Yoga classes for children are different from yoga classes for adults. Before you decide to become a yoga instructor for kids, or start doing yoga with your class at school, you will want to familiarize yourself with these 8 dirty truths about teaching yoga to children.
1. There will be tears – The trigger could be too tired, or not lead the game, or feel overwhelmed, or that someone bumps into them during Yoga Tag, or they feel frustrated that they cannot do their favorite pose precisely when they wanted to. Tears are an integral part of children’s learning about their emotions and how to handle life. After-school yoga classes are especially prone to this response, as the children have already had a full day of learning, they may not have had a proper after-school snack (low blood sugar often causes emotional breakdowns) or they may just need a little TLC while the rest of the class wants to burn off excess energy.
two. Classes are noisy – Laughter, talking, roaring, barking, chanting, energetic chanting and more are part of a yoga class for children. Once a fifth grade teacher asked me how to get her students to shut up during yoga. My answer: “Don’t.” Children need to express themselves using all of their senses and they will do so at every opportunity. I think happy noise is productive for learning. However, one rule is that when the instructor speaks, everyone else listens. That way explanations and instructions can be given, and then the activities can be completely interactive. Have fun, make some noise!
3. Your will be interrupted – Imagine that half of the adults in your yoga class express out loud the first thought that comes to mind every time the teacher begins to explain a pose or an activity. Imagine being in the middle of a story and only being asked, “Can I go to the bathroom?” Imagine hearing all about someone’s fish who died over the weekend, a favorite TV show, the kind of cake that was served at a friend’s birthday party, or the nasty comment Mom made to Dad when he was late in the afternoon. work … again. You are now in a yoga class for children.
4. Classroom management is an essential skill – You will need to possess some classroom management skills to avoid Bobby constantly playing with the gong, Sue hugging her best friend, Joey on homework, and Beth using her yoga mat as a sled. Children generally know how to behave, but will seize any opportunity for chaos. Each yoga instructor for children must find their own style of classroom management so that the environment is conducive to learning and growth. Remember that you are in charge.
5. When you make a mistake, they will tell you – Adults are generally quite polite when instructors make minor mistakes, stumble over their words, or fall flat on their faces. Children, not so much! They love to point out your flaws, missteps, and inconsistencies. Instructors have two options: 1) achieve perfection 2) develop a sense of humor. Since perfection is a long way off for me, I find laughing at my mistakes a lot more fun. Also, the way adults respond to mistakes helps children see how to handle their own mistakes in positive and affirmative ways.
6. Classes are similar to herding cats – Each group has a variety of ages, physical, mental and emotional abilities and maturity levels. Add to that the fact that children’s attention span can be measured in minutes and you have an interesting challenge on your hands. Establishing a class routine and making sure the topics are kid-friendly will lengthen the amount of time children spend on a certain activity. However, it is best for kids yoga instructors to always keep some yoga activities and games in mind to keep everyone engaged and having fun.
7. It’s not about you – Children love classes that focus on THEIR interests. WebKinz, Hannah Montana, Star Wars, Creepy Crawlies, Princesses, Spiderman, and more come to yoga class. When your instructor incorporates a yoga-inspired activity that replicates student favorites, then you know you’ve got something great going. Plus, every holiday, from Valentine’s to Halloween, provides food for fun. So don’t be surprised if you spend time wondering how to incorporate goblins or superheroes into your next yoga class.
8. Props, props and more props – For an adult yoga class, most instructors use a mat, an mp3 player, and if you’re lucky, an eye pillow. The Iyengar classes will add a leash, a block, a blanket, and possibly a chair. For any yoga class for kids, take that basic list and add books, puppets, feathers, scarves, pompoms, parachutes, stuffed animals, musical instruments, hula hoops, decks of cards, hoberman spheres, rocks, balls, bags. of beans, craft supplies, coloring sheets, and more. Make sure you have some storage space available.
There you have it: the downsides, the traumas, and the reality of teaching yoga to kids.
However, there is a flip side. If you are happy to provide tools for children to be happy and healthy for the rest of their lives, genuinely enjoy sharing, approach life with curiosity and creativity, want to end each class with a sense of satisfaction, and love to receive spontaneous hugs, then teach yoga for children is for you.