Counting, cueing, showing movement, suggesting changes, and inspiring participants are just a few of the abilities required to teach group fitness courses. Whether you are new to teaching or an experienced instructor, taking the time to develop and enhance your instructional abilities is critical for creating a safe, pleasant, and successful group exercise experience for your participants. Receiving feedback from others and completing your own self-evaluations are fantastic strategies to uncover your teaching strengths, places for development, and chances for growth and education. Here are some suggestions for getting feedback and analysing your abilities:
During class: You can get feedback by observing your students’ movements and other verbal or nonverbal signs. For example, if you notice that many of your participants are a few steps behind you or that they frequently stop and stare at you for a few seconds before rejoining the class, this could indicate that they are having difficulty hearing you or that the movement needs to be cued earlier or more clearly. If you detect inappropriate technique among several people on the same exercise, think about how you might improve your own verbal or visual signals to improve technique and safety.
Outside of class: Speak with your participants before or after class to solicit comments. Inquire about particular areas of your teaching and solicit feedback on how to enhance it. If you prefer written feedback, give participants a brief survey to fill out or chat with your group fitness manager about a special survey supplied by the facility.
Instructor Evaluation: Ask another instructor if they would be willing to come or observe your class in order to evaluate your teaching abilities. It may be beneficial to present the instructor with precise criteria for evaluating you, or to supply them with an assessment form to fill. You may make your own assessment form or locate one online through a variety of group exercise tools.
Supervisor Feedback: If your group fitness manager does not already perform frequent class evaluations, invite them to your class to offer feedback. This can indicate to supervisors your dedication to growth and improvement as an instructor, in addition to obtaining feedback on your teaching skills.
Video Assessment: While viewing oneself on camera might be an unsettling experience, a video evaluation gives you the unique chance to study yourself through the eyes of your participants. It also allows you to examine your motions, cueing clarity, teaching style, and general class leadership and management abilities objectively. It might be beneficial to fill an evaluation form for yourself during the video observation; after the video, take some time to reflect on your teaching strengths, flaws, and places for growth.
