Level 2 MBI:TAC training: Deepening for trainers and supervisors
In this deepening training we will aim to create a container within which participants can investigate and deepen their understanding and appreciation of both the mindfulness-based teaching process, and of their own process as they engage with reviewing teaching practice. We will give time both to the content issues that are raised when reviewing teaching (e.g. how to prioritise different elements; distinctions between domains and competence levels; curriculum questions); and process themes (e.g., the vulnerability that is inherent in investigating mindfulness teaching skills; the personal process issues that are triggered by assessing/reviewing teaching).

The skill of reliably discerning competence level takes time and practice. In the first instance, the benchmarked competence level (i.e. an assessment point that has been centrally agreed by a team of experienced MBI:TAC Raters is communicated to the participants in advance of reviewing the clip. Their task is to discern what features within the teaching have led to this assessment outcome. Participants then progress to discerning the competence level, building up the domains gradually and cross checking against established benchmarks.

Week by week, the training will include audio-visual teaching clips that progressively expand the elements of curriculum and domains to systematically build participants’ assessment skills. Participants will be given access each week to a benchmarked assessed teaching clip to review on their own between sessions and will subsequently be given weekly feedback on their assessment reliability. In this way participants can gradually fine tune their skills in assessing in line with benchmarked assessments.

There will also be training in ways of skilfully offering feedback to supervisees and trainees which is both accurate and precise, and is strengths based and encouraging.

Delivery format: 9 x 3-hour sessions delivered via zoom. 5 of these will be teacher led (at 2-week intervals) – and 4 (scheduled in the intervening weeks) will be peer led. Participants will be given home practice involving assessing clips of recorded MBP teaching and reading material.

Open to:Practitioners who have completed the level 1 MBI:TAC training and who are in supervisory and/or training roles

Learning aims:

Building on the learning aims of the level 1 training this deepening training aims to:

Refine and differentiate the structure and meaning of the six competence levels within the MBI:TAC
Build skills in conducting assessments reliably, through repeated practice in reviewing teaching practice and then cross-checking scores against central benchmarks
Build skills in offering verbal and written feedback which enables transparent understanding of how the assessment point was determined, what teaching strengths and learning needs were observed, and how the teacher could build their skills going