What initial training does the Gokhale Method franchisor provide?
Gokhale_Method Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
courses.
Before opening your Franchised Business, you must successfully complete the Initial Training to our satisfaction, including memorization and recitation of scripts that we will provide. The Initial Training consists of one week of training in the Gokhale Method at our headquarters in Palo Alto, California or at other designated locations (the "Immersion Week"), followed by participation in at least twelve teacher webinars (live or pre-recorded), self-study of the Gokhale Foundations course script and materials, and teaching the full six-lesson Gokhale Foundations course in a one-on-one setting to two separate practice students. As part of teaching your practice students, you must prepare at least six videos in which you record yourself teaching each one of the six separate Gokhale Foundations lessons accompanied by self-critiques of each lesson. These recordings will be reviewed by your peers, and you will be required to view recordings submitted by other trainees and to evaluate them. Once reviewed, each lesson will be submitted for approval. If a lesson video is not approved, you will be required to submit another video of the same lesson. A video of each of the six lessons must be approved before you can become qualified to teach.
If you do not complete all of the Initial Training and have not qualified to teach within six months of attending the Immersion Week, we may terminate the Franchise Agreement upon 30 days' notice and your failure to cure.
The following summarizes the training:
Training is held during various intervals during the year depending on our need to train new franchisees. The instructional material may consist of our Teachers Manual or Policy Statements, scripts, images, checklists, demonstrations, practice and quizzes. Currently Esther Gokhale conducts the training; she has been teaching postural methods for health improvement since at least 1992. The cost of Initial Training is included in the $4,000 franchise fee. You must pay food and lodging expenses in connection with attendance at Immersion Week. The Gokhale® Active (Premium) fee of $140 must be paid yearly from the time of acceptance to the program. Gokhale Active helps prepare accepted candidates for the Immersion Week. Upon completion of Teacher Training Immersion Week, you must pay $240 a year for teacher webinars. Once a year you must pay $450 for the annual teachers' meeting, for which you will also pay food and lodging. This is a required fee and attendance is mandatory. We do not at the present time have any further continuing education requirements, but we reserve the right to add them if we add new approved formats or new continuing education. All franchisees must attend training and complete it to the franchisor's satisfaction.
We estimate that the time from the date you complete your Immersion Week until you start teaching classes to be between three to six months. If you do not complete the Initial Training within six months of attending your Immersion Week, we may terminate your franchise agreement.
Additional training and refresher courses are required, including attendance at the Annual Meeting (or an approved alternative continuing education program) and participating in teacher webinars.
Immersion Week Training
| Subject | Hours of Classroom Training | Hours of On-the-Job Training | Location | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | Hands-on techniques related to Gokhale® Foundations | 20 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Introduction to Gokhale Method philosophy | 4 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Demonstration of partial memorization of the Gokhale® Foundations course teaching script | 5 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Teaching skills, voice projection | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Gokhale® Consultation training | 5 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Introductory Presentation training | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Instruction in effective use of images | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Observation and discussion of select cases for study | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Review of anatomy relevant to posture | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Advanced Gokhale Method techniques for self-use only | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Training in various contexts (outdoors, home-type environment, etc.) | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Complementary healing modalities | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Rudimentary training in yoga/dance/fitness training | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Introduction to running a posture business | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course | | Introduction to the backend of the website | 2 | Not applicable | Location of Immersion Week Course |
Additional Training Required for Qualification to Teach
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Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 18–23)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to the 2024 Gokhale Method Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must complete initial training to teach the Gokhale Method. This training includes an "Immersion Week," participation in webinars, self-study, and teaching practice students. The Immersion Week is a one-week training held at the Gokhale Method headquarters in Palo Alto, California, or at other designated locations. Following the Immersion Week, franchisees must participate in at least twelve teacher webinars (live or pre-recorded) and engage in self-study using the Gokhale Foundations course script and materials.
To complete the initial training, franchisees must teach the full six-lesson Gokhale Foundations course in a one-on-one setting to two separate practice students. As part of this practice, franchisees need to prepare at least six videos, each recording themselves teaching one of the six Gokhale Foundations lessons, accompanied by self-critiques. These videos are reviewed by peers, and the franchisee is required to evaluate recordings submitted by other trainees. Each lesson must be approved, and if a lesson video is not approved, another video of the same lesson must be submitted.
The FDD outlines specific subjects covered during the Immersion Week, including hands-on techniques related to Gokhale Foundations (20 hours), introduction to Gokhale Method philosophy (4 hours), demonstration of partial memorization of the Gokhale Foundations course teaching script (5 hours), and teaching skills and voice projection (2 hours). Additional topics include Gokhale Consultation training (5 hours), Introductory Presentation training (2 hours), instruction in effective use of images (2 hours), observation and discussion of select cases for study (2 hours), review of anatomy relevant to posture (2 hours), advanced Gokhale Method techniques for self-use only (2 hours), training in various contexts (2 hours), complementary healing modalities (2 hours), rudimentary training in yoga/dance/fitness training (2 hours), introduction to running a posture business (2 hours), and introduction to the backend of the website (2 hours).
The cost of the Initial Training is included in the $4,000 franchise fee, but franchisees are responsible for food and lodging expenses during Immersion Week. Franchisees have six months from attending the Immersion Week to complete all Initial Training requirements and become qualified to teach. Failure to do so may result in the termination of the Franchise Agreement. Additional training and refresher courses are required, including attendance at the Annual Meeting and participation in teacher webinars.