Top Tips For Teaching Yoga In Schools - Tip #26: Create A Community Of Support

Hi everyone, and welcome back!

I had an experience today that is unique to teaching, and all of my teacher friends came through for me in a way that only they could! They heard me, validated me, and reminded me of the power of community!

As kids yoga teachers teaching yoga in schools, our jobs can feel lonely and isolating, since we are often the only teacher at our school doing this, and / or the only one in our district or town.

This is where creating a community of support, even from afar, comes in handy.

And, speaking of support, I’d love to support you on your journey to bring yoga into schools through my Teaching Yoga In Schools Mentorship Program. In this program, we work 1:1 together to brainstorm, problem solve classroom management challenges, review best practices for getting in the door, create / review curriculum, and so much more! The best part is, you get to pick the topic for each session! I have just a few openings for mentorship clients each quarter, so be sure to sign up now if you’re interested!

Without further ado, here’s this weeks tip:

Tip #26: Create A Community of Support

Today’s tip is rather simple: as you embark on your journey to teach yoga and mindfulness in schools, create a community of support for yourself. I would not have a job teaching yoga as a specials class full-time in a school setting had I not worked with a mentor and leveraged support from others doing similar work.

I had an idea, but it took the support and encouragement of a mentor to get me to take a leap of faith. It took countless emails and conversations with people who were already working to bring yoga and mindfulness to kids in a variety of different capacities to help me achieve success. And to this day, I still have a handful of trusted colleagues who understand the work I’m doing and are ready, willing, and able to support me when I need it. 

So, find a mentor or multiple mentors who are doing similar work teaching yoga and / or mindfulness into schools and talk to them. Ask them questions. Problem solve. Share ideas. 

Get support in the areas that aren’t your strong suit. Get on the phone, talk face-to-face, invite them to come observe your classes in person, and then ask for feedback. 

This is hard work, and it’s made more challenging when we try and do it alone. So don’t. Invest in your future by creating a community of support for yourself, whether it’s one person, or multiple. 

Tip Takeaway: Identify what you need support with the most, and why. Then, brainstorm a list of people who are best served to support you with the tasks / skills you identified (even if it’s just moral support). Reach out to them, share your needs, and create a plan for what the support will look like, and how long it will last.