Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an aerial instructor? It is so rewarding, but also a ton of work. Obviously, it requires knowing how to do skills and showing them to eager students. But that is just the very tip of the iceberg. Just what exactly does it entail? Read on to find out!
written by Lindsey Morgan
Aerial instructors don’t typically fly by the seat of their pants! A good aerial class has been well thought out and planned ahead of time. An aerial teacher will consider many factors, including the class as a whole and each individual student. A good class plan will fit the skill level/experience of the students, the different learning styles of their students, how much time they have to teach the material, as well as long term goals for the class.
Class planning often begins with a featured skill or sequence in mind, then the teacher can design a proper ground and aerial warm up that will prepare students for the material to be learned. Class plans will also need to include options for the least advanced student in the class to feel empowered and welcome and for the most advanced student in the class to feel challenged and progressing towards the next level.
An aerial teacher doesn’t just need to be familiar with the skill or sequence that they’re going to teach, they really need to have mastered it. A good aerial instructor will have spent time breaking a skill down into its components to figure out how to teach it to their students in bite sized progressions. They’ll also have thought ahead about how things might go wrong, or “sticking spots” that a student is likely to run into, and ways to address these issues. Some of this will come from the instructor’s own experience with learning the skill, and some will come from observing other students working on it. It’s often hardest to teach the things that come easily to us, so having a community of other instructors to turn to for suggestions is a great resource for any aerial teacher.
All good aerial studios will have emergency plans in place should something go wrong during class, and the teachers at that studio will be familiar and have practice with these plans. But barring any emergencies, an instructor also needs a simple back up plan for when their class plan just isn’t working. For example, perhaps the students’ grips get too tired half way through class. Rather than trying to power through the rest of the class plan, a teacher may want to have some related drills or skills in mind that are less strenuous on the grip that they can pivot to, to give their students hands a rest.
Or, maybe a student comes to class feeling exhausted and flustered from their complicated life outside the studio. All of a sudden a class plan that is all about tricky and nuanced pathways may be doomed to fail. Or a class plan that is filled with cool splits skills may be dangerous or unfair for a student who comes in with a hamstring injury they got since their last class.
One of the greatest challenges for an aerial instructor can simply be teaching the same material to a myriad of unique individuals. Each student is unique, and comes to class with their own learning styles, movement styles, fears, beliefs, and experiences, so a class plan won’t always be “one size fits all.” Some students learn best by watching the instructor and other students perform a skill repeatedly (visual learners). Some prefer verbal instructions, being told each step, and some prefer more tactile cues and feeling the movement for themselves when learning something new. There is a whole blog post about this topic here.
Some students enjoy the process of “nerding out” on one skill or component, while others are more goal oriented, wanting to successfully complete a skill then move on to the next! Similarly, some students will simply progress faster than others. It’s not uncommon for a series to start with all students at the same level, only to find after a few months that it has become a very mixed level class. It is the job of the aerial instructor to manage the expectations and maintain the interest of both types of students.
Aerial instructors will also undoubtedly have to learn to teach a variety of body types: bendy, stiff, tall, short, male, female, large, and small. Each will present its own challenges and opportunities, and will require consideration when making a class plan! This also holds true when a student has a minor injury or reason for avoiding use of a particular body part (frozen shoulder, new tattoo, bruising on one side, etc). Class plans should be modifiable (to an extent) to accommodate students’ needs.
Students’ personalities can also affect the way teachers interact with them. Some students may be chatty, which can disrupt class, or they may be eager to try to tell their classmates how to do a skill that they just accomplished, rather than allowing the instructor to step in. On the other hand, some students are quiet and give very little feedback. It can be hard to tell with these students whether they are enjoying the class or understanding the material.
And then there are all of the non-aerial things teachers need to manage. Have you ever had a class with a Diane, Deanna, and Deana in it? Or a student who has decided to change their preferred name? No one likes to be called by the wrong name, but it can also be confusing if not dangerous to cue the wrong student with the wrong info.
Preparing the space for your class plan is an often overlooked step. This means the right apparatuses are hung and the right number of apparatuses are let down for class. Sometimes we want students to do more apparatus sharing. This forces them to slow down which allows them to rest and learn by watching and sometimes we want less apparatus sharing which means more time moving and less time resting. Adjusting apparatus height is also a crucial part of preparing the space. Got a scary new skill planned? Then the sling, lyras and trapezes may need to be set lower. Working on big dynamic skills, then the apparatuses probably need to be set higher. Got a very petite student and a very tall student in the same class and maybe they prefer specific apparatuses… be prepared to start doing some mental math.
Teachers may also need to prepare the space if they have ground drills or floorials planned that require specific props. This may include keeping latex and latex free props well labeled and organized. It may mean tracking down a missing dumbbell that has wandered off from its storage space. They will also need to plan to stay for a bit after class to tidy up, and clear the floor of any mats, tools, or equipment they may have brought out during class.
Not in all cases, but for some, teachers may be involved in routine inspection of rigging and gear, as well as housekeeping responsibilities such as dusting, vacuuming, and keeping the restroom clean!
Last but not least, it is important for an aerial instructor to take care of themselves. Self care can take many forms. For an aerial teacher, it may mean making sure to find time for their own training so they don’t lose their passion for the art form. It also means taking care of their body physically, with good nutrition, sleep, and rest days, while also maintaining the strength and mobility required for their job. Mental health is also paramount, and being able to take some time off for personal reasons or vacation is crucial. For these instances, planning ahead with other members of the studio is key, whether it means finding a substitute teacher for their class, or planning series with scheduled breaks for everyone.
As you can see, there is a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to being an aerial instructor! Let us know your thoughts, and reach out if you have questions.
