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| First of all I found out that the male instructor that I really like is no longer teaching at the studio I go to. That was not too much of a surprise because we all knew he was trying to open his own studio and he was having some disagreement with the owner of this studio regarding heat, humidity, etc. But we thought he would be around for another month.
So, the new male instructor was teaching and this was probably the third time I have taken one of his classes. Last night there was a "newbie" in class and first of all, he started class a few minutes late because he was out in the hall talking to her, then he spent the entire class totally focused on giving her personal direction, praise, etc. pretty much ignoring everyone else. Then, to top it off, I guess he must have realized at some point that he was behind schedule so he went really fast between asanas, no time to even catch our breath let alone take a drink of water and it was quite humid. I got through the class but it was sort of a drag.  (Just whining.)
Now, let me say that I totally understand that new people need and deserve some degree of special attention but I think that it should be balanced with attention to the rest of the class. And, considering that we were the last class for the evening, I saw no excuse for him rushing from one asana to the next like he did. So what if we finished a few minutes later. 
And, yes, I do plan on talking to the owner about this AND I plan on checking out some other Bikram studios which I fortunately have access to here in this area. I have been going to the same studio since I started last October and I really feel at home there now, BUT it seems like a good time to check out the alternatives.
Have any of you had similar experiences? |
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| WooHoo do I sympathize! I cannot believe you asked has anybody had similar experiences--unless you were hoping I'd miss your post 
I HATE unexpected teachers being sprung on me and breaking in the newbies without warning. You know we're in similar space/time continuum as far as our Bikram experience goes. Our teacher's are important to us and are not simply interchangable talking heads. There certainly is an intimacy there that we need at this point to allow us to focus and progress. If I had Gwyn, Christine, or Neel's background I could be more accomodating but I'm sure not there yet.
I feel your pain Kathy Ann. |
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| Thanks Bruce. I figured on a sympathetic response from you.  It is an important relationship we develop with our instructors. And it's great to get personal attention both in the form of suggestions for improvement and as encouragement for doing well. Even when the instructors praise other students, it's good to hear that. I am not just wanting a lot of attention to me, but to the class.
Oh well, gotta give the new kid a chance........... |
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| Hmmm. Let's see . . .
Having taught a class similar to what Kathy Ann described, I can offer the viewpoint of the teacher. Sometimes when you have a newbie, they are doing things so crazily that you're afraid they are going to hurt themselves. Hence, you spend a lot of time with them. Especially if you have people in the room who have been coming for a while; sometimes there is not a lot you can say to someone who is doing things fundamentally right but just needs more time to have things open up for themselves (i.e., Bruce in his Garudasana).
I was teaching a class the other day and had a brand new person doing crazy things, so I spent a lot of time helping that person. The other students may not have realized that I was doing my best to keep an eye on them too. I say this because I specifically remember calling out corrections to more advanced students who promptly ignored me AND then got peaved when class ran over (left before Savasana).
Just thought I'd offer my perspective, luvs.
Peace,
Gwyn |
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| You make sense Gwyn and I certainly see your point--we're just needy big babies wanting your attention. |
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| Gwyn,
I see your point but, this has happened 2 out of 3 classes with this instructor and I don't think it's because the newbies are doing crazy things because he compliments them on things as well. I would say that he commented one way or another on the newbie for every single asana! Guess you would have to be there to see what I mean. And it might even be different if he was standing next to the person and whispering (have seen other instructors do this) but he often said things from clear across the room, always using the person's name. If that was me, I think I would have been a bit embarassed to have that much attention drawn to me. 
I don't know if he is new to instructing or just new to our studio. He is a good instructor otherwise. I just think he goes a wee bit overboard with new people and maybe that will change with time. |
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| Gwyn,
I also wanted to say that as an instructor yourself, please don't underestimate what you have to offer the more experienced students as well as the newbies. I actually find that I appreciate feedback and direction from the instructors even more now than I did in the beginning.
Probably the best 2 classes I remember were ones with Marco which only had 6-8 people, all "experienced" and he gave us all a great deal of attention and even encouraged us to ask questions or make comments. Those were the days............ |
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| I understand I have a Yoga teacher I would follow around also. However I feel for the poor new Yoga teacher getting a full class He/She does not know and then without notice. |
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| Yes, small classes with experienced students are nice. You can do more actual demonstrating of the poses to make your point, which is nice. You're out of the "save someone from hurting themself" mindset to being able to take the asanas up a notch.
I'll give you an example why it is hard sometimes: You have someone a little more advanced who is kicking out in Dandayamana Janusirasana. You're over there giving some extra help and when you glance over to the new person you see them wobbling all over the place, practically falling, but still trying to kick out even though you told them not to  See, we get frustrated, too! 
I do understand what you are saying, though. Your new teacher will stop doing that soon, I would guess. We have breakthroughs, too. And then we have relapses . . . I know sometimes I spend too much time with new people and I nearly always run over, which drives me nuts. Luckily, there's not a class right after mine.
I'm going to remember this the next time I teach and I have some new people |
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Last Night's Class Not so Great
