WHEN TEACHING ANY GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL . . .
"When teaching a group or individual, and give an instruction, allow time for the student(s) to carry out the instruction. Don't just walk away and on to the next instruction; make sure they do what you have asked them to do."
#5 - JF's suggestions on teaching
If you are to travel back in this blog a ways, you will find this same suggestion relayed to me from Christina Sell. It's a good one. Not always easy, tho.
It (JF's suggestion) requires that we go back to #4, that 'quiet is not a bad thing' piece of advice. And, to elaborate on Christina's advice, her statement went like this: 'if you don't care whether they do it or not, don't ask them for it'. Simple as that.
Example: If I ask students for a 'full stretch', and I look around the room and see bent elbows and limp fingers, I will ask the group again. If all but one or two respond, then a personal visit is needed (as in, I go to that person or persons) and softly ask them to extend a bit more. When/if that doesn't get the desired result, I will physically adjust (or - in some cases - it just isn't within their range, and then I usually get the explanation).
It's more work, more observation, but the poses -- Wow!
If I don't ask students to carry out my instructions, habits set in; and not good ones. They become lax because I am not 'teaching' them otherwise. I am reading the book "Cutting For Stone" now, and came across this sentence which - to me - spells out just what I'm talking about. It goes: "practice doesn't make perfect if you repeat a bad practice".
And, I saw proof in a recent photo of a class in parsvakonasana. Students in pose with elbow on front knee. Lots of limp arms, heads drooping towards floor, necks resting on shoulders. There was one student in the center of the room - a student known to me (he does take classes with me, but I'm not his primary teacher). He clearly has been asked and has the desire to do the best pose available to him -- there was nothing in the pic that indicated anything but full, beautiful effort on his part. So nice to see. And, for me (maybe for him), to offer that fuller expression makes the pose easier!?!?!?
Enough on this -- I could carry on and carry on, but I think I (and everyone reading) get the point already.
Another cold day in SLC. What's on the schedule?
- A bit of housecleaning
- Pilates at 1
- Semi-private at 2:30 at The Yoga Center
- I'm teaching YogaHour at 4 pm
Hope your Thursday is a great day!