Full Transcript for Foundational Teaching Skills

People like to be challenged. 00:05:25.966 --> 00:05:30.646 They want to push themselves in ways that they wouldn't push on their own. 00:05:31.185 --> 00:05:37.995 This is part of the beauty and the joy of teaching group classes, so making sure that you're providing your clients with challenges as well. 00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:49.201 A class is composed of a bunch of exercises kind of strung together. 00:05:49.261 --> 00:05:59.581 Those exercises are the building blocks of a class, so really being intentional about how those exercises build makes the class itself feel intentional. 00:06:02.610 --> 00:06:05.940 There's housekeeping that happens during the class as well. 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:11.790 Some studios have a specific structure that you follow when you teach at that studio. 00:06:12.091 --> 00:06:14.971 Maybe it's an order of exercises. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:20.310 Maybe there's a specific way of moving the spine that builds. 00:06:22.425 --> 00:06:25.185 There's probably infinite ways of organizing a class. 00:06:25.185 --> 00:06:31.995 Some studios have a specific way that they do it, so if that's true where you teach, you have to make sure that you're hitting that brief as well. 00:06:33.091 --> 00:06:36.990 If you're saying to yourself, I don't have a set structure, I can kind of teach whatever I want. 00:06:37.350 --> 00:06:49.290 There's still other checklists that you might have in the back of your mind, like working all major muscle groups or moving the spine in all directions, or making sure to use certain pieces of equipment in your class. 00:06:49.860 --> 00:06:55.170 Whatever those requirements may be, you wanna make sure that your class plan is addressing it. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:02.031 And if you really don't have any structure, I would offer those as a kind of a structure. 00:07:02.031 --> 00:07:04.670 This is what's in the back of my head when I'm teaching. 00:07:05.091 --> 00:07:10.221 It's working all major muscle groups to make sure that I'm not just doing arms in my class. 00:07:10.221 --> 00:07:14.750 I've got a nice balance of front body, side, body, back, body, arms and legs. 00:07:16.641 --> 00:07:21.290 Moving the spine in all directions is something that's kind of unique to Pilates, which is a great thing to do. 00:07:21.290 --> 00:07:28.250 So making sure you're not only working flexion, but you're working flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation. 00:07:29.060 --> 00:07:38.000 And depending on the studio space that you're teaching in, I've taught at studios that were just reformers, so obviously we would just use the reformer. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:48.740 But if you have more things to play with, maybe it's incorporating two pieces of equipment or three pieces of equipment, or maybe the class is something like a jump board class where you wanna make sure that you're using the jump board. 00:07:49.161 --> 00:07:54.531 Again, whatever those requirements are, your class plan should check all of those boxes. 00:07:55.031 --> 00:08:06.190 Individual attention is a gift that we offer the people in our classes, and I wanna raise the bar on how much individual attention you're giving people in your group class. 00:08:06.656 --> 00:08:17.786 I believe that our ability to observe the people in our class and then having the knowledge to offer suggestions and give a correction is a huge part of teaching, like a massive part of teaching. 00:08:18.716 --> 00:08:25.735 Your studio may have requirements that every person in class gets one individual correction or three individual corrections. 00:08:26.235 --> 00:08:28.036 It may not be a requirement. 00:08:28.036 --> 00:08:36.735 It might just be something you're encouraged to do, but I'm gonna say that this is something that we should be doing as Pilates teachers. 00:08:36.735 --> 00:08:45.676 We should be looking at the people in the room, noticing where they might be struggling, if they're really confused. 00:08:46.291 --> 00:09:00.061 Offering that modification, but also if they're doing their best, but something's a little bit off, maybe it's a placement or an alignment in the exercise that we're able to intervene and make a suggestion, offer a correction. 00:09:00.571 --> 00:09:11.221 It's one of the most requested things by people who take group classes is that individual attention, and I think that that's something that we can all aspire to do. 00:09:11.821 --> 00:09:17.461 Caveat to that is balancing that individual attention with running the group class. 00:09:17.461 --> 00:09:26.941 So you have to be able to keep an eye on the group and program your class in a way that maybe they're doing something for a little bit of time so that you can make a correction. 00:09:27.191 --> 00:09:40.880 If you don't spend enough time in each exercise, giving corrections is really difficult, but if you intentionally build the exercises in a way that they can continue doing that exercise while you give an adjustment to someone. 00:09:40.880 --> 00:09:44.841 I think that that is a real great skill to have as a teacher. 00:09:45.812 --> 00:10:15.243 So building on that, there are aspects of teaching that aren't pinpointable to a specific moment, but kind of an overall thing, like being present, not being distracted, or checking your phone or that you're considering safety in your programming, and this goes to kind of that intentionality in your program, the way you carry yourself, that you are confident, you're projecting that confidence as you're teaching. 00:10:15.302 --> 00:10:18.212 I think that that sets a great Pilates teacher apart. 00:10:18.712 --> 00:10:28.192 Intentional transitions, that you're really mindful about how you get from place to place in your class and how much time you spend in each spot. 00:10:30.248 --> 00:10:38.317 That the class is balanced, it's well-rounded, it's level appropriate, which is again, very specific to where you're teaching. 00:10:38.317 --> 00:10:46.538 But if you're

teaching a beginner class, you are teaching a beginner class, and if it's an advanced class, you're giving those advanced options. 00:10:47.827 --> 00:10:55.238 You're also starting and ending your class on time, which again, sounds like an easy thing, but is such an important thing. 00:10:55.268 --> 00:10:58.597 Great teachers start and end their classes on time. 00:10:58.993 --> 00:11:14.023 The punctuality problem can be solved by wearing a watch, but something like planning a class that's level appropriate, balanced, and with smooth transitions will probably take some planning and practice to internalize and execute, which is fine. 00:11:14.143 --> 00:11:17.743 It is totally fine that it takes time, but I do think that it's an important thing. 00:11:20.143 --> 00:11:28.827 As I mentioned, after the class is part of the class that's resetting the equipment, saying goodbye to clients. 00:11:29.278 --> 00:11:36.388 Being available to answer questions and connect with people for a minute after class are all things that you should do when you teach. 00:11:37.197 --> 00:11:43.107 And then just like every exercise in class, you just rinse and repeat that for every class that you teach. 00:11:46.243 --> 00:11:49.998 At first glance, you may see these skills and think that that's way too tall of an order. 00:11:50.707 --> 00:11:56.677 Some of the asks are simpler, like if the studio you teach at has music during class, you turn on music for your class. 00:11:56.677 --> 00:11:57.158 Done. 00:11:57.577 --> 00:12:01.957 But some skills, like those transitions being intentional, are much more involved. 00:12:02.258 --> 00:12:13.327 You have to think a lot more about how your class program is organized to make sure that you're making the most of every change of equipment or change of body position, to make sure that the class continues to flow smoothly. 00:12:14.587 --> 00:12:27.217 For example, you wouldn't teach sidekick on one side and then immediately flip over to do sidekick on the other side, and then go back to the first side to do a clam, and then go back to the second side for more clams, right? 00:12:27.638 --> 00:12:32.857 You would teach everything on one side and then you would teach everything on the second side. 00:12:33.383 --> 00:12:41.783 You may even do something in between the sides, like adding in a little quadruped series or something supine or prone to make the most of the transition. 00:12:41.783 --> 00:12:45.232 And now you have a cute little around the world series of side, middle, side. 00:12:47.513 --> 00:12:56.602 It can take a lot of practice to start thinking about your program in a way that prioritizes class flow, but it is crucial to teaching group classes. 00:12:57.302 --> 00:13:01.452 You may be surprised at how many of these things you're already doing when you teach. 00:13:02.322 --> 00:13:07.572 Each of these points I found to make a big difference in my overall teaching, which is why I'm sharing them with you. 00:13:08.847 --> 00:13:17.217 So instead of letting this list intimidate you if there are things that you aren't doing, I'd love that it encourages you to expand your skillset as a teacher. 00:13:17.967 --> 00:13:28.227 For example, if you didn't consider the minutes before and after your class to be part of your teaching, I really think that you should think of that as part of your work as a Pilates teacher. 00:13:29.337 --> 00:13:36.868 You know from listening to this podcast, how much I personally lean into those moments of community building and connection with the folks in my class. 00:13:36.927 --> 00:14:00.447 And I can tell you from my personal experience that it has made the biggest difference to not only the people who take my classes, who look forward to them so much that they've signed up weeks in advance to make sure they've reserved a spot, but also for me, because that sense of connection makes me feel very fulfilled in this job, and it is in a lot of ways unique to our job. 00:14:03.447 --> 00:14:16.738 As always, I want you to be the most successful and fabulous Pilates teacher that you can be, and I think developing these skills will set you up for great success in the profession of teaching Pilates. 00:14:17.238 --> 00:14:20.268 Huge thank you to all my supporters on Buy Me A Coffee. 00:14:20.807 --> 00:14:27.557 I'm so glad to be back recording episodes and I'm really looking forward to this month's Coffee Chats. 00:14:28.217 --> 00:14:30.437 I hope you all have a great couple weeks. 00:14:30.857 --> 00:14:32.148 The adventure continues. 00:14:32.148 --> 00:14:32.597 Until next time.