Metta Programs Insight Dialogue Teacher Training Program
Metta’s Insight Dialogue Teacher Training Program is a service learning community of practice. The intention is to nurture Insight Dialogue teachers to excellence, and as a community support one another to live the teachings with impeccability. This commitment protects and maintains the teachings by holding the core values in lived experience.
The Teachers Council is the lead body in directing the program and is charged with creating pathways for the next layer of teachers to progress in their training and in turn, share the teachings. In their training, participants will prepare to offer Insight Dialogue internationally in long retreats as well as in other retreat formats and intensive online programs. Successful completion of this level of training is anticipated to take a minimum of five years, depending on background and circumstances. When the Guiding Teacher, in consultation with the Teachers Council, believes trainees are ready they will become publicly endorsed as Senior Teachers of a whole life Dhamma, with an emphasis on relational Dhamma and Insight Dialogue.
The information below offers an outline of general requirements and expectations of teacher trainees. The investment of time for this training program will regularly exceed 20 hours per month in addition to co-teaching retreats and online programs. Trainees are expected to travel significantly to obtain the necessary co-teaching experience and to attend silent and Insight Dialogue retreats, including an annual teacher training retreat. Consideration for the training program is by an invitation from the Teachers Council. Invitees typically spend at least a year as a program guest before they are invited to apply for admission.
Requirements and Expectations of Teacher Trainees
For Admission into the Teacher Training program
- A consistent practice of silent meditation for ten years or longer.
- Knowledge of various meditation techniques and experience with them
- Retreat experience: minimum of two silent retreats of 10 days or longer and seven silent retreats of 7 days or longer.
- Retreat experience: minimum of four Insight Dialogue retreats of 7 days or longer.
- Initial familiarity with terms and concepts of the core topics of Buddhadhamma.
- Demonstrated commitment to relational practice and lived practice of the factors of awakening.
- Demonstrated integrity regarding his or her commitments and capacity to participate fully in the Teacher Training program.
- Participation in one of Metta’s annual Teacher Training meetings as an invited guest.
Minimum Guidelines to Maintain Teacher Trainee Status
- An established Insight Dialogue Teacher Agreement with assigned advisor.
- Demonstrated progress in meeting goals of the learning agreement.
- Regular attendance at silent and Insight Dialogue retreats. Frequency and duration to be determined in collaboration with trainee’s advisor.
- Regular attendance and teaching leadership in the bi-weekly Thursday Teacher Training meetings.
- Contributions to teaching content (blogs, articles, news, audios, etc.) in a regular rotation.
- Regular participation in Teacher Training targeted Learning Modules.
- In person and online teaching in alignment with individual learning objectives. Although specific opportunities will be determined in collaboration with individual advisors, each teacher trainee is expected to teach Insight Dialogue and/or Dharma Contemplation locally and to co-lead at least one online Introduction to Insight Dialogue course each year.
- Attendance and active participation in Annual Teacher Training Retreat.
For more specific information about the Metta’s Insight Dialogue Teacher Training, please contact Lori Ebert who is Metta’s Project Director for Teacher Training and Development.