The First Ten Minutes of Class
The first ten minutes sets the tone for the entirety of the class. Whether goals of the class include an upbeat rhythm designed to do a calorie burn, or involve serious focus to get its participants ready for the next upcoming test, the first ten minutes are crucial to setting the expectations and establishing the line of communication.
As such, if the person tasked with the first ten minutes of class is not the class instructor, then it is imperative the instructor is on the same page with the class instructor.
The first ten minutes of class has several key and vital components. First up, of course, is a warm-up and stretch routine to make sure everyone is physically capable of handling whatever the class entails. This should last about five minutes or so.
During these first five minutes, it is crucial that the tone of the these warm-ups are in line with the theme of the class. For instance, if the goal was to have an energy/calorie burn style of class, then a very upbeat rhythmic beginning to the class will get all the participants in the right mindset. However, if the main goal of the class is more serious than that, then the tone and the small corrections of the warm-ups should go parallel with that thought process.
After the basic warm-ups are performed, the next five minutes of the class should prep the class for what the remainder of the class is going to be. So, if you’re going with a calorie/energy burn type of scenario, then it is important to get the class moving. Whether this includes line drills, moving across the floor rapidly, or stationary drills involving kicks and slight movements, it is important to get the class in the mindset that they're going to be in for a good workout. Perhaps add some breathing drills into the mix. All of this added with an upbeat, rhythmic tone to get used to the mentality that we’re going to be doing things over and over again perhaps in a fun way, but definitely in extremely repetitive fashion.
If there is more than one person giving the instructions for the opening ten minutes of class, the handoffs between instructors is vital in keeping the tone of the class succinct with what the class instructor desires. Hand-offs that include a quick high five and an exciting exchange is fantastic if you want an energy burn in the class, but not going to set up the ideal mood for a focused, curriculum-detail orientated class.
If a detail orientated class is what’s in mind, then the more traditional bowing procedures when the instructors hand off to each other will help set the tone for the fact that we are this class is going to include lots of details and everyone should really stay focused on this.
Bear in mind, just because a class is energetic doesn’t mean a lot of good corrections cannot be accomplished during a class. Reversely, a class that is focused on detail doesn’t mean that people don’t have fun. What is important, is that participants of the class have a crystal clear mentality of what is going to be included in the class so that they set the right mindset.
Remember, students come to a class because they want to learn and get better. They want to get stronger and they are fully prepared to listen to the instructor, as long as the instructor communicates in a way that is understandable to them. If the course of the class changes its direction too many times it can get very confusing. The first ten minutes of a class, when done correctly, allows for a very smooth, educational, beneficial and a very fun overall class, which keeps everyone excited and wanting more!