Building teaching autonomy not a model of teaching
Contemporary Pilates, classical Pilates, modern Pilates or fitness Pilates…..the categories, the judgement, the hierarchy and rules in our Pilates Industry can seem endless.
For a lot of us, we leave our Pilates teacher training not knowing what we don't know, living in blissful ignorance but believing all we have learnt in 'pilates school' is the only way, the right way!
We follow a certain model of training and follow our educators, mentors and leaders in the industry dutifully but there comes a time in our Pilates careers where we need to put that aside so that we can continue to grow!
If we never ever reach this point where we take responsibility for our own growth and learning and are a person who loves living by the ‘rules’ above all else then we end up feeling disconnected to the wider industry and instead of looking for ways to share and connect we look to compete and criticise.
All of this categorising doesn’t actually matter when you get out into the real world of teaching Pilates.
So with this in mind, take time out to reflect on where you are in your teaching career. Is it time to respectfully put it aside for a little while and open yourself up to learning from other industries, or people from a completely different models of teaching? Or maybe it’s time to reflect inwards - look at what your unique skills and abilities are and spend a little more time honing in on that. Being an autonomous teacher means that you follow your own path, grow and adjust accordingly rather than simply doing what has always been done without much thought.
Learn to trust yourself and Cheerlead for others!
Go forth and trust yourself, let go of rules, judgement and assumptions and create a little more space to find commonalities, to feel more connected and jump up and down like little Pilates Cheerleaders when we see our peers succeeding on their terms! How fun would it be to build a Pilates Community like that!!
Don’t forget to hit me up on Instagram @nomadpilates and let me know who your ‘cheerleading’ for in your community!
