Sometimes it feels like we are in a sweet groove and all of the sudden that groove can feel like a rut that we are stuck in. However, being inspired and staying inspired is not just a mood. It is a result of the actions we take.
Here are a few pro tips for teachers (and any aerialist) to break out of an aerial rut and get inspired or use them to make sure you stay feeling inspired.
It’s incredibly important for teachers to always keep learning themselves. You can have the best class plans and the most awesome curriculum, but if it gets too static then students will lose interest (and just as important, so will you!)
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Being a student is a great way to get inspired. If you are an advanced aerialist it’s even great to take a beginner aerial class or be a beginner again on a completely new apparatus. When you’re taking class, try to keep your brain open to making new connections.
Here’s a suggestion: Go to an “easy” class on an apparatus that isn’t your primary apparatus. If Aerial Silks is your love, then go spend some time on a trapeze. Don’t plan on learning new skills. Rather go in with the plan of asking yourself questions like: Can I do this on my aerial silks? Why / Why not? What ranges of movement are unique to trapeze? Can I translate them back to aerial silks?
Explore aerial classes across the world.
Technology has had a great impact on our art form. You can now take an online aerial class from an expert anywhere in the world. Every aerial community has it’s own culture and quirks and the differences can be hugely inspiring.
It doesn’t have to be an aerial class.
You can find inspiration for your aerial practice in different movement styles. Dance, yoga, or pilates classes can be a great inspiration. Or better yet, consider taking a class in a different art form altogether. Try something like cat’s cradle string games, painting or glass blowing.
Don’t get hung up on others seeing you as a beginner
Remember what it’s like to be a beginner and go through that process as a student so that you can better relate to your own students.
Aerial is a creative art form as well as an incredible fitness regimen, and a great curriculum recognizes both.
Try doing an aerial skill differently.
Get up on the apparatus and play with the material you’re planning to teach. Try it on your goofy side, but don’t expect perfection from your goofy side, rather let your goofy side inform you on what is tricky or nuanced about the skill.
You can try making a skill or short aerial sequence fit to one genre of music and then do the same skill but make it work with an entirely different genre of music.
Give your imagination a workout.
Imagine that suddenly you have less core strength, or less hip mobility, or any sort of physical change. Imagine your moving through maple syrup or imagine you’re playing “red light, green light” and try stopping in unexpected places.
Break it all down.
This is our favorite way to play. Try to identify each action in the skill and find a fun way to break that down. Keep exploring deeper and deeper looking for the smallest components of a skill.
Can you discover a new aerial variation that will inspire your students? Get off of Instagram and get into your own body! Play with doing familiar skills in different ways and see what you can come up with that’s completely unique to you. It doesn’t have to be profound, it just has to be in your own style.
Add your own style or unique twist on to skills you know already by exploring and experimenting on your favorite aerial apparatus.
Before you teach it to students, try it out on other teachers and peers first. Explore it fully to discover what could possibly go wrong before deciding whether this is something you will teach, or something you will keep for your own repertoire for now.
If you have a local network, set up an aerial play date to work together and inspire each other. If your network is not local, set it up virtually! Even having an aerial “pen pal” that you share ideas with via video back and forth can help keep your own training inspired, especially during those times when you’re too busy to focus on yourself.
Our aerial community is so important. Chatting and networking with your peers is part of your aerial training.
We offer one-on-one chats for students and teachers feeling a little stuck. You can schedule a chat with us during our office hours for extra face-to-face discussion and inspiration.
What would you like to improve in your own teaching? Nowadays there are plenty of options for aerial instructors, from aerial anatomy courses, to skill building workshops, to more. As teachers we need to be constantly growing and learning and investing in your teaching knowledge is a great way to up your teaching game, no matter how much experience you already have. If you would like to learn more about Aerial Fit Online then please consider a Free Membership or try a 7-day trial (while available): join Aerial Fit Online.
Here are some of the skills and drills you can find in our library.
Celebrate your students’ successes because that’s why we do what we do. And when you don’t get everything right every single time, remember that it’s a process and that great instructors are constantly learning from their students as well.
One Response
When I return to a beginner’s class, the teachers will often see that I’m not a beginner and will attempt to teach me something more advanced. I’ve also done this in my capacity as a teacher. We must keep in mind that anyone, regardless of experience, can enjoy a fantastic beginner lesson and not feel that they need more if they voluntarily enrolled in a beginner class.