Why “Re-Taking” a Teacher Training Workshop is the Best!
By Sara Sammons-Ulmer
Pilates Instructor & Teacher Training Coordinator
Did you know that we offer the option to re-take a Balanced Body Workshop?
I speak from experience that re-taking a workshop is one of the best things that you can do to deepen your comprehension of the exercises, elevate your teaching skills and your ability to see and to get re-inspired to continue teaching!
Ten years ago, I took my 1st Pilates Teacher Training mat workshop from Leslie Clayton and Donna Riley. I had never taught anything before in my life but Pilates had had a profound impact on me and I wanted to share that experience with others. I remember leaving that workshop feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of information and totally in awe of Leslie and Donna’s ability to break down each exercise and help me experience the Pilates choreography in a deeper, more integrated way. I wondered how in the world I was ever going to actually instruct someone when I could not even find the words to get them into the tabletop position! Experienced instructors make it look so easy!
Remember the lecture in the back of your Balanced Body Mat Manual “Becoming a Teacher”? I now know that the first time I went through a Pilates Teacher Training workshop I was taking an important first step to becoming an “Exercise Leader” – someone who understands the Pilates choreography and can successfully get their students to perform an exercise.
After the workshop, as I continued to practice teach to develop my skills as an exercise leader, I noticed that specific questions started to pop up like “Why is my mom shaking like a leaf when she bring one leg to tabletop because no one in the workshop did that?” The more I practiced and understood the choreography, the more I was beginning to see things as an instructor (not just a Pilates practitioner) and I wanted to know more about “why” something was happening or “how” could I get someone to do something.
Then, several months later, I went and took that same 1st mat workshop again. I saw everything in a new light! I no longer was just trying to wrap my mind around the choreography and basic steps to teach it—I already knew that. I was able to focus more on the fine-tuning details, train my eye to see better, and truly notice the impact of my verbal and/or hands on cues. It was also wonderful because there were different people in the workshop with different body shapes, abilities and backgrounds so I was able to increase the tools I had to work with a wider variety of clients.
I was essentially expanding my skill sets to advance to the next level that is defined in the Balanced Body lecture “Pilates Instructor” – someone who can teach their student not just how to perform the exercise but how to perform it better! I left the workshop with a renewed sense of joy and confidence. I could not wait to see my clients and use my new skills to enhance their Pilates experience!
As I continued to work towards becoming a fully trained Pilates instructor, I re-took many Pilates Teacher Training workshops and can honestly say that it was one of the best things I ever did to mold me into the Pilates Instructor I am today.
I encourage you to experience for yourself the benefits of re-taking a workshop!
Please contact me for me details.
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