If you want a TOTALLY KICK-ASS teaching life in & out of the Pilates studio…READ THIS!

…To inspire you to take action, make change, investigate, be honest and dig deep into what would REALLY change the way you design your business, your teaching, and how it all fits into your REAL LIFE!

One of the things I am MOST COMMITTED to achieving through Skillful Teaching is helping teachers develop their inner and outer teacher; to support them in creating a fulfilling, long-lasting, sustainable, and authentic teaching career that is a reflection of their personal values and is in balance with ALL they want to BE, DO, and HAVE.

To that end…here we go:

1. Make SELF-PRACTICE a priority no matter how small NO MATTER WHAT!

My greatest piece of advise is to create a self-practice program for yourself that ABSOLUTELY, 100% and without compromise reflects the realities of your life, your teaching schedule and your personal level of motivation.

What I mean by that is lower your expectations and be kind and loving to yourself. Be in love with the reality of all the demands on your life and your time and create a practice that FITS.

If you are best with a 20 minute workout everyday then do that. If you thrive on the long hour practice once a week then do that. Do whatever creates the least resistance and feels the best. This is the ONLY way you are likely to create a CONSISTENT, EMPOWERING, AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICE.

And you practice is a dedication to your body, your health, your mental state, your business, your learning, your students, your LIFE. Figure out how to actually get it done!

2. Know what you STAND FOR.

What do you personally and professional stand for? What are your priorities, your purpose for teaching, your unwavering reasons for showing up?

Having a strong point of view from which to teach helps ensure two things:

One, that you ACTUALLY KNOW what you stand for and can stand for it or fight for it and turn it into a powerful vision for your teaching and your business. MOST teachers have no real idea what they stand for in their teaching and their life and so when faced difficult decisions or challenges flounder and flail without direction. This makes maintaining a strong teaching presence very difficult!
Two, that you can ATTRACT STUDENTS who share your vision and your point of view in some way. When you are clear, you clearly draw the RIGHT PEOPLE to you. When you draw the right people to you, they are more likely to stay! Woot woot! Can you say Student Retention!

3. Be where you are and USE WHAT YOU KNOW.

This one comes from years and years of being an education junky and then more years helping education junkies kick their “learning” habit.

YES! obviously learning is essential to teaching. AND YET for 90% of teachers they never use 90% of what they learn.

We are addicted to the acquisition of stuff and in this case the “stuff” is new material, knowledge, tricks, tools, etc. We are always looking for the next shiny object, which is – in all honesty – just a distraction from actually having to USE THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE!

Mostly, I believe this happens because it’s easier (less risk) to acquire knowledge than to integrate, translate, articulate and put it into practice in a meaningful way. We are afraid of failing, of not getting it right, of not fully understanding and we like to be COMFORTABLE. Learning is comfortable (for the most part 😉 Putting yourself out there and testing your knowledge is less comfortable.

I know this is not true for everyone, but it is largely true even if we don’t want to admit it.

The other possibility is that we feel like to be of value we have to know a lot. Come on! How many of you believe that? I do! But I also know it’s not true!

The problem with that that learning more DOESN’T equate to knowing more or being better. It mostly just leads to information fatigue, a lot of wasted paper, and a maxed out credit card.

I promise you, you will be MORE SATISFIED if you spend time becoming masterful at a few things and spending more time figuring out how to effectively apply those things and working on YOURSELF (self-care and self-practice) so that you can always be at your best.

4. Cultivate community.

This one is actually so simple and yet many of us find it incredibly difficult especially if we don’t teach in a studio with other teachers or come from a small town OR find ourselves isolated for whatever reason. BUT it is SO IMPORTANT!

We all need support. We need personal and professional support. We need to know we are not alone. We need to have a place to ask questions, be a part of exciting and creative solutions, learn and explore. We need to be guided and be guides to others.

Whether it’s a physical in-person community or a virtual community I encourage you to find a place to connect with other teachers on a REGULAR BASIS.

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Ask a question. Start a conversation. Contribute an insight. Make yourself known and heard and be a support and ear for others.

Withholding yourself from the community is in and of itself an act of selfishness on your part 🙂 And GENEROSITY is a fundamental key to success and fulfillment!

5. And finally…Be Generous!

Generosity takes many, many forms AND it is – as I said above – a foundation for fulfillment and success, both financial and otherwise. Here are they ways I encourage you to practice GENEROSITY:

Give back to yourself with self-care and self-practice. Time off. Rejuvenating food. Frequent breaks. Creative endeavors. Anything luxurious.
Keep an open mind and open heart in business. Always speak and act from a place of wishing others success and joy.
Share your knowledge, experience, insights, tips, tricks and strategies with others. If you are invested in the success of others, success will more easily come to you.
Believe and trust that there is enough to go around and that YOU have something UNIQUE to offer – just like everyone else.
Never believe you “own” your clients. Encourage them to learn from other teachers, to work with other teachers and to OWN THEIR PRACTICE with or without you. Remember it’s not about you it’s about THEM!
Give back to your community! Donate your time, your services, your money, your space to causes greater than yourself on a REGULAR basis!

Generosity begets generosity.

And that’s it! Ha! Simple, right?! It’s one of those easier said than done kind of things, but you can do it! And when you do these 5 things on a regular basis you WILL experience your teaching career in and out of the studio as being TOTALLY KICK-ASS!

With love and gratitude,
Chantill

Join me for one of two FREE Happy Hour presentations for Pilates Teachers

Friday, August 14th 6:30 – 8 pm @ Humani Pilates – 2020 I Street, Sacramento &

Friday, August 28th 5:30-7 pm @ Pilates with Anne – 35 Petaluma Blvd. N, Petaluma

Five Steps to Creating a KICK-ASS Teaching Life In & Out of the Studio!

 

How ENGAGED are you in your teaching, in your work, in your life?

If your answer is that you don’t know or you’re not sure, then I invite you to explore what is absolutely possible and within your reach:

To be a FULLY ENGAGED teacher and person who is able to create and sustain a balanced life, financial success, and personal fulfillment through teaching!

Come and enjoy an adult beverage and nosh, mingling and stimulating conversation with local teachers and find out more about a new, unique opportunity to get in-depth support and mentoring right here in Sacramento.

Chantill will not only share 5 steps to creating a kick-ass teaching life in and out of the
studio, but introduce you to her company Skillful Teaching and the one-of-a-kind 12-month
Mentoring Program designed to fill ALL THE BLANK spaces teachers are left to fill on their own
once they are out in the professional world.

Here are the questions teachers who participate in the Mentoring Program are getting answers to:

• How do I actually make money without working ALL the time?!
• How do I plan and progress my students so they are challenged and engaged for the long run?
• How do I find my niche and position myself or my business in a way that sets me apart?
• How do I teach an awesome multi-level class while keeping people safe?
• How do I hire and train teachers to work for me and KEEP THEM?
• Should I have independent contractors or employees?
• What’s the most effective way to do a first session intake?
• What’s my vision for my business and how do I market myself and/or my studio?
• How do I support my staff?
• How do I support my students and keep them motivated?
• What are the best ways to get students to do their homework?
• How do I retain my clients and keep revenue flowing during the slow times?
• How do I move to the next phase in my career or teaching?
• I’m bored and/or burnt out, what comes next?
• How do I start a teacher training program in my studio?