Q: I just started teaching at a studio and the manager is getting complaints about my classes. What are ways I can uphold the way I learned to teach without compromising, or is it not possible?
This is a tricky question. On one hand, without knowing exactly what the negative feedback is or being in your classes I can’t comment on the experience your students are having.
On the other hand, the question of staying true to your form of yoga or style of teaching vs. pleasing your students is one that teachers grapple with constantly.
Teaching is Your Job
First and foremost, you must remember that when you come into a studio as a freelance teacher, you are not only working for yourself, but you are in someone else’s “house” so to speak. Different studios have different rules and expectations so I would urge all teachers to have a very clear conversation with the manager of a given space before deciding to teach somewhere.
As with so many things in life, it all boils down to communication.
If you are an Ashtanga teacher walking into a Kundalini studio, chances are the clientele of that space isn’t going to appreciate your approach in the same way a Mysore based studio would.
At times the lack of a clear vision on the part of the studio manager/ owner may be to blame if they haven’t expressed the style of class clearly to their community. Other times the problem lies with teachers who disregard the name and description of a class and students leave feeling they didn’t get what they paid for.
As a freelance teacher, consider the people who show up to your classes and try to teach to the people in front of you, not according to your own ideal.
You Can’t Please Everyone
From another perspective, if you are teaching according to the description of the class and in a safe and mindful manner, remember that not everyone is going to love the style of yoga you do. Your personality may rub someone the wrong way even if you are a kind and loving person. Yoga is a personal experience and you have no way of knowing what your students expectations may be or what kind of day they are having.
Sadly, most people in our culture don’t give positive praise as freely as they give negative feedback. I have had plenty of people complain about the style of yoga I teach, or send an angry email to the studio when I wouldn’t let them do handstand kicks into the wall while the rest of the room was in savasana.
To be honest, I don’t think about those comments much anymore. I have accepted that although I will always work hard to grow and develop as a teacher, I can’t please everyone.
At the end of the day, the more energy you give to students that aren’t the right fit, the less energy you have for the amazing students who arrive open and ready to collaborate with you class after class.
Be Proactive About Feedback
When it comes to modifying your teaching based on negative feedback there are a few things you should do.
1. Sit down with the studio manager and discuss anything that may be constructive for you to hear or that they have heard from multiple people (especially studio regulars).
If one person says they don’t like the sequence you taught in a particular class, fair enough. You may have had an off day or your class simply isn’t a good fit. A good studio manager will be proactive and suggest a different class more suited to that student.
If however, several people say your sequences are generally disjointed, hard to follow or that you forgot 5 postures between the first and second side, this is constructive feedback. You can take this, work with a mentor or another teacher and become a better teacher because of it.
2. Consider attendance.
If you are getting a lot of negative feedback chances are the numbers in your classes are dwindling. The studio manager will address this with you when things get bad, but if you want to be a true professional, be proactive and ask to speak about some of the changes you can make in order to grow the class.
So often I have seen amazing teachers give up a class in utter defeat without experimenting with the timing or class description. Your Power Flow at 9:30pm may not inspire students to attend the same way a Gentle Good Night class could in that same time slot.
Do you have to compromise when you are are teaching at a studio?
Yes. Sometimes you do (unless you own the space and can pay to keep the lights on).
Do you have to teach in spaces that don’t appreciate you, your talent or your methods?
No way. If you are being asked to teach something that isn’t in your wheel house or feel there are unrealistic expectations being set, find a new place to teach.
Do you agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments below.