more sensitive to his feelings and these of his students, he will be a better instructor.
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