How did you start preparing you classes? I will be assigned to be in front of the class and, even though I have had instructed warm ups and other routines I still feel nervous about it. Any tips to be in front of the class? oh! and kids... I would like advice with kids.
My best advice is to write out your lesson plans, the worst feeling is having 15 minutes left and no idea what to teach. That will also keep your classes consistent and the students will have more focused time in class and over the period of several classes to improve on your directed focus. With that said, it is better to have too much planned than too little, just don’t rush and cut things short just to run it all. Keep a notebook of your lesson plans because you will have awesome days, and not so awesome days so you’ll want to know which plans to keep and reuse and which ones to modify to work better next time.Teach as if your teacher is right behind you. I actually mean this in a good way. Your teacher has confidence in you otherwise they wouldn’t put you up to the task. You know what expectations they would have of you, and you know how they would teach it. This is good to keep in mind when you are teaching someone older than you, or has more experience in a different martial art, or has been in the school longer than you.Observe other instructors and classes. Take note on which classes the students enjoy the most, adapt your class structure but remember to teach how you teach, not how the other instructor teaches.Look everywhere for inspiration! Youtube is an excellent resource for drills, don’t limit yourself to just your particular style. Find something that can be modified and applied to your art.Remember your favorite classes and worst classes and use them for inspiration of what and what not to do.Remember everyone learns differently, you’ll need to learn how to teach specific things from different angles.Kids thrive on attention, so do not spend more time reprimanding kids that are doing things wrong than praising the kids that are doing things right. It’s tough to remember, especially when kids are pushing your limits, but make a conscious effort to point out the kid that is paying attention, or the kid with the strongest punch, or the kid with the lowest stance. “Wow! David’s stance is super low! That’s what I like to see!” or “I like how Casey is kicking head level every single time!” something that highlights both the kid and their good behavior (even if it is not perfect, you will see that kid try harder too!) Even when you have a tough child to deal with in class, the moment that they do something right BOOM! you gotta call it. Celebrate it, even if it’s not perfect, because you are looking to build their attitude and mindset into a “try hard” mode.
Get excited! Enthusiasm is infectious, as is frustration, so what you put out is what you’ll get back. Even when plans or drills bomb, get excited about changing it up and doing something else. You will find that students will start to get excited too.Don’t be afraid to have fun, with any class. Adults are just big kids with longer attention spans. You can use some of your kids class drills with them too, just modify how you present it.You are not obligated to give them what they want, just because you want to be on their good side. Don’t stripe, promote or move people on if they don’t meet your school’s standard, just so you can get them to like you. Inconsistent standards will not go unnoticed and will appear as favoritism which is toxic for schools. If a student wants to test but is not ready, tell them they are not ready, but also tell them how they can be ready. Tell them exactly what they need to do, fix, improve to be ready to test. Encourage them, it is not a punishment, and it will be taken better if you explain your reasoning rather than just saying no.Lastly, strive for perfect classes, but don’t get down on yourself when it doesn’t go as planned. I’ve had awesome classes on paper that just flopped out on the mat, and I’ve had days when plans were irrelevant because my target group didn’t show up, or someone came in with a specific injury so I had to scrap the entire plan and improvise on the spot. Moments like that can be your best too! There’s a quote “Talent is like a Lemon - it’s best when squeezed!” Sometimes to achieve maximum potential, you’ve got to apply maximum pressure.Teaching is absolutely rewarding and you will learn much more about your art as you will be forced to look at it from many different perspectives and explain it in terms that are understandable to different age groups and learning abilities. However do not become complacent in either your training of teaching. Your teaching, much like your pursuit of the art can always be improved. Seek growth and perfection in both and you will see some amazing results.Have fun!
