Standards and Criteria for MTAI Teacher Training Programmes

Completion of at least one MBI 8-week group-based programme as a participant in person or online comprising 2-2.5 hours per week and including a 1-day retreat. The programme should be led by a qualified MBI teacher. This can be completed before or during the training.

A minimum of one year of personal mindfulness meditation practice is recommended and familiarity with mindfulness and the wisdom traditions underpinning it which will be developed further during training.

A minimum of one year of mindful movement practice is recommended (e.g. Yoga, Chi Gong, Tai Chi).

A commitment to ongoing daily personal practice and personal development and this will be developed further during training.

It is strongly recommended that a minimum of one silent, teacher-led retreat of 5 – 7 days is undertaken before training. If this is not possible, the student undertakes to attend a retreat during or shortly after training. The retreat should reflect the meditation tradition that serves as a foundation for the spirit, practice and attitudes of MBIs.

In exceptional circumstances, 2 x 2 ½ day retreats may be acceptable.

• Ideally candidates will be working in and have a professional qualification in the area of health, psychology, medicine, nursing or education – but other fields may also be accepted.
• In the interests of inclusion prior learning and life experience will be considered.
• Experience of working in or with groups is recommended.
• A minimum of three years’ work experience in the field of one’s profession is recommended.
• All candidates will have undergone an in-depth application process before being accepted.

The different parts of each training pathway fit together and form a comprehensive programme.

Training can be undertaken in different ways, as different training schools have different formats – for example, a continuous training over a certain length of time, a modular training or a combination of trainings through different teaching schools. All pathways will lead the trainee to accreditation/ certification with a particular training institution.

All training programmes should offer in-depth training in the theory, rationale and intentions underpinning MBIs.
They should contain significant amounts of experiential learning, along with ample time to reflect, give and receive feedback from self, peers and instructors. A training programme includes supervision while teaching the relevant 8-week course as a student, either through the trainers themselves or through external qualified supervisors. Qualification as a teacher indicates readiness to teach the particular programme one has trained in, however, does not qualify the teacher as a teacher-trainer. See Section 3 below.

• Familiarisation with and analysis of curriculum elements (themes, practices, presentational elements, learning activities and group process) both in individual classes and in the programme as a whole.
• The programme should be for a minimum of 18 month’s duration and have a minimum of 150 hours group-based contact hours in person or online.
• Training should be delivered by a variety of senior teacher trainers.
• Training content incorporates experiential learning which supports participants in cultivating the embodiment of mindfulness.
• The skill and art of guiding formal and informal practice.
• The theory and practice (skill development) of delivering psycho-educational elements of MBIs.
• The theory and practice of facilitating inquiry.
• Theoretical underpinnings of the programme including relevant current scientific and/or clinical understanding as well as from relevant spiritual, philosophical and wisdom traditions, including the Buddhist psychological underpinnings to mindfulness practice and teaching.
• Theory and practice of holding a safe group learning environment and theory of adult learning and group dynamics.
• A process of self-reflection to develop teacher awareness and the development of the skills necessary for reflective practice appropriate to life-long learning. Self-reflection may include writing, video, audio, and other means of expression.
• Giving and receiving feedback with peers and instructors.
• Supervision of teaching to include a minimum of 4 hours one-to-one supervision of an 8-week MBI programme as a trainee. This forms part of the final assessment.
• Ongoing assessment of individual student’s learning needs in order to support teacher development and readiness to teach MBI’s. This includes all 6 domains of the Mindfulness Based Interventions: Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI:TAC, Crane et al 2016).
• On-going formative feedback and assessment on teaching practice and development from more experienced teachers. Formal assessment should be based on the Mindfulness Based Interventions: Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI TAC).
• Audio recordings of all guided formal practices are encouraged to be made by students for their participants.

• Students will be assessed by submitting at least two video recordings of classes of an 8-week MBI that they have been trained to teach. A reflective essay on their teaching should accompany this. This will be assessed by a separate teacher (i.e. a teacher who is not the student’s supervisor) and who had been trained in using the MBI-TAC framework which must be used for assessment.
• Preparation of all teaching materials (handbook and/or home practice assignments, class plans, audio-files).

The training body would ideally incorporate a quality assurance process for their programmes which could include input from a suitably qualified independent external assessor. The assessor sees the course modules offered as well as a representative sample of the written work and the assessment of the student.