Top Tips For Teaching Yoga In Schools - Tip #21: Don't Panic, Have A Plan
Hi everyone, and welcome back!
I’ve had such a busy week that I’m just now getting to the blog…and that said, I’m going to shift my blogging schedule slightly, to Sundays and Wednesdays. It works better with my schedule, and hopefully, this means I’ll be blogging more consistently too.
While this school year is coming to a close, now the THE time to start laying the foundation for your offerings next year, if you’re planning to continue teaching yoga in schools. Whether you’re going to stay at your current school(s), or are looking to expand your offerings to new schools, whether you’re teaching full-time or after school, it’s key to have a plan in place BEFORE summer break begins.
Read on for this week’s tip, and please leave a comment if you found this tip helpful, or let me know whatyou want to see more of on the blog!
Tip #21: Don’t Panic...Have a Plan
April is upon us, and that means the end of the school year is FAST approaching!
As we move into 4th quarter, and as you start laying the foundation for your programming in schools next year (and maybe even securing positions already!), I want to remind you about the importance of having a plan.
When I first decided I wanted to take the leap and try to teach yoga and mindfulness full-time in a school, I poured SO much energy into trying to get the job, that once I got it, I realized I didn’t have a concrete plan for what my classroom was going to look like, the personalities of my students, how I was going to manage behaviors, and more.
So, my advice to you is this: reach out NOW and connect with fellow teachers in the school, or schools you’ll be working in next year. If you can, reach out specifically the PE/art/music/other specials teachers to get a strong understanding of student personalities, how they manage challenging behaviors, which students work well together, and which ones don’t.
Why? Because they also teach unique classes that ask kids to show up and be present in different ways than traditional subject teachers do. They will be able to give you a more accurate and realistic picture of what to expect from your students than say, a math or reading teacher might. When we ask students to show up in a different way, we often times see different behaviors and responses (both positive and challenging ones) than other teachers do.
Tip Takeaway: Get as much information about your students as you can BEFORE day 1, and go in with a plan for how you’re going to configure your classroom, where you’re going to have students sit, and more!