8 strategies to help avoid BURNOUT as a pole & aerial instructor
Instructors listen up!
Yes teaching pole and aerial can be fun, but it is still WORK. I cannot tell you how many amazing instructors and students I’ve seen lost to this industry because they started teaching too soon, cut their journeys short, got burnt out, had a preventable injury, got taken advantage of or treated bad by students and studio owners, and just lost their passion. So let’s learn from those unfortunate experiences and situations.
I’m sharing 8 strategies to help avoid BURNOUT as a pole & aerial instructor.
1. Take Time Off: It’s important that you have mental and physical rest days so that you can tend to your needs and reset. Remember, if you’re not at your best for YOU, then you won’t be able to be your best for your students.
2. Maintain Your Personal Practice: Don’t cut your journey short, and never stop being a student. Schedule time for you to take classes, jam with other instructors and practice your craft. Your ability to keep growing will have a trickle down effect and make a positive impact on your teaching.
3. Set Boundaries: Put boundaries in place to protect your time and energy when it comes to your students and studio. (Yes, its’s 100% OKAY) And be sure to stick to and enforce those boundaries. If you don’t respect them, no one else will.
4. Don’t Work For Free: It’s okay to lend a helping hand and be a team player, but if you’re taking on what would be a paid roll (social media, administrative, studio/equipment maintenance, photography, etc.) then make sure you’re being compensated for your time, energy expertise and efforts.
5. Revisit Curriculum: Don’t try to reinvent the wheel every week. Revisit choreography, combos and tricks. Find new and creative ways to present the material and challenge your students to keep it fresh.
6. Teach What You Know: Avoid teaching things that you haven’t mastered or worked on. Make sure that you are comfortable with all aspects of explaining, breaking down, teaching, spotting, progressing and regressing a move before you introduce it to your class.
7. Get Support: Everyone needs a coach, even coaches. Find a mentor that can help you troubleshoot teaching, command a classroom, and enhance your instruction. Talk to your studio owner(s) and fellow instructors for support, encouragement and solutions.
8. Know When To Leave: Not every teaching position is a good fit and sometimes you may even outgrow a teaching position. It’s 100% OKAY to advocate for yourself and remove yourself from toxic situations. Know when a studio, environment, culture or people no longer align with you.
If you’re not doing these things or if you’re dealing with uncomfortable, unfair, unethical situations then maybe it’s time to reevaluate your teaching environment.
Found these helpful? Share with someone who needs to hear these. Got a story to share? DM me at and I’ll be happy to address it constructively for you! Need a teaching mentor? Book a coaching for coaches sesh with me.
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