Question:
How far in advance do you have your classes planned?
Do you have an idea of how you want to develop your students through months of classes?
Or do you teach what you have been working on in your on practice.
It seems that teachers of a fixed series wouldn't have to worry about that as much, whereas teachers working in a quarter or semester type package of classes would lean heavily towards more of a syllabus, if you will.
Having a set syllabus for teaching would almost necessitate a set syllabus for practice...
what do you do?
Answer:
do you ask students what they want to work on?
Anyways - I suppose this is different based on the lineage, teacher and teachers experience.
In my lineage I observed a group class today by a senior teacher (therapeutically trained.) At the beginning of class she asked what they would like to work on. Someone said feet (she had recently had feet surgery.) Another said upper back - sits at a computer all day. Another said she was feeling mentally blocked. This teacher designed a practice on the fly that based on my observation and the comments of the students after the class met the needs of those students.
That being said she has taught for more than ten years - and this same group of students have been attending her classes for years.
I'm only half way through a 500 hour teacher training program but have started teaching two hours a week. I'm not ready to ask students what they want to work on. So I write out a lesson plan. I talked to my mentor about this - he said - just don't get too attached to it. I've noticed that I generally base the next weeks plan on what I observed the previous week. Not ideal - but it keeps me responding to the students.
Dhanurasana your location says you are in Bellingham, Wa. There are senior teachers from the Desikachar/Krishnamacharya lineage in your area. Abby Stalen and Ann Rogers teach at Everybody's Yoga. I think you might want to check them out.
Another thing that is different about this lineage is that asanas are not necessarily held statically. And a student's request might not be addressed through asana - but pranayama and chant might be used. Along with other tools - particularly if working one-on-one.
Aahh - such a long response. But really what it would be interesting to know - is what you were taught in your teacher training and whether you have an on-going relationship with a teacher/mentor to work with.
