Sep 5

Sep 5 I changed my mind. Teaching is a performance.....

I'm going to be really honest here. Not so long ago, I wrote a post that said something along the lines of 'teaching is not a performance'.

You see this is a piece of advice - 'teaching is not a performance' had been handed down to me from generations before with the best intentions and I believed it 100% without much thought.

So I put myself in a cute little box, tamed my inner performer, played by the rules, numbed my Pilates Soul, repeated exercises and tried the funny 'dad jokes' but nup it didn't fly! I had more in the 'tank' - more to 'give' - but I was holding back and didn't know it.

Teaching in this way often felt stressful and clunky and it certainly didn’t feel like leadership.

When I looked around at my clients anxiously trying to read their body language, I realised their movement lacked energy and I felt like they were at my class to just 'tick a box' in their week rather than really wanting to be there for the 'experience'!

So now I'm writing to tell you. Well, I changed my mind.

Teaching is most definitely part performance if you want it to be as much as it is about ten million other things rolled into one.....

Teaching is part self-expression

Teaching is part public speaking

Teaching is part leading

Teaching is part education

Teaching is part entertainment

Teaching is a part connection, communication, and creativity!

If 'performing' feels great for you, makes you feel in flow, gives you more energy, helps people hear you, engages them and makes them feel more alive, vibrant and excited to move then why not pull that one out of your fancy little Teaching Toolbox for the 'highs' of a class and perform away!

A 'thoughtful performance' pulled out at the perfect time might just be the thing that helps your clients be in the present moment, so maybe it's time we all unleashed our inner performer. Not for the sake of attention but for the sake of building engagement!

If you have an inner performer within you - use her for Good, not evil!!

I can feel my mentors grinding their teeth and shaking their heads. I can hear the rebuttal coming...."Sarah it's not about you"

But here’s the thing…..

If you never put the YOU in your teaching, then you will never give your clients the opportunity to see 'Pilates' through your eyes, to feel the 'passion' you feel, to transform in the way Pilates transformed you! You will never be able to get through to them without the YOU in your teaching. Your message and your teaching will be robotic, dull and lifeless!

Real teachers don't just know who they are. Real teachers OWN who they are and they are not afraid to use whatever hidden talents they have in their teaching toolbox as a tool for communication and a deeper connection to the people they teach!

Are you prepared to OWN your hidden talents? if you are, tag #realteachersgrow and share your post with me @nomadpilates and let those fancy hidden talents out of the box!!!!