Top Tips For Teaching Yoga In Schools - Tip #47: Intention Setting For Next School Year

Hi there,

Welcome back to the blog!

I’m writing this 5 days into summer break and I’m loving every minute of it.

However, the teacher in me is always thinking / planning ahead, and my thoughts are drifting to next school year, and some things I want to do in the classroom with my students.

This tip is for those of you who, like me, are always in a process of thinking, reflecting, iterating, and intention setting.

As you begin to prepare for the fall, whether it’s now or in two months, I hope you find this tip helpful, so leave a comment below if it resonates with you!

Tip #47: Intention Setting For Next School Year

I want to invite you to set intentions and goals for yourself as a yoga / mindfulness educator as you prepare for this upcoming school year.

If you are hoping to expand the number of schools you work in, get really specific, and set a goal to expand into 2 or 3 more schools by the end of the year. 

If you’re hoping to engage not just the students you teach, but also the adults that teach them, get really specific and clear on how you will do that: will you offer a monthly class just for teachers? Will you create a resource library for them to use in their classrooms and with their students between sessions?

If you’re still trying to figure out what to charge, get clear on 3 numbers: what you absolutely would need to make per session to make it worth your while and compensate you for your time and energy, what you’d like to make per session (this is the number that feels really good to you and would make you say “yes” without hesitation), and your stretch number. This is the number that feels scary to ask for  right now, but that you are absolutely worth given your skills, expertise, and what you bring to the table. Then, create goals for yourself: when will you ask for your stretch number? How and to whom?

Finally, set an intention for how you want to show up for your students each and every session. This can be as simple as how you want to feel or be when teaching. For example, maybe you block out 15 minutes before and after each class so you can feel more easeful and relaxed between sessions instead of rushed. Or, maybe you want to infuse more joy into your teaching, so with every lesson plan, you write down where you will add a song or a game or wear a silly hat to infuse more joy into your lessons. 

Tip Takeaway: Intention setting doesn’t just apply to our personal lives, it applies to our work lives, too. Get clear on how many schools you want to be working in, how much you want to charge, the energy you want to bring into your classes, and more. The clearer you can get on your goals for the year NOW, the more you’ll set yourself up for success as we head into a new school year this fall.