Three Things Every Instructor Should Do
Are you seeking to improve your performance as a Group Fitness Instructor? Whether you just stepped out of your ACE certification workshop or you have been teaching since the days of thongs and leg warmers, you have strengths and weaknesses as an instructor. Here, I offer you the A-B-C’s of growing from an average instructor to a great instructor.
A. Ask for feedback
Taken from SelfHelpMagazine.com: ”Feedback is a way to let people know how effective they are in what they are trying to accomplish, or how they affect you. It provides a way for people to learn how they affect the world around them, and it helps us to become more effective. If we know how other people see us, we can overcome problems in how we communicate and interact with them.”
How do you know if you are good instructor? How do you know if you are teaching effective classes? Some of the ways we answer these questions are by interpreting clues we get: number of people in my class, smiles and interaction from students, student comments. But the easiest and quickest way to find out if you are getting your message across is to ASK. Ask everyone, starting with your students. I solicit feedback at the end of every class, letting folks know that I want to deliver what they have come to recieve. You can learn a lot by asking questions in a non-threatening manner, for instance:
“How did you enjoy the music you heard today?”
“What did you think of the new move we worked on today?”
“How did your muscles feel after class last week?”
“Have you noticed results from taking this class?”
“What can I do to make this class better for you?”
Your students will give you ideas that only go as far as they know and understand the group fitness forum. They may give you examples of things they liked at other clubs. Listen to what they say very carefully and do not interrupt them. Ask questions to clarify and show that you were listening to them. Smile at them and show that you are receptive to their ideas. Write their feedback down in your notebook so that you can refer back to it as you are planning.
Action Item: Make it your intention to solicit feedback at the next class you teach, and to implement it in the following class that you teach.
Another great way to determine where you could improve as an instructor is to ask another instructor. Invite an instructor that you know, preferably one who has been teaching for a while or is a master instructor for a certifying body, or who is well-known for being a good instructor, to attend your class and critique your performance. If you don’t know of anyone you are comfortable asking, talk to your supervisor or another manager at the club about attending and provide you with feedback. You will be asking people to provide you with an hour away from their busy schedules to assist you, so you might get turned down. However, I find that most folks will be flattered that you asked for their opinion and your managers will love that you are being proactive about seeking feedback. Just be sure you listen carefully and take their recommendations to heart, otherwise it is a waste of everyone’s time.
Action item: Get in touch with someone by whom you’d like to be evaluated and schedule them to attend your class in the next few weeks.
B. Be a Student
The easiest (and cheapest) way to improve your performance as a group fitness instructor is to take group fitness classes!! Once upon a time, you were a student, taking classes, evaluating instructors, choosing your favorite formats and (most probably) trying to get in shape. Once you become an instructor, it is easy to forget what it is like to stand in the back of the room, new to the environment, unsure of what to expect. It is also easy to get into a rut with the types of classes you teach and your style of delivery. Taking classes allows you to gain a fresh perspective and possibly even learn some new tricks for improving your own teaching abilities. It will also allow you to better emphasize how it feels to be a student, thereby improving your ability to connect with your members.
Action item: Look at the gyms in your area or the gyms at which you teach, and make an unbreakable appointment with yourself to attend one or two new classes in the next week.
The next best way to keep improving is with Continuing Education. Not only are you required to earn CECs to maintain your certifications, you need them to help battle burn out and to keep you inspired. Sometimes, CEC courses remind you of the basics or help answer questions you’ve had about being an instructor. There are numerous ways to earn CEUs. The best place to start is with your certifcation provider. Most offer Continuing Ed workshops throughout the country and the year to help you maintain your certification and many are now offering home study courses. I prefer the workshops to home study because of the invaluable element of human interaction, but you can certainly learn from home study. The next place to try is one of many conventions offered through companies such as IDEA, ECA, or MANIA. These offer opportunitites to attend a variety of workshops and earn CEUs for a variety of organizations at one time. Plus you get to attend Expos and have opportunities for certification workshops that may not be available in your area. For links to some of the conventions I am looking to attend this year, check out the 2007 Conventions tab. Finally, there are presenters in your area who put on workshops to help you improve your skills. Ask your coordinator for advice about finding these workshops or request that the coordinator bring continuing education workshops to your gym.
Action item: Check your status on Continuing Education and see how many more credits you’ll need to recertify. Then search your provider or the conventions list to find a way to earn the ones you still need.
C. Communicate Effectively
Now that you have amassed a knowledge base of teaching tools and techniques, you have to have a way to deliver them to your students. Communication is key. How do you get your message across?
First, know that communication with your students begins even before you arrive for your class. What messages does your gym deliver about the class? How is your class percieved by members? There is more going on outside your classroom than you think, so do your part to ensure that the message is loud, clear, and positive. Make friends with members and encourage them to attend your class and talk it up. Invite the staff to attend so that they know what to say when asked about your class. Read the description of your class on the schedule to ensure that it gives an accurate picture. Get permission to hang flyers and signs encouraging new folks to give it a try.
Next, be prepared for your classes. The best way to lose your students is to be lost yourself. Have a solid plan when you enter the room and know what your message for the day is. You are allowed to be flexible and to adjust for new students or other unexpected events, but know ahead of time what you will be teaching. It is a huge help to actually practice teaching it as well. You don’t have to memorize your entire class speech, but practice saying the things that will have the most impact on your students. It might be a motivational saying that helps them continue working through a long set, or it might be an explanation of the energy zones for a cardio class. The more practice you have getting your main message across, the easier it will be to ad lib the rest.
Then, communicate with your class beyond what you say when the mic is on. Get to know your students as you wait for the room to become available. Stick around afterwards to answer their questions and get their feedback. Make sure that your appearance and your body language (two very important and powerful communication tools) are consistent with the words that you speaking.
Finally, hone your communication skills by joining Toastmasters or studying up on the subject. Toastmasters is an excellent way to improve your abilities as a speaker because you practice in front of a group and recieve instant feedback on what you are doing well and what you can improve. There is also a wealth of information on the web designed to improve your presentation skills and also numerous books on the subject. Find a resource and commit to being the most effective communicator possible.
Action item: Google search “communicate effectively” or “improve presentation skills” and spend some time gleaning advice on how to be a better presenter. Check your paper or online to find a Toastmaster’s chapter in your area to join.
So there you have it. An A-B-C guide to improving yourself as a fitness instructor. The action items have been added as a way to encourage you not to sit on your hands and continue meeting the status quo, but to get up and take action that will make you an outstanding instructor!
Thanks for stopping by!
Tags: coach, fitness instructor advice, prepare