Instructor Training Log 10: Final Thoughts
Well friends, it’s the final blog of my instructor training logs! I hope you’ve all enjoyed this journey with me as I reflected on the whole training process. While I could get cheesy and say something along the lines of I’ll never stop learning, and will always be a student at heart, there’s a piece of that that is true. This is going to be a continuous process of learning and growing with the other instructors in my training class and with the experienced instructors too. This has been the start of such a fun journey and I can’t wait to grow as an instructor with Aerial Dance. The process has been fun to document along the way too. I’ve been able to try so many new things in the process of learning how to be an instructor. It’s been so interesting to get a deeper insight into each apparatus, to not only learn the moves, but learn how to teach the moves. Seeing as how I was basically still a beginner in a lot of the classes and am now one of the people that is able to teach you in those beginner classes is so cool to me! Am I going to mess up sometimes? Probably. But through my learning and talking with the other, and more experienced instructors, it takes time. With any project, apparatus or skill you want to accomplish or get better at, it takes time and practice. When I was asked if I wanted to become an instructor, I was in complete shock. Why would they want me? I’d only been a pole student at the time for the last 4 to 5 years. To be an instructor you have to have experience in all the classes that are offered. When I went to my interview and asked them “why me?”, they told me it was because they believed I could become a good instructor and that I could pick up on the other classes with time. I accepted knowing that I would need to put in more work then some of the others offered an instructor role because they had experience in the other classes. Accepting the role of being an instructor has been one of the happiest decisions I’ve made! The months of training, the extra hours, the extra classes, have all been worth it! I can’t wait to look back and see how far I’ll have come, I can’t wait to grow with each and every one of you! <3 Thank you to every instructor who taught our training group and thank you Paula for bringing us onto the team! <3
Instructor Training Log 9: Phasing Out of Classes
Hello, hello! Training has been going nonstop it feels like. I open up my calendar app to see which studio I’ll be training at this weekend and which class or apparatus we’ll be training and learning about this time. On top of also attending my term pole classes, attending fitness classes, and attending hoop, hammock or silks if they fit into my schedule. With all of our training though, we’re starting to reach the end of it. Not quite yet, but we’ve covered almost everything and before I know it, I won’t be registering for the next pole term anymore. It kind of makes me sad to think about. We’re learning so much, and doing observation and co-teaches, while trying to still be a student as well. I realized at the end of last term though, that I wasn’t going to be signing up for the next pole term anymore. It’s kind of bittersweet. I’ve basically been with the same group of gals over the last few years. I want to say it was around advanced 1 or advanced 2 that I was starting to be with a consistent group of women in class. We’d ask each other what day we were signing up for each term, we all had our “unassigned assigned” poles that we stuck to each class or ask each other if we knew where someone was if they didn’t show up that night. We all consistently advanced together to the next level of pole. I know I’m not really leaving them, and I’ll still see them around the studio! It’s not like I’m leaving or moving! I’m just transitioning from being a student to being an instructor. It’s not like we’re not allowed to attend other peoples classes, we’re still allowed to drop into a class if there’s an opening available. It’s just a reflection I had recently, that I’m not really just a student anymore. I’m an instructor in training and soon to be just an instructor. It’s a weird thing to think about sometimes. I’m still happy with my choice to become an instructor, but I’m going to keep utilizing my time to be a student as much as I can. No matter the class I’m taking or teaching, being at the studio just makes me happy.
Instructor Training Log 8: Rookie Mistakes
Hello lovelies, I hope you all have been training hard and trying new things! We’re starting to come to an end to our instructor training and it’s crazy to think how fast it has gone! It feels like yesterday that we started our journey and were going through the beginner pole card with Paula. We’ve now covered every apparatus that we offer, pole, hoop, hammock and silks, plus all of our fitness classes; vertical barre, fitness fundamentals, dance cardio, hammock fit, aerial yoga and bendy babe. We’ve covered the beginner levels for each of the apparati and are going to start the intermediate levels shortly, which is wild to think about! I still consider myself a beginner in all the things besides pole if I’m being honest, but that’s not a bad thing either. I’m still learning along with the rest of you, and some days I really feel like a beginner in some of my classes that I’ve taught. I’ve been given all the tools to be able to write a class and execute it, but it all comes down to me being able to teach it. Which is why I’m so grateful of how the instructor process works nowadays! Having to do some observations and then a minimum of two co-teaches for each class. There was a Fit Fun class that I co-taught this week, and I had my whole workout planned, read over the plan sheet, thought I had good exercises, I was ready! Then when we got done with the first circuit, I realized we went through it all so fast. I was so confused! I read my class layout again with the help of my co-instructor and realized I interpreted the layout sort of wrong? The class still flowed and everyone still got a good workout in, I just needed to read the plan layout more carefully. Everyone in class was so nice about it, and it’s something I’ll laugh about later. I kept telling myself that I felt more confident leading the fitness type classes because I have more experience in them, but I’m still a beginner in those classes too! I’m still finding my voice, finding my flow and getting comfortable being in front of the classes. But I have to say, all the women at Aerial Dance make it a lot easier than I thought because you all are so supportive as well! I’ll probably mess up in the future again, but no one’s perfect. There were times when I was a student and an instructor forgot something like a move name, a piece of equipment or some other random thing, and I didn’t think anything of it, because it makes us human. So I’m going to keep trying my best and I look forward to having you all in my classes!
Instructor Training Log 7: Group Fitness Certification
Studying. Exams. Learning the planes of the body, types of learning styles and scope of practice and looking at the words “Group Fitness Instructor” or “GFI” hundreds of times over the course of 14 chapters. Why did I have to do that? Well to be an instructor with Aerial Dance, we have to get a certification to be able to do so, that way we can better understand what it means to be an instructor and learn other safe ways to help students. It was a great learning opportunity and it helped me understand more of how to be an instructor, but boy did it stress me out and consume a large part of my life in a short period of time. In school I procrastinated on a lot of projects and homework, because my life was busy back then too but also I found that working under pressure with a time constraint worked better for me (most of the time). But this however, was something I could not procrastinate on. I chose to get my certification through ACE (American Council on Exercise) and it gave me an online book with 14 chapters ranging from topics of the muscles and bones of the body, to types of learning styles, program style and many more relating to group fitness. Not gonna lie, some of the chapters were SO boring and took me ages to get through, while some chapters were pretty insightful and taught me things I never would have known. While studying and reading chapters on my free nights, I was still attending trainings at Aerial to learn the other apparatuses, and class formats too. At the end of a training session, whoever was leading the training would tell us to start designing our own classes for our co-teaches. I however chose not to focus on those just yet, as I was too focused on studying for my exam. The day came around where I had to take my exam, 150 questions later and I passed!! I literally almost cried. I was so relieved that I passed because I was so stressed about this. I’m excited that this huge weight is off my shoulders finally and that I can finally start focusing on my observations and co-teaches. I know that I’ll be able to give them my all since I don’t have the exam to cram for anymore. So even when life feels busy or that you feel like something is too overwhelming, know that you can do it, just give yourself time, and use your support system around you. Whether it’s family, friends or the women at Aerial Dance. While I was doubting myself, every person I talked to told me that I could do it and they believed in me. It was great to know I had such a system around me. See you all around the studio!
Instructor Log 6: Speed Running Beginner Hoop
Hello friends! Training has been going well, still practicing anything and everything and studying anytime I’m not at the studio or at work. It’s crazy to think that it’ll be almost 3 months since we started our instructor journey from when I’m writing this. We’ve covered so many things in that time, and while the majority of it was focused on pole, we’ve recently started diving into the other apparuti and types of classes. The most recent one being hoop and I’d say our group was pretty split 50/50 when it came to experience with hoop. Some are definitely more experienced and in the advanced levels, but there were a few of us, myself included, who are still in the beginner levels and not as experienced. We spent about 3 hours going over the entire beginner card and at first I was pretty excited since there were things on there that I hadn’t done yet in any of my beginner hoop classes! We started from the very top of the card and worked our way down each column until we got to the very end. By the end though, all of our hands were so sore and tired. 3 hours of hoop is a long time! My hands were so sore and red and it definitely took a couple days for them to get back to normal. The callous buildup from that night is something I’m still recovering from haha! There were a lot of laughs, tips and tricks too on how to cue each move, which was incredibly helpful as I wrote my notes for each move. It’s insane how much there is to remember! So to my girlies who would love to just know everything and want to speed run a beginner class and learn everything on the card, be patient! I promise you that while it may seem like a cool idea, be glad that the way classes are shaped now are for your benefit and for the protection of your hands! XD Just like myself and all the other instructors, we still have to practice these things to get better at them. I know it’ll be a hot minute until I have everything memorized on the cards too but thankfully there are plenty of resources around the studio to help a girl out!
Instructor Training Log 5: Studying for Group Fitness
Hello friends! I am back again with another instructor-in-training log and while we’ve been working hard learning how to teach classes in the studio, we’ve also been working hard outside the studio studying. Not just studying the class level cards and how to teach moves or learn about different workouts for example, we’re also studying how to be group fitness instructors. I feel like I’m back in college or high school honestly and it’s been a very humbling experience for me. I’m going to be honest with you all, I was not the best student in college, I studied, I procrastinated a lot, I was an average student I’d say, but learning how to study independently was a thing I struggled with a lot. So now that I’m back in that type of setting in a sense, but now it’s even more independent, I’ve been working on my determination and focus quite a bit. I’ve been a procrastinator basically since my early high school days. I’m not gonna lie, teachers or professors telling me I have a month to work on an essay or project? You bet your sweet little bippy I’m working on that essay the day it’s due and turning it in at 11:55pm when it’s due at 11:59pm. But with this certification that we have to get, that sort of attitude and mentality is not a practical mindset and something that physically cannot be put off until the last minute. I’ve slowly been working my way through the chapters and trying not to compare myself to the other instructors in training who are ahead of me, because I know we all learn at different paces and capacities. But also, I know I have a deadline that I have to meet as well if I want to be able to teach classes independently eventually. Since being an instructor is something I know that I want within my heart of hearts, I know I’ll eventually get through the studying, the textbook and final exam. I also have to give myself some grace because I have a full time job on top of this, I’m at the studio multiple days a week and have instructor training as well. I’m also trying to do all the studying within a month and half, when the program recommends about 4-6 months to study. Plus I need some free time so I don’t burn myself out or get sick. It’s been a balancing act for sure, and I know I can do this, and it’ll all pay off, because in the end it’s not only for my benefit but also everyone else’s benefit too. So even though some chapters are super boring or super challenging, I know that in the end, all this studying is going to be worth it. Maybe I’ll make a little graduation cap when I finish so I can commemorate all the hard work! Haha! Until next time friends!
Instructor Training Log 4: Embracing the Full Class
I’ve been co-teaching for a few weeks now and it’s been fun! A little stressful but it’s also been a huge learning moment for me as well. My co-teachers have been super supportive and all have given great feedback on what I need to improve on and continue working on for the next classes. The thing is with teaching is that you can prepare as much as you want but you never know what you’re going to get in class. Teaching to a class of 3-4 students is very different compared to teaching a full class of 8 students in beginner pole. It’s been nice since starting my co-teaches to gradually add on to what I teach each week to feel more comfortable being in front of the class and getting more comfortable explaining how to do a move. It’s gradually gotten easier to be up front and teach, which has been nice to reflect on each week. When I first started, I taught only a few moves. I was so nervous, tripping over some of my words but the women were so nice and patient with me. Also my co-teacher was able to help me out when I truly was at a loss for words. Something I truly wasn’t prepared for, and no one can really prepare you for, is when you have a full class. There’s so much more you have to pay attention to or at least try to! You want to give everyone the same amount of attention or you want to see how everyone does when trying a move but it’s almost impossible when you’re a new instructor. You’re trying to make sure you’re doing the move right, then you’re trying to watch everyone in the mirror; when you’re not used to that fully yet, maybe try to make a correction if you see it. It’s a skill that definitely needs to be honed after teaching for a while! Now I’m not saying all of this to complain or worry others by any means! It has also been a lot of fun having the different size classes and getting to know all the women that signed up for beginner pole! It has also gotten easier as the weeks go on and I’m getting more comfortable becoming an instructor. I’m still going to trip up on my words but what experienced instructor doesn’t do that from time to time? It’s just as fun to have a small class as it is to have a full class because every class is different and there’s so many different personalities that make it so fun! It’s all about learning how to instruct in any environment and adjust as needed. It’s a fun challenge each and every class.
Instructor Training Log 3: Beginner Pole Teaching
Tonight I have my first co-teach beginner pole class and I can’t believe it’s already here. Granted there’s still a lot left to learn in our instructor training, but we had to split our group up to do half this term and half the next term. I’m flattered that Paula believed I was ready to start co-teaching this term already and I have to believe her when she says I’m ready and can do it. I’m so full of nerves because it’s a whole other thing to talk about how to teach others or train us on what to do in situations but now you actually have to put those things into practice and become the teacher or in my case, the co-teacher. Flash forward, I’m coming back to this blog after actually co-teaching now and overall I think it went well. It’s a very weird thing to be the teacher now, I’m not going to lie. I’m so used to being the student that it’s for sure going to take some time to hone in on my teacher persona and embody what I’ve enjoyed as a student for so long, into someone I hope other students will like and enjoy too. The class was a really good group of women, and co-teaching with Instructor Steph made it really easy to loosen up as well. She’s always so bubbly and welcoming that from my perspective, instantly made the other women comfortable in the room. When it came time to lead my section of the class, in my head I was like “omg it’s here, holy crap, okay, you can do this! Just keep up the positive energy!” On the outside I thought I was calm and collected though I’m sure some of the students could pick up on my nervous energy a bit. But regardless, I taught some of the moves and really had to remember what Paula and Kim have taught us so far. Being aware of how to describe certain moves, making sure the students come to the floor for this move or making sure hand placements are right before swinging your legs in that move. Honestly, after doing my section of moves, it went so quick, but all the women were so eager to learn and were doing so well, I really was nervous for no reason. After class, Instructor Steph and I went through what went well and what can be improved upon and I’m so grateful that I have an entire term to get comfortable with teaching. You can talk about how to do things for as long as you want, but putting things into practice is the best way to learn and improve yourself. I know teaching will get easier and I have to remind myself to not be so hard on myself, I just want to be a good instructor for the other students though. So as the weeks go on, I’m going to keep improving and learning and getting the other students excited for pole and aerial, because I want them to be able to love them as much as I do!
Instructor Training Log 2: Reframing from Learner to Teacher
Welcome back to my instructor in training log, log number 2. Today I’m going to talk about changing your mindset and training your brain to be an instructor. I had training earlier and we started going through the beginner pole curriculum. Paula gave all of us the beginner cards to look through again because let’s be honest, if you’re an upper level lady, when was the last time you looked at your beginner pole card? While some things on there now seem like a no brainer, there are things on those cards that when you or I first started pole were probably new moves and had to learn how to do them. When’s the last time you thought about doing a Madonna back slide or doing a Tango? Depending on your level, maybe it’s been a long time or maybe it’s still fairly fresh. But I can say for myself, it’s been a hot minute! While going through the card and the beginner level curriculum, we were being taught all the moves over again but this time, from an instructor’s perspective. It was super interesting to hear Paula explain how to teach the moves and her favorite phrases to use. Looking back to when I first started (which feels like ages ago) some of the memories came flooding back of how body rolls were taught, or bracket kick away was taught. During the training, I had to mentally remind myself that the women who take beginner pole are all different and have different backgrounds. Some women may have a dancer background and others may have never stepped into a studio of any kind before. We’re teaching these women the foundations of pole and what will be used in all upper levels to come. So learning the specific movements or phrases to help explain a “simple” move will be key in their pole journey. Training your brain to be an instructor is a whole other world of learning on top of what we’re being taught in our instructor classes. I’m really grateful for tips and tricks other instructors have given me so far as well because they’re things I haven’t thought of or considered yet! Such as turning the student to face the mirror when doing inverts, or key phrases to say for certain inverts. There’s so much knowledge around the studio and each instructor has found what works best for them, and whatever they’re willing to share with us trainee’s, is always greatly appreciated. I know in time that my brain will mesh and mold into the instructor’s brain I know it can be, but that’ll come with time and practice.
Beginning My Instructor Log
I recently started my instructor training course and holy cow! I’m both really excited for the next chapter and also so nervous to learn everything! There’s so much that has to be covered and taught and while it feels daunting some days, I know it’s all going to be worth it! This is something that I’d dreamt about before but never thought it would actually happen. Because I was just a regular pole student for the longest time, with only having the elite membership for a short time, I wanted to make sure that I will do a good job and prove that I can really do this, not only to the other staff members but to myself as well. I understand that the instructor training is purposely made to take a lot of time to complete and it’s been developed to be informative, constructive and so that by the end of it, we feel confident in our abilities to teach classes to the rest of the women in our amazing community. I’m grateful to know that we’re also being invested in by being given these incredible opportunities, we’re not just being thrown some papers, taught a few key things and then thrown into the pole waters and told “good luck!”. It’s one of the reasons I said yes to joining the new class of instructors. The other reason was because of those who interviewed me, they believed I would be a good instructor and believe in my ability to be able to teach other women. During our first instructor-in-training class, I could feel everyone else’s excited but nervous energy! Some of the other women I’ve had classes with, some I’ve only passed between classes and some I met for the very first time because I haven’t gone to the other studio as often or just haven’t had a class with yet. But it honestly didn’t matter, because we’re all a part of this journey together and had been selected for a reason. We all have a passion for the studio and each of us want to be able to share that with other students. So here we are together and going on this journey together, and it’s nice to know that we have each other to lean on when things may get difficult or we don’t understand something and we can bounce ideas off one another and just overall support one another during this intense process! So while I go through the instructor training, I plan to write down my thoughts here and there and share them with the community! While I can’t divulge everything because of the obvious (signed agreements and whatnot), I look forward to sharing my thoughts feelings as we go forward.
