Certification Process

Each meeting with my ATI Sponsors, whose styles differed greatly, offered me a golden opportunity to step into my shoes as an AT teacher. I was encouraged to relax with confidence and be myself, while being equally challenged to be very clear in the use of myself and my speech as both a teacher and as a human being walking through life. I am grateful for the opportunity to have received so much valuable feedback from my ATI Sponsors, while being acknowledged for my strengths. The whole process has deepened my love of this work and has given me additional confidence in my abilities so that I can, must and will teach the Alexander Technique as long as I am able and as long as there is a need for this kind of human contact in this very precious and tender world in which we all reside.”

Katie Back, ATI Certified Teaching member

The ATI membership has, over the years, developed and established strong procedures and criteria to evaluate the skills of candidates seeking an ATI teaching certificate. ATI Teacher Certification is available to every Alexander Technique teacher, whether you are freshly graduated from an AT training school, or a confident teacher with years of practice. Once you have begun the Certification process, we think you will find that each required session with an ATI Sponsor will give you a great opportunity to explore yourself by following the ATI principles embodied in the criteria. After completing the Certification process, you will become an ATI Teaching Member, and receive an ATI Teaching Certificate.

ATI Criteria for Evaluating the Competencies of Teachers

In order to be eligible for certification by Alexander Technique International, teacher-candidates should be of good character, have a clear understanding of the Alexander Technique concepts and principles and have the basic skills to convey these concepts and principles clearly to a pupil.

I. Conduct

  • A. Demonstrate qualities of patience, compassion, honesty, and respect in interactions with peers and students. Completion of an Alexander Technique training process shall be considered representation by the candidate’s trainers that the candidate has satisfactorily demonstrated these characteristics of patience, compassion, honesty, and respect in interactions with peers and students, provided the examining teacher sees no evidence to the contrary.

II. Knowledge

  • A. Demonstrate an embodied understanding of the commonly used Alexander Technique concepts and principles by consciously allowing a positive change in their own psycho-physical coordination, and continue this change throughout any activity in order to improve the quality of their performance. This positive change can be observed as 1) an initial movement of the head in relation to the spine which results in a quality of lengthening throughout the body, allowing the person to respond in a fluid and continually adaptive way to gravity; 2) an enhanced alertness, awareness, fluidity and poise; 3) and a speaking voice that is full, clear, and fluent.
  • B. Demonstrate a knowledge of Alexander’s ideas by discussing their own understanding of the Technique and how Alexander’s ideas have influenced their development as a person and a teacher; and suggest what literature (by Alexander or other authors) they would recommend to a pupil and why.
  • C. Demonstrate an understanding of anatomy and physiology as they relate to human movement and behavior; be able to help pupils understand how mistaken ideas about their structure interfere with their best use; answer pupils’ basic questions about anatomy, and refer them to other sources for more detailed answers.
  • D. Demonstrate an understanding of the ATI Code of Ethics, an appreciation of safety issues, and know when it is appropriate to refer a pupil to another professional.

III. Teaching Skills

  • A. Demonstrate an ability to clearly and simply communicate and demonstrate the concepts and principles of the Alexander Technique by giving clear demonstrations and verbal explanations that are appropriate to the pupil’s learning in the moment; when using hands, to use their hands sensitively and appropriately. Both verbal explanations and any use of hands will allow pupils to effect a positive change in their psycho-physical coordination.
  • B. Demonstrate an ability to observe themselves while teaching, and later articulate to an observer the choices they made with regard to using their hands, verbal explanations and physical demonstrations.

Through this certification process, ATI sets standards for competence as it embraces the diversity of approaches to teacher training. ATI has identified a select group of Teaching Members, known as ATI Sponsors, whose responsibility is to determine whether or not a candidate for an ATI Teaching Certificate meets ATI’s Criteria. Candidates must be certified by three ATI Sponsors.

If you know already that you want to become an ATI Certified Teacher, our ATI Certification Procedure page contains information on how to complete the Certification process.