Angie Myer

Angie Myer

About me

Angie Myer has twenty years experience as a teacher and administrator in public schools and higher education.  She is currently serving as a Content Accreditation Specialist and Curriculum Consultant for the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).  In this position she works with massage and aesthetics schools in the accreditation process, providing guidance, reviewing self study reports, and preparing analyses for the Commission.  Prior to holding this position, Angie worked as Director of Operations at the International School of Professional Bodywork and Dean of Education at Mueller College of Holistic Studies where she was integral in their COMTA accreditation. 

Angie holds a Masters degree in Curriculum & Instruction and specializes in competency-based curriculum design.  She is also a certified Holistic Health Practitioner and has worked as a massage therapist in private practice, clinical, and resort spa settings.  Prior to her work in the holistic health industry, Angie was Associate Professor of Teacher Education at the Community College of Denver after teaching elementary school. 

Activity

Dear Sandra, Welcome to the forum and thank you for your post. I am thrilled to see an institution so dedicated to teacher training and the teaching-learning process. This is rare in most post-secondary institutions (massage or not), but thankfully it is getting more common. We are seeing increased interest in teacher quality in both post-secondary and massage fields that echo your sentiments. In fact, have you checked out the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education's Core Competencies for Massage Teachers? I have included the link if you are interested. http://www.afmte.org/education/tesp-core-competencies/ The Commission supports schools adopting these or similar standards to… >>>

Discussion Comment
Arilanna, Good point. A lot of schools are so afraid to say anything and get into trouble that they don't tell students anything, thus leaving them to fend for themselves. However, it is essential that this be left to the financial aid person and not the admissions rep who has a vested interest. Thank you, Angie Myer
Cara, Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing. These are great recommendations and insights! I happen to know that your teacher training program is fairly comprehensive compared to most, so it is important to remind many of the specifics to consider. Having a Teacher Training or TA program in itself is not enough. The "student teaching" is an excellent idea. And I bet most people don't think about the paperwork aspect. Thanks for adding that to the conversation. Best, Angie Myer
Discussion Comment
Arilanna, Welcome to the forum and thank you for your post. In your experience, what do you recommend representatives say--or do not say--to these prospective students? This is challenging/frustrating but is obviously the reason Title IV requires a separation between admissions and financial aid. Do you have any advice? Thank you, Angie Myer
Susan, Ah, yes, the "paper trail" for accreditation. We all know that most daily tasks and decisions are not tracked, but in the accreditation world: "If it's not documented, it didn't happen." We are trying to get away from this to only require "reasonable submission of evidence," but that is still often more than most retain until they have gone through the self study report. Thanks, Angie Myer
Susan, Yes, that is exactly why the Commission has developed the standard to explicitly state ongoing training "in instructional skills." There are many ways to do that, but it is essential for almost all post-secondary instructors who haven't been trained as teachers. Best, Angie Myer
Discussion Comment
Susan, Love it! As a future reviewer, please know that this is much more than most schools do to meet the competency, but it is an excellent goal to shoot for. I especially like the focus on "correlation" vs "evidence/cause" for our field, and the case studies are great. We don't require that students conduct their own research/case studies, but several have taken this on with great results. Thanks for sharing. Best, Angie Myer

Dear Kristi, Please let us know if you or your instructors have any questions on the COMTA Competencies as you go through this curriculum revision process. Some programs are surprised to see how much they already do. Then you can fill in the gaps as needed in ways to meet the Competencies as well as your unique mission. I also recommend keeping good documentation during this process as you can use it as evidence for Standard 2.6 (Curriculum review and revision). I am available at amyer@comta.org or 202-403-7852, or contact our main office line at 202-895-1518 for assistance. Best of… >>>

Discussion Comment
Lachelle, Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I know these questions have been designed for people going through the accreditation process themselves, but having input from the people serving as reviewers is also very valuable to our schools. Thank you. Best, Angie Myer
Discussion Comment
Lachelle, You are so right with this essential component of your field! One would think that research literacy in esthetics is thus even more important than in massage. Alas, instead, it seems that many programs are so brand/product-driven. The only information that students may receive is what the company wants them to know. You are right--not the best way to affirm professionalism. Research literacy provides that objectivity that benefits both professions. Thank you, Angie Myer

End of Content

End of Content