A Teaching Handbook for Wiccans and Pagans (4 page)

What Are Your Weaknesses as a Potential Teacher?
How Can You Turn These Around?

Are you shy? Unsure of your knowledge? Do you feel like you don't have very good people skills? Do you have problems speaking in front of groups? Are you impatient? Do you get sensory overload when you have to deal with too many people at once?

Is there a way you can work on any of these weak areas to improve them before you teach? Is there a chance that the act of teaching itself will improve them?

Do You Have the Time and Energy to Teach Right Now?

Teaching time commitments vary, but in general, if you are going through a big life change (marriage, divorce, having a child, going back to school, moving, transitioning jobs), this might not be a good time for you to begin teaching. These life events require energy, time, and emotional resources. If you have a family with young children, elderly parents to care for, or a job that takes up a lot of your time, you might want to wait as well. Some chronic illnesses make it difficult to teach, while others require that you take very good care of yourself so you'll have the energy to teach. Carefully weigh your desire to teach against your other obligations. Don't forget to allow time for a social life, either. It's easy to get so wrapped up in the needs of your students that you forget to see to your own. You can't—and shouldn't—expect your students to meet all your social needs.

Do You Have Support for Teaching
from Friends or the Community?

Having the support of friends, mentors, or elders can make all the difference in the world to new, inexperienced teachers. It's important to have people with whom you can vent, brainstorm solutions to problems, and get advice. Oberon Zell-Ravenheart commented, “It's best by far if you have had really great teachers you admire, as they can serve as your inspirations and models.”

If you're teaching a tradition, you might be able to rely on the elders in your tradition, or the people who taught you. You might even have been taught how to teach within your tradition. If not, you might wish to find mentors outside of your tradition, either in person or online. Even if you can't find people to learn teaching from directly, there's a lot to be learned about teaching by simply hanging out with teachers. As T. Thorn Coyle points out:

I wasn't taught much about this in any formal sense, though student teaching in Reclaiming was helpful, as was my experience teaching at Witch Camps, which made it possible to watch various teachers and experience success and failure going hand in hand. Mostly, though, I learned by osmosis, just by being around teachers. Luckily, I learn pretty well this way, though I've certainly had to struggle at times to fill in the gaps.

It's also helpful to have the support of your local Pagan community. Members of the community can refer students to you, get the word out about your classes, and sometimes provide advice or feedback. They can also give you a window into how the community perceives you as a teacher.

What Concerns Do You Have, and
How Can You Get Them Addressed?

What are you most afraid of or worried about? It's good to take some time and really think about what scares you most about teaching. It's possible that whatever it is isn't likely to happen or could be avoided. What can you do before you start teaching to minimize the chances of those things happening?

What Does It Take to
Be a Pagan Teacher ?

When I was doing the interviews for this book, I tailored my questions to each interviewee, based on his or her areas of expertise, but I asked all of them what qualities they thought a Pagan teacher needs to have. I got a lot of different answers to that question, but despite the variety of responses, several common themes bubbled up across most or all of the interviews. All of these qualities are very helpful—even essential—for Pagan teachers.

Deep Knowledge of
and Love for Your Tradition or Path

Perhaps the most often mentioned trait of a good Pagan teacher in my interviews was knowledge of and love for your particular spiritual path, or for Paganism or Wicca in general. Anne Marie Forrester commented:

Teaching should never be undertaken for selfish or ego-driven reasons. It has to be about having a deep love of the Craft and wanting to see it continue and prosper. More than that, it's about having so much love for the God and Goddess that you are driven by a burning need to help others find it too.

And Oberon Zell-Ravenheart said:

Well, first off, a good teacher has to know their subject intimately and really love it with a burning passion. They have to be constantly and obsessively researching and learning more all the time. Intense curiosity is essential!

He also gave some advice for potential teachers who want to feel well-grounded in their subject matter and ready to teach:

Before you even begin to try and teach, take the time to study as many different paths and traditions as you can. Undergo initiations into the Mysteries. Study with different teachers, read many books, attend Pagan festivals, and go to lots of presentations and workshops. Hang out around the campfire or the conference party rooms and ask questions of the more experienced elders, teachers, and leaders who'll be there.

Humility

Humility was also mentioned frequently. It's easy to let teaching go to your head, especially if you have a bunch of attentive students hanging on your every word. But there are some potential pitfalls for teachers who are too arrogant or proud (more on those in
C hapter 10
).

Patrick McCollum described it this way:

I would say the first thing teaching requires is humility. Because when we think that as Pagan teachers or leaders we know it all, that's when we really lose the ability to fully gain the respect of the people who want to learn from us. And it's also when we cut off our own ability to expand and move forward from where we are….

Over the last forty or fifty years, I've observed a number of teachers and leaders and such. Many of them are now not with us anymore, not in the sense that they're dead but rather no one listens to them—they sort of faded into the woodwork. And those were the people who came forward and said, “I'm the Grand Poobah of whatever, and I know everything, and you all have to take everything I say and believe with no questions.” Our community does not respond to that well.

So we really have to be humble and have the people who we're teaching know that we're open and willing to learn more, and that we don't know everything, but that we do know something. You can't have been around experiencing what we've been experiencing without having something to share.

Pete “Pathfinder” Davis, archpriest of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, had a similar take:

It takes somebody who has a handle on their ego and recognizes when they start to slip into that sort of a mode. Because it's way too easy to start to strut around like a rooster, and then you're not conveying anything…. You have to recognize that what you're doing is sharing information that you learned—probably the hard way—with people who might or might not learn it from you.

And Sylva Markson drew a connection between love of your path and humility:

Ultimately, I think, to be a good and effective teacher, you need first and foremost to love the Craft and be thinking of what is best for the Craft rather than what is best for you…. Because we have no higher authority or human authority that says “This is the way it has to be”—we don't have a council or a senate or any of that stuff—since each priest or priestess is basically doing it their own way, it's very easy for it to become all about me and self-aggrandizement. And that, I think, is the downfall of a lot of groups and a lot of coven leaders. So, to me, I think you have to have a level of Craft that is bigger than your desire for personal glory.… It should be about what is best for the tradition and what is best for my students. And if you're thinking about that, then I don't think you can go too far wrong.

Patience

Another often mentioned quality of a good Pagan teacher was patience. You can't expect everyone to understand and absorb the information you give them immediately or on the first try. You also need the patience to deal with people's questions, issues, and imperfections—and to work on mastering your own.

Ability to Communicate

Communication is an essential skill for any teacher. Teachers need to be able to convey information in multiple ways, clearly and concisely, and preferably without putting anyone to sleep. Christopher Penczak said, “Generally I think good teachers are prepared and have good communication skills and a sense of humor.” Oberon Zell-Ravenheart commented:

They have to be able to explain things creatively in such a manner that their students can not only understand but really get it. And they need to have the charisma to inspire their students to want to learn more from them and to feel fortunate and blessed to have such a great teacher.

Ellen Evert Hopman talked to me about keeping students engaged:

Well, in order to be a really outstanding Druid teacher—which I don't think I am yet—you have to have a fantastic sense of humor. I think you have to be a showman.

Integrity and Honesty

Many of my interviewees spoke about good teachers having integrity and honesty. After all, if we as teachers are passing along sacred knowledge, we need to act accordingly.

Christopher Penczak commented:

I think one has to walk the talk. You must be practicing what you teach. Not doing so is the downfall of most teachers. You must integrate the teaching into your own life as you teach others.

People mentioned honesty in various contexts, not just in telling the truth. Anne Marie Forrester talked about being up-front with students about their progress:

I think honesty is a big part of it. You have to be willing to tell people when they're doing good and when they're not doing good, and not shy away from confronting them about that.

Similarly, Brian Rowe talked about being honest with students about expectations: “Don't be afraid to set high expectations, but be clear in trying to put those forward to students.” And Melanie Henry mentioned being honest enough to admit when you don't have an answer:

You've got to know what you don't know, and know when to say, “I can't help you with this”—and, when you yourself need some help, it's really good if you can accept help. You're going to need it!

Take some time to reflect on your goals, what you want to get out of teaching, and your strengths and possible weaknesses in terms of teaching. Talk to friends and other teachers, and meditate or ask your guides or deities for insight. Once you feel you have a handle on the benefits and challenges you might encounter and are aware of your strengths and areas for growth, your teaching journey has begun.

[contents]

Chapter 2

Space, Time, Energy,
Money, and Legalities

If you have been thinking about teaching for a while, chances are you have envisioned yourself doing it in a certain way. Perhaps you saw yourself at the head of a class, or leading an open circle, or in a coffee shop working with a small group. But before you make a decision about how you would like to begin teaching, there are several factors you should consider. And some of those factors might be large enough that you'll need to consider a different option from the one that you have envisioned.

The format in which you choose to teach will probably be influenced heavily by things like the space you can find to teach in, money, time, your personal energy level, other resources, and the number and type of interested and available students. It's kind of a chicken-and-egg thing: do you decide how you want to teach and then work out the logistical details accordingly, or do you look at what you have at your disposal in terms of space, money, time, energy, and resources and decide how you want to teach based on that? And of course you need to consider the availability and type of students you have access to, which takes your decision out of the chicken-and-egg category and escalates it to something more like a game of Twister.

In the interest of avoiding a Twister situation, I've separated the student element from the equation and dedicated the next chapter to discussing just students. In the meantime, this chapter focuses on the non-student elements you need to consider before you start teaching.

Space

Unless someone hands you a teaching opportunity on a silver platter—and, in some cases, even if they do—finding space for teaching, especially cheap space, can be a challenge. Unfortunately, not everyone who rents out space or allows people to use it for free will welcome a Pagan group with open arms, and some organizations are not allowed to rent space for teaching any kind of spirituality, Pagan or not. Of course, you can always sidestep the whole space issue and hold classes online or via email. But if you want to teach in person, you're going to have to find a place to do it. Here are some options.

Your Home

Unless they are thinking of holding a formal classes with media equipment and chairs or tables, many Pagans start out teaching from their own homes. They might do this because they prefer it, but often they do it because they feel it's their only option.

There are some real advantages to holding class or rituals in your home. You don't have to cart your stuff somewhere, you're probably more comfortable on your home turf, you can pass out in your own bed immediately after everyone leaves, and you have already paid the rent (hopefully). There are disadvantages, too, though. You have to clean the house or apartment, have enough parking and places for people to sit, and make sure you have plenty of the essentials, such as candles and toilet paper.

Before you plan on inviting a student or students over, there are some questions you should ask yourself about your space. Perhaps the first is whether or not your home is in a good location for teaching. This can mean all sorts of things, depending on where you live. Here in the foothills of the Cascades, it often means “Do you live on a hill, and is it ever plowed?” or “Do you live out in the woods somewhere?” But it can also mean the following:

• Are you close to a highway?
  
• Is your home on a bus/train/subway line?
  
• Are there places to park?
  
• Are you likely to annoy your neighbors by having a bunch of parked cars out in front of your house regularly?
  
• Is there any way you can minimize the impact of your class on your neighbors?
  

As for your home itself, there are questions like:

• Do you have enough room to have a class in your home?
  
• Do you have enough tables and chairs, or at least pillows so people can sit on the floor?
  
• Is your home accessible to people with disabilities?
  
• Do you have pets that might make it difficult for some people to be in your space, either because they're frightened of the animal (some people are very afraid of large dogs) or allergic?
  

If your space is suitable for holding a class, it's good to think about the issues around having people you might not know that well in your personal space, or having people in your space on a regular basis. Most
people
who are seeking Pagan teaching are honest, normal folks, but there are a few crazy and unethical people out there too.

I know a Wiccan couple who for many years held open public full moon rituals in their basement. This was an extraordinary community service. It gave solitaries a chance to practice with others, everyone could network and socialize, and teachers and students could find each other. But not everyone was courteous and respectful of their space, and more than once the guests left the house in a shambles or the couple had personal items stolen. Of course, if you do decide to teach in your home, you don't have to hold open classes or circles, and you can screen your potential students (see
Chapter 3
) to avoid some of these problems. But even if the people in your living room are nice, normal, ethical people, they can leave their stuff behind and make a mess.

Our coven meets in our home, and although it can be a lot of work hosting circle or class—furniture has to be moved, supplies purchased, bathrooms made respectable, cats corralled and banished from the circle room—I have found that I like the camaraderie and sense of closeness that holding events at home seems to foster. It's worth the inconvenience, and, over time, my students have gotten a lot better about picking up after themselves. Sometimes when they leave, the only evidence that they were there is the heavy scent of incense in the air.

Most Pagan teachers I know, regardless of their path, believe that if you teach out of your home, it's okay to ask students to help shoulder the burden of supply costs by occasionally contributing things like candles, paper plates, potluck dishes, wine, a ream of paper, or incense. At our house, we call these “in-kind toilet paper donations,” whether they consist of toilet paper or not.

I grew up in the upper Midwest, where gracious, uncomplaining hospitality to the point of self-sacrifice is built into our DNA, but continually providing supplies and not asking regular students to pitch in can reduce your resources to the point where at best it's a hardship, and at worst you can't offer classes anymore because you can't afford it. In-kind toilet paper donations make it much easier to run a class, and they also help students feel more involved and invested in the class, and like they are contributing.

Your Students' Homes

It's perfectly acceptable to ask your students to host classes and rotate between houses to minimize the amount of prep work and cleanup that any one person has to do. If you have students whose homes aren't appropriate for holding a class, these students can volunteer to help set up or clean up when a class is held at someone else's home.

Outside

Pagan paths are nature-oriented—or at least use nature symbolism—and teaching outside is a great way to help students connect with the natural world. Although not all Pagans like the great outdoors, and it's not always easy to teach outside—carting teaching materials into the woods, being heard above the wind, weather issues, and the dreaded mosquito can all cause problems—teaching this way can be very rewarding and very inexpensive. Some Pagans would even say it's essential or required.

Patrick McCollum explained to me some of the reasons why he prefers to teach outside and gave the example of teaching people about making wands:

The first thing I do is take people into the wilderness, and we sit outside someplace where you're in nature and look at all of the stuff around you, and then I say, “Who knows the origin of the wand?” And then I…start talking about some of the early Pagan creation stories and bring the students to understand that the first spiritual practices ever done in any of our traditions, and for that matter any religious traditions, took place in association with the sacred wells throughout the Middle East and Europe…. And at those wells grew particular trees whose roots went right into the well, and as people moved and became more nomadic, they cut branches from those trees connected to the sacred well. They carried the sacredness of that initial spirit or whatever that initiated all creation….

And on Imbolc, something very unique happens to the trees at the sacred wells…they are dead for all visual purposes, and at an exact moment…they come back to life, and that's because the sap returns to the trees…. That is the moment that our ancestors waited for to cut the branch: to capture the magic of the renewal of creation. So that's what a wand really originally is, that piece of branch from the sacred tree that went into the sacred well that captures the magic that created everything, and it became a symbol or thing to carry around that energy with them to utilize for different things.

I like to take people into the wilderness, and I walk them—not to a sacred well in Ireland or the Middle East or something—just to a simple well or spring here in the U.S. in some state I'm in. I show them the same trees grow right there, and I take them there at Imbolc, and we watch the tree come alive, and I teach each of them how to cut the tree and what the rituals have been that have been passed down, and share the stories and such, and they walk away with a whole different connection about their own spirituality and faith that they didn't know before.

I think it's very hard to convey that through some other means. You could convey it in the same way I'm telling you, but when you are holding a branch in your hand, and you actually see a dead tree come back to life before your eyes, it shifts you and adds something. We are a faith and spirituality based on nature and on the whole concept that there is something bigger and more than just words.

Outdoor teaching spaces do have some logistical considerations that indoor teaching spaces are less likely to have. Stephanie Raymond explains:

Sometimes there are theatrical challenges, especially at the site we're using now, which is an outdoor site, which on the one hand lends tremendous opportunity…. Running electricity to that stone circle involves three extension cords. And what time we're doing the ritual—what's the natural lighting going to be like? What if it's raining? You always have to consider if people can meditate when there's a million mosquitoes buzzing around their heads.

If you're interested in teaching outside, your three best options are your own yard, private land, and public parks. If you teach in your yard or on your own property, you might want to take some precautions to make sure you're not seen (if that's important to you) and that you don't make so much noise that your neighbors call the cops on you. The last thing you want to do is explain to the police why a bunch of your friends are jumping naked over the hibachi in your back yard.

If you want to teach or lead ritual on private land that's not yours, be sure you get permission from the owners. Be respectful of their land, and leave everything as you found it when you go. Don't start a fire without permission, and if the landowners have neighbors, don't do anything obnoxious to annoy the neighbors and thus make life more difficult for the landowners who were kind enough to let you use their property.

In a public park in a city or town, you can gather and walk through the woods or teach in a circle on the grass, but if you're interested in holding a bigger class or event, you might need to reserve facilities in advance and pay a fee. When teaching in a public park, be aware of the rules; parks and park systems often have websites where you can find them. Many municipal parks will not allow alcohol or let people use the park after dark.

City parks are great, but holding a class in a large, wild state park can be an amazing experience too. If you choose to do this, check out the site you'd like to teach in beforehand so you know exactly how to get there and back and are familiar enough with the area that you can tell students exactly what to expect and what kind of gear (if any) to bring. Also follow these commonsense rules:

• Comply with any ranger requests and all the rules posted at the ranger station, including checking in with the rangers if that is required and paying any parking fees.
  
• If you're going to make a fire, make sure it's in a spot designated for fire, and put it out completely when you're done.
  
• Clean up after yourself, and pack out any garbage you bring in, unless there are trash receptacles provided.
  
• Don't remove anything from the park, including sticks, stones, shells, and animals. Respect the space so others—Pagan and non-Pagan—can continue to enjoy it.
  

It's quite possible that the municipal and state parks in your area won't allow weapons, including knives and swords. And yes, your athame is considered a weapon, even if it's not sharp. The park's weapons policy should be posted online with the other park rules, although the weapons rules might not specifically mention swords or knives. You're more apt to get busted for having a sharp, pointy object if the people busting you don't recognize or understand what you're doing or if they perceive you as dangerous. Your best bet is to leave the pointy objects at home.

Festivals, Conferences, and Events

You might want to try presenting at a Pagan event, such as an outdoor festival, a conference, or your local Pagan Pride day. The advantages in doing this are:

• You can do just one session.
  
• The event organizers are responsible for getting people to come, so you don't have to find students.
  
• You can get feedback from other presenters.
  
• You can try out new material on a “captive,” Pagan-friendly audience.
  
• Event organizers might provide equipment, such as projectors and screens, so you don't have to.
  
• You can opt to be a member of a panel, so you're not the only person up front speaking.
  
• Presenting at an event can get your name out in your community.