A long run.
I let Luke write the notes for the school lunches today and had to laugh when I saw Jake's come home this afternoon.
#4. Jake pulled it out right as we were about to walk out to the bus stop. I think Jake pulled out #3 as well. Perhaps a future Dentist?
As soon as I got everyone off to school my friend Jen pulled in. A fellow swim team Mom and also an instructor at the Y, this was our first time running together. Its always funny running with someone new, you don't know how your pace will match up or if they like to talk as much as you do etc……but we both are talkers and our goals (10 mi) and paces matched up perfectly and it was a fantastic run! This was my first long run in a long time, and my first long HILLY run in a really long time. Luckily the weather was perfect and we kept the pace compatible with both the hills and the conversation.
I spent the rest of my day sans kids cleaning fervently, doing all of my September teaching invoicing, and then picking up some birthday presents. We spent the night at my parents for a delicious dinner ~ and some bee excitement that started with Luke getting stung and ended with me dancing around in the backyard shirtless as a bee or two had managed to get themselves panicked and stuck inside my sweater ~ I don't stay very calm. You'd think it was a copperhead snake instead of a bee. Its a party when the family gets together.
Interesting discussion today on a FB Yoga Teachers page about teaching with notes/sequences written up to refer to. I was taught to never, ever teach from notes. Sue said that it was a crutch, one which kept you from looking at your students, being in tune with the class, and being spontaneous and flexible. None of her mentees were allowed to use notes at our practicum. Many teachers said that they spent hours writing up detailed sequences and their classes were richer and better thought out and flowed better due to them having notes. As usual, there was defensiveness and "my way is better" sort of talk. Yes, even yoga brings ego and competition. I do bring a notebook in or a book in if I am reading a quote from it, which I occasionally do at the very beginning during centering or during shavasana, but the students have their eyes closed. I admit that if I'm in any class, from kettle bells to HIIT, and a sub were to walk in with notes, I instinctively flinch and have a bit of an inward assumption that they don't know the subject matter or aren't really used to teaching the particular class. Yes, that would probably carry over to yoga, too. I felt that people doing their practicums with notes DID rely on them and it was distracting seeing the teacher looking down at notes instead of up at her students. However, that was also many peoples very first time teaching ~ so I'm sure an experienced teacher could probably make it work beautifully, I've simply never seen it.
Do any of your teachers teach from notes/a book? Do you notice if a sub or a teacher teaches from notes and do you have feelings about it, either way?
Have you ever forgotten to play tooth fairy? I'm in bed and afraid of falling asleep before my son, who is also in bed reading …..and forgetting to make the tooth/money sneak. Pressure, man, pressure.
we were also taught not to teach from notes, same reasons - you need to be focused on your students. I write up plans from time to time, poses I want to be sure to include if they're not in my usual rotation and I want to introduce them or use them to focus on a particular body part. and I might take a quick glance before starting, but then it's away. period. but I also don't teach wildly varying classes from one week to the next. My gentle class? 80% of it is the same every week, 20% I vary based on what someone has requested, or sometimes I do eye exercises. I used to worry about that but especially in the gentle classes, I find that people come to unwind and not to worry about how to do something they have no idea how to do, so the routine is comforting. For my other classes, there is some portion also that doesn't vary - probably more like 20-30% - I always start with a sun salutation and include hare/headstand and bridge/shoulderstand -- it's the way we do things in my tradition. For the other 70-80% ...for the most part I have basically a library of vinyasas in my head, or maybe it's like a choose your own adventure, lol (if I twist from kapyasana we can unwind all the way to WII, or keep the twist and lift the back knee, then keep the legs and come center & move into warriors...and on and on). I don't always plan out the order but watch what's happening in the room and work from there, whether people need to be woken up some so I speed things up and get more rajasic, or whether we need to slow down (in pace, not necessarily intensity) and channel energy and work on concentration. usually about the time I start to wonder if I will be able to remember everything on the second side is when I wrap up the vinyasa :) I also often ask if there are questions or particular poses people want to work on. But I do warn not to say, "please not xyz" because then we DEFINITELY do those :)
ReplyDeleteI will say that I can tell though when I let myself get *too* loosey goosey no plan go with the flow. There have been some times I wish I'd prepared more.
if I close with a quote, which I often do, I always have a book with me so I can get it right. Often people come up afterwards and ask me what I read from so they can read it on their own.
I've taken one class (from a former Anusara person, I am sorry but that style rubs me wrong 6 ways to sunday) where the instructor had a notebook she referred to a lot, but honestly? didn't strike me as too much to have had memorized. Another teacher I respect a lot had a piece of paper she looked over before starting and she may have looked at at once during class, but I was watching her like a hawk b/c I was subbing for her the following week - I don't think other students would have noticed.
can you set a phone alarm for the tooth fairy? :) I love how sweet your kids are with each other! you're raising friends, not just siblings - awesome :)
I know what you mean ~ my classes don't vary wildly from week to week either ~ the theme may vary some but the basic flow or pattern stays roughly the same…..especially my gentle and prenatal classes. FOR SURE my biggest fear/and challenge was (and is!) remembering what I did or where I am on one side and keeping things the same on the other, its getting easier but man was that scary at first! And yes, hearing other teachers quotes is something that I always love and frequently go ask where it was from! And thanks friend, they truly are friends. I never could have (or would have, at the time!) planned to have kids 13 months apart, but man, did things work out exactly as they are meant to. I love seeing the relationship that the three of them have and feel lucky to watch not just their sibling love, but their friendships, develop. xoxo. I look forward to the day when I can take some of your classes, as I know it will happen! :)
DeleteI am very much a list/notes/plan person in real life, so I can understand the idea of having notes when teaching. The thought of it in yoga just rubs me the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteI have only had teachers use notebooks for quotes or announcements. I think it would strike me as odd if my instructor referred to notes. That's partly because some of my classes are based on Bikram, so it is the same 26 poses each time. The teachers to mix it up a lot, so we get plenty of variation, but that variation is based on how many new students we have, etc. I can't see how a set of notes would allow for that flexibility. I could be too narrow minded here though. :)
I'm curious what they call those classes (I'm assuming they aren't heated/actual branded "Bikram" classes? They offered those at my old gym and called them "Stationary Yoga" and I used to attend them occasionally, I didn't love the one teacher that taught them but I did enjoy the class. I'm like you though and I admit that it could just be me being narrow minded ~ or it could totally be the influence of my mentor and the huge respect I have for her and her teaching….but I do feel like you on this one.
DeleteWe are not an official Bikram studio, but most classes are still heated. The traditional 26 poses are "Hatha" classes. Lots of static yoga and very little flow, but flow does find its way in now and then.
DeleteThe studio also has a heated "Power" class, which is more flowing and based on Sun Salutations and a non-heated Yin (which as a runner, I truly enjoy!).
I'm jealous of your Yin class! I got to have a weekend of Yin yoga during my teacher training and while it was difficult for me, it was difficult in a good way. I'd like to add one Yin class a week to my practice, but I've been lazy about looking for it. It would definitely help undo the damage I do to myself between the (infrequent) running and (fairly frequent) stairs that I do! The hardest part of teaching yoga for me has been maintaing a personal practice, and I could really use one really deep, intensive practice like that a week. I think that (or hope that) I've made gains in focus from where I was a year ago and could now settle my mind enough to really really enjoy a Yin class and not fight it as much as I did when I first experienced it. I'm happy for you! That sounds like a perfect balance for you!
DeleteHi Melissa. My Monday night instructor sometimes refers to notes, especially when she has changed things up....as she does every month when she focuses on a new area/posture/form, etc.. I don't think it really interrupts the flow or distupts the practice. Actually, it kind of lightens things up as she is very dry/funny and makes fun of her lack of vision as she has to sometimes pop on her cheaters. This class has a wide age/skill range and it never appears to me that anyone minds. I've seen the Tuesday/Thursday teacher glance at notes too. Again, no big deal. I myself cannot get through the day without referring to my notebook or the white board on the refrigerator. I think that more and more people are busy and may have a job in addition to teaching yoga. Either way, I'm happy to be there and surely could not do what they or you do so well. I think everyone admires and respects the instructors regardless.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can totally see how personality could play a HUGE role in how people approach this. My mentor hugely stresses spontaneity in her teaching and classes ~ which after teaching for 27 years is very easy for her. Me? I had to meticulously plan my first classes for hours, literally going through them over and over, planning things to cut or add if my timing was a little bit off etc. I simply didnt have enough confidence or ability to be spontaneous to trust my ability to just step in and wing it. I can do that now, but still do plan if I'm entering into something new (like the hours I spent planning for that level 3 class as its very different from what I generally teach) as I CAN'T just wing that sort of thing and I would have felt super insecure trying to. Your right though, a good teacher can certainly pull anything off, especially if he/she connects with their students in a meaningful way, be it through humor or self deprication or the depth or thought they put into their sequence. Good reminder.
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