Start to week 2, teaching
Week 2 consists of 4 classes for the "week." I'm counting my teaching weeks as follows: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Those are the days that I may or may not have classes. So the teaching week begins Thursday. Today's class went a lot better. My flow was on, I had eaten good food for dinner, thus having nice steady blood sugar levels for my brain to function it's 100%.
I checked the mic before I started breathing, I was entirely certain it was on before I blathered on, I didn't cram and push my studying so hard, I just did as much as I had time for (which was less, quite honestly requests at work started coming in left and right this week - alongside my MEP project.
So, busy work week at Issaquah, but I woke up this morning and slowly found that my worries were starting to shift. I started seeing (as Jim said I would) things differently. Instead of forgetting the simple beauty of the fact that I am on the podium, that a crapload of dialogue IS coming out of my mouth, even if things aren't perfecto - is a reality I can't deny at the moment. It doesn't matter what any other new teacher is doing, and talking with more people - it seems that I am definitely not alone with the transition of being a new teacher.
Today, I felt that my first half of the class was really quite strong. Standing series, just like practicing standing series, teaching it provides its own set of challenges to me. I really get over-excited with the two specific ones that are to be held 60 seconds: Standing Head to Knee and Standing Bow. Today, both were held longer than my first few classes, but I am still struggling to keep them in. I just get so excited, and then I see them working so hard and falling out that I know I pull out too soon. It is these two postures that tend to cause me to get a bit "confused" as it were. Especially if I feel like I said 100% dialogue.... but maybe I said it all too fast and it was only 40 seconds and not 60. Some people appreciate the short posture.
Regardless, I don't feel compelled to beat myself up. Getting up on the podium was easier, I also did two perfect SPINE twists. No messing up lefts and rights on it. My lefts and rights were surprisingly spot on tonight. I had 4 newbies, and all of them wanted to know when I teach next. I will take some flattery. Tonight was the first night that as everyone left, I felt like a normal teacher, and not someone that was just an imposter or something! The students were all polite, couple people really liked the class, one more brazen student said I was great but "you gotta hold the standing postures longer." Something I knew, I let it go. Students aren't aware of the myriad of learning curves it takes for newb teachers to get timing down. At least it felt like the timing in general was enough so no one was dying. I did see people REALLY PUSH in floow bow and full locust. When you hear the collective grunt on the way down and everyone held to the last second - you know they were all doing amazing. It was inspiring, there was some strong yoga focus going on tonight in this class. No one was fidgeting, wiping, the new girls were rocking out in the back - everyone was awesome in triangle, it was the kind of class that witnessing from the podium, reminded me that everyone in the room really DOES work together, including the teacher in the whole mix. The experiences are things I should be remembering, no matter how hard the coming set of weeks teaching come. I also found out Jessica has taught a total of 20 classes (she teachers at another studio as well - my studio owner was quick to let me know, which was obviously very sweet - she must not have wanted me to think I was less important, she is pretty much the best studio owner in the area if I dare to say so myself).
So, seeing as this was my 4th - I'm a full time city employee... I can't really use her and me as anything alike in this arena.
Heidi did mention one thing that knocked me over a little. In a good way...
From the beginning, I tend to use a lot of my own words. A lot of dialogue, but I naturally make the class my own sometimes. She said the only other teacher she has really seen start doing that so early on was Brenna. Brenna used to teach for Renton, and she was my absolute, all time FAVORITE teacher of all time. When she left, I was so sad. The idea that I could be compared to her at all really is a big deal to me. Can't deny it. I miss her still, and if I can become a great teacher like her one day, I'll definitely do all that I can to get there. She taught from her heart, there's no doubt. I can't even remember what I said in my first class that was so much "making it my own" anymore, because it feels like ages ago. I better go to bed. City of Issaquah is my fate early tomorrow, and I have a handsome dude waiting for me, slumbering, in bed. And 2 Dachshunds that would prefer the body heat of 4 instead of just 3 creatures. Maybe if I can get someone to practice, use a stopwatch, and hold Standing H2K....
We'll see. Tonight I am spent.
-Angela
I checked the mic before I started breathing, I was entirely certain it was on before I blathered on, I didn't cram and push my studying so hard, I just did as much as I had time for (which was less, quite honestly requests at work started coming in left and right this week - alongside my MEP project.
So, busy work week at Issaquah, but I woke up this morning and slowly found that my worries were starting to shift. I started seeing (as Jim said I would) things differently. Instead of forgetting the simple beauty of the fact that I am on the podium, that a crapload of dialogue IS coming out of my mouth, even if things aren't perfecto - is a reality I can't deny at the moment. It doesn't matter what any other new teacher is doing, and talking with more people - it seems that I am definitely not alone with the transition of being a new teacher.
Today, I felt that my first half of the class was really quite strong. Standing series, just like practicing standing series, teaching it provides its own set of challenges to me. I really get over-excited with the two specific ones that are to be held 60 seconds: Standing Head to Knee and Standing Bow. Today, both were held longer than my first few classes, but I am still struggling to keep them in. I just get so excited, and then I see them working so hard and falling out that I know I pull out too soon. It is these two postures that tend to cause me to get a bit "confused" as it were. Especially if I feel like I said 100% dialogue.... but maybe I said it all too fast and it was only 40 seconds and not 60. Some people appreciate the short posture.
Regardless, I don't feel compelled to beat myself up. Getting up on the podium was easier, I also did two perfect SPINE twists. No messing up lefts and rights on it. My lefts and rights were surprisingly spot on tonight. I had 4 newbies, and all of them wanted to know when I teach next. I will take some flattery. Tonight was the first night that as everyone left, I felt like a normal teacher, and not someone that was just an imposter or something! The students were all polite, couple people really liked the class, one more brazen student said I was great but "you gotta hold the standing postures longer." Something I knew, I let it go. Students aren't aware of the myriad of learning curves it takes for newb teachers to get timing down. At least it felt like the timing in general was enough so no one was dying. I did see people REALLY PUSH in floow bow and full locust. When you hear the collective grunt on the way down and everyone held to the last second - you know they were all doing amazing. It was inspiring, there was some strong yoga focus going on tonight in this class. No one was fidgeting, wiping, the new girls were rocking out in the back - everyone was awesome in triangle, it was the kind of class that witnessing from the podium, reminded me that everyone in the room really DOES work together, including the teacher in the whole mix. The experiences are things I should be remembering, no matter how hard the coming set of weeks teaching come. I also found out Jessica has taught a total of 20 classes (she teachers at another studio as well - my studio owner was quick to let me know, which was obviously very sweet - she must not have wanted me to think I was less important, she is pretty much the best studio owner in the area if I dare to say so myself).
So, seeing as this was my 4th - I'm a full time city employee... I can't really use her and me as anything alike in this arena.
Heidi did mention one thing that knocked me over a little. In a good way...
From the beginning, I tend to use a lot of my own words. A lot of dialogue, but I naturally make the class my own sometimes. She said the only other teacher she has really seen start doing that so early on was Brenna. Brenna used to teach for Renton, and she was my absolute, all time FAVORITE teacher of all time. When she left, I was so sad. The idea that I could be compared to her at all really is a big deal to me. Can't deny it. I miss her still, and if I can become a great teacher like her one day, I'll definitely do all that I can to get there. She taught from her heart, there's no doubt. I can't even remember what I said in my first class that was so much "making it my own" anymore, because it feels like ages ago. I better go to bed. City of Issaquah is my fate early tomorrow, and I have a handsome dude waiting for me, slumbering, in bed. And 2 Dachshunds that would prefer the body heat of 4 instead of just 3 creatures. Maybe if I can get someone to practice, use a stopwatch, and hold Standing H2K....
We'll see. Tonight I am spent.
-Angela