What occurs when a Ph.D. with a ardour for conduct change, a knack for curriculum design, and a present for connection leads your well being coach coaching? You get Dr. Shana Walsh—AFPA’s Director of Schooling and Curriculum, and the chief of our Grasp Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach program.
With a Ph.D. in Kinesiology, Train Vitamin, and Well being Promotion, in addition to credentials as a Nationwide Board-Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach, Grasp Licensed Well being Schooling Specialist, and Licensed Private Coach, Dr. Walsh brings many years of expertise to each course she touches. From shaping what you study behind the scenes to guiding stay Zoom classes with power and empathy, she’s each the architect and advocate on your teaching journey.
On this interview, Shana shares her strategy to constructing student-centered applications, what makes AFPA’s stay cohort expertise so distinctive, and some enjoyable info, just like the time she did a pull-up whereas hula-hooping.
The Secrets and techniques Behind AFPA’s Curriculum
As AFPA’s Schooling & Curriculum Director, how do you form the coed studying expertise?
My position encompasses all the course improvement lifecycle. This ranges from the strategy planning stage, the place we strategize new course choices and matters that align with scholar wants, to creating written and video studying supplies, and securing top-tier instructors which are consultants of their respective areas. I’m additionally concerned in helping present college students all through their AFPA studying journey. In each stage, I prioritize the standard of the training we offer, making certain probably the most worthwhile and relevant content material for our college students. It’s extraordinarily rewarding to see one thing go from an thought scribbled on a notepad in pencil to a certification college students can earn to alter the trajectory of their profession and their lives.
What’s one thing most individuals won’t notice about how AFPA develops its curriculum?
Most individuals won’t notice that we all the time begin by asking, ‘What’s finest for the coed?’ The reply to that single query drives each resolution we make, from the matters we train, the educating strategies we make use of, the instructors we choose, and even the little particulars, just like the on-screen colours in our programs (nay for orange, yay for blue).
Past course improvement, what usually goes unseen is how a lot we have fun alongside our college students. Once they earn their certificates and discover success within the subject, we’re completely ecstatic. In spite of everything, that’s our final aim: to supply the training they should actually propel them into the skilled roles they search.
How do you guarantee AFPA’s applications keep present with analysis, developments, and finest practices?
Within the well being business, new analysis is continually rising, offering new data and redefining finest practices. At AFPA, we perceive that offering our college students with outdated data is just not an choice, so we take a proactive strategy as a substitute. We make it part of our routine to observe the most recent problems with main educational and business journals, attend business conferences, tune into webinars, and community with different skilled organizations and consultants within the subject. We’ve even been identified to edit a stay course to tweak a truth or two based mostly on newly gleaned information. We do that to ensure that when our college students graduate, they’ve probably the most present data potential to excel of their careers.
What do you see as a number of the most dear abilities college students acquire from AFPA applications?
Among the most dear abilities college students acquire from AFPA applications embrace:
- Complete Data: Each single one in every of our programs offers a wealth of information on the subject of research. For college kids actually in search of to realize experience in a selected space, AFPA is the final word useful resource.
- Holistic Views: At AFPA, we deeply perceive how intertwined all areas of well being are. For that cause, we infuse holistic views into every thing we train, supporting our college students to see the larger image.
- Sensible Utility and Teaching Abilities: It’s one factor to know what to do, nevertheless it’s one other to have the ability to do it successfully. We don’t simply train the talents, we additionally present ample observe alternatives to use them to actual world eventualities.
- Skilled Confidence and Profession Readiness: Our applications are designed to construct college students’ confidence of their talents, making ready them to excel on their chosen profession journey.
What makes the stay cohort expertise particular at AFPA?
The Superior Well being Teaching Intensive is the dynamic, stay element of our Licensed Grasp Well being and Wellness Coach programand it’s AFPA’s solely stay course. In a single Zoom room, we unite individuals from throughout the nation and across the globe. Whereas all of us come from vastly completely different walks of life, we share a profound commonality: a deep need to empower others to turn out to be the perfect model of themselves. There’s magic in bringing collectively adults of all ages, with their numerous backgrounds and wealthy life experiences, watching them study and develop collectively. It’s actually transformative.
Be taught How one can Set Your self Aside as a Board-Licensed Well being Coach
Attending to Know Dr. Walsh Outdoors the Classroom
What are a number of quirky or stunning issues about you that your college students won’t know?
I’ve efficiently accomplished one pull up whereas hula-hooping.
Additionally, I’ve scored within the 99th percentile for extroversion on a number of persona assessments. After I was in first grade, my trainer moved my seat for speaking so many instances, I ended up sitting subsequent to each single child in school.
I didn’t study to experience a motorcycle till I used to be an grownup, as a result of as a child I wished to focus all my power on rollerblading.
Once you’re not engaged on curriculum, educating, or teaching, how do you recharge?
As a quintessential extrovert, I recharge by spending time with others. Whether or not it’s from good dialog with my neighbors sitting across the firepit, some pleasant competitors in rec pickleball, or absorbing high quality time at dwelling with my household, the power I get from social connectedness fills my cup.
When you needed to sum up your philosophy on conduct change in a single sentence, what wouldn’t it be?
When you change your well being, you modify your life.
Her Recommendation for Aspiring Coaches
What recommendation would you give to somebody who’s on the fence about becoming a member of the subsequent stay well being teaching session?
When you’re on the fence about becoming a member of the subsequent stay course, remind your self that this is likely one of the best and inexpensive methods to turn out to be a Nationwide Board Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach. As an NBHWC-Authorised programAFPA gives a direct and supportive path to board certification with out pointless delays or bills.
In case your aim is to supply a significant service to others by means of the facility of well being and wellness teaching, whereas incomes a residing doing work that makes a distinction, that is your alternative. You’ll acquire the talents to assist individuals make actual, lasting modifications of their lives—and be compensated for the worth you present. Well being and wellness teaching remains to be an rising subjectwhich implies there’s room to develop, contribute, and set up your self in an rising career.
On the identical time, this isn’t nearly your purchasers—it’s a transformative expertise for you, too. By this coaching, you’ll deepen your individual self-awareness, develop important teaching abilities, and construct the boldness wanted to not solely move the board examination however to actually be a fantastic coach.
If that sounds just like the type of profession and private progress you’ve been searching for, cease hesitating and enroll at this time!
📆 The subsequent AFPA stay well being teaching session begins quickly.
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