Paul Wright is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in the College of Education. Dr. Wright is also a Board of Trustees Professor, a Distinguished Engagement Professor, and EC Lane and MN Zimmerman Endowed Professor at NIU. He taught an honors seminar in the spring 2025 semester titled “Tai Chi Chuan: Imagination Becomes Reality.”
- Why were you attracted to offering an honors seminar?
I have taught many honors seminars over the past decade, and it has always been a positive experience. This time, I wanted to try something different and offer a class that was more holistic rather than the typical lecture/discussion model. I have been a lifelong student and teacher of Tai Chi Ch’uan (Tai Chi for short) and thought an honors seminar on this topic would allow us to address cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning objectives. Tai Chi was originally a martial art but because it emphasizes slow, graceful movement, it has become widely known as a form of gentle and relaxing exercise.
In higher education, especially in the West, we focus on the cognitive learning process and often neglect other aspects of the learner (e.g., physical, social, emotional). Nowadays, more than ever we know more college students struggle with mental and emotional well-being. High achievers, which honors students often are, may struggle with stress management and self-care. I designed this honors seminar to address such issues, not just in theory but in practice as well.
2. How do you teach your subject or specialty to an interdisciplinary group of Honors students?
This seminar is primarily experiential. Since the first week, we have been learning movements and exercises from the traditional Chinese practice of Tai Chi. The slow, gentle movements are coordinated with mental focus and breathing. Practicing this way is a form of mindful movement. Whether we are learning new movements or reviewing ones we already know, I continually encourage students to be present and bring their attention back when it strays. For some, this is a more accessible way to practice mindfulness than traditional still meditation. Our minds have something to focus on and we get immediate feedback in terms of physical sensations as we develop our body-mind connection.
With the physical practice as our anchor, we do have discussions on related topics like the principle and history of Tai Chi, Taoist philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, and Asian culture. Students have opportunities to reflect and share on topics that interest them and ways this practice applies to their life outside of class, e.g., managing conflict more effectively, taking time for self-care, being more mindful in everyday activities, becoming more away of their physical response to stress.
3. What are some of your tricks of the trade to engage students in the course materials?
While much of Tai Chi practice is individualized, I engage students by integrating different modes of learning and fostering social interaction. Frequently, before class, we start our warm up (physically and socially) by walking a few laps around the gym in groups of two or three having a relaxed chat about a prompt I’ll give for the day, such as “What is a recent success or challenge you have faced when it comes to self-awareness”. In addition to class discussions, I have students do discussion board posts to share with each other how they have been transferring lessons from class to their lives.
The social components of class are not always a break from Tai Chi practice, sometimes they are part of the content. This art has two-person drills that allow us to apply the principles of yin and yang in movement with a partner. Learning these drills, showing how they can translate into self-defense, and having students engage in peer-coaching as they practice are a few ways that I encourage students to learn socially.
Another enhancement made possible by the honors fellowship is the involvement of an outside expert. Tai Chi master, Guerman Atanassov, is one of the highest-ranking masters in the USA affiliated with the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association. We are lucky that he lives in the Chicagoland area and has come to campus several times to serve as a guest lecturer and to consult with me on the design and delivery of the course. Mr. Atanassov is an engineer and his skill level and systematic approach to teaching have been a great asset. It is a real highlight for my students when he comes to class and demonstrates self-defense applications on me!
A final example of student engagement in this class relates to our culminating event. On Saturday April 26, 2025, my students and I will host a World Tai Chi and Qigong Day event on campus. This will be open to the entire NIU community and coordinated with events around the world being hosted in over 40 countries. In addition to leading a group practice session at 10am, we will be introducing participants to the concepts and practice of Tai Chi. My students will help to demonstrate, lead, and share their experiences at the event. They have already been helping to plan and organize it.
4. What’s the best thing about teaching Honors students?
I love the different perspectives and disciplinary expertise honors students bring to the class. They are typically very strong students in traditional ways (e.g., reading, writing, discussing), but I have been so pleased to see how eager and generous they have been engaging in different learning modes that are more social, physical, and experiential. This has been a great group to pilot a Tai Chi class with and based on this experience, I hope to offer the seminar again.
