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Articles
“ A student said
something so insulting to me today that I seriously
considered pitching the wireless microphone into the
pool, running into the locker room, and never returning
to the aquatic activities that I love so much.”
Cathy Rotch, Aquatic
Instructor, Virginia Beach, VA
Fitness
instructors do their best to educate and motivate,
hoping to make a difference and wanting to be liked.
Unfortunately, performing in the spotlight can
sometimes be an invitation to unkind comments and even
outright cruelty.
At best, encounters with mean students are
shrugged off and provide entertaining stories for
friends and peers.
At their worst, personal attacks can cut deep
into the heart and undermine an instructor’s joy for
teaching.
Following is a collection of stories from the
battlefield, dedicated to all instructors who have stood
tall in the face of mean students, those little darlings
who specialize in sucking the wind out of your sails and
erasing the smile from your face.
SUBBING:
AN INVITATION TO DOOM.
There is nothing more dreaded than subbing a
class, especially if the students are rabidly devoted to
their instructor/guru.
Occasionally, one of the devotees starts trouble,
which is exactly what happened to Donna Reynolds, an
aquatic instructor in Syracuse, NY.
About 20 minutes into class, one of the cultists
started loudly complaining, making it clear that she was
not happy. Stunned,
Reynolds asked the class what their regular instructor
did? Based
on their reply, she abandoned her program in favor of a
simpler free-style approach.
At this point, the lead heckler and two others
started making fun of her. “They were mocking my counts, and saying if this program
was so great, how come it didn’t work for me, that
kind of thing, “ says Reynolds.
Valiantly finishing out the hour, Reynolds
approached the woman and said she was sorry she didn’t
like the class. Not
done spewing her venom, the mean student replied, “I
didn’t have ANY fun at all!
If you want to make it in THIS club, you had
better step it up.”
Yikes! Thankfully,
some of the henchwoman’s classmates waited around to
tell Reynolds how sorry they were and that they
appreciated her tenacity.
Some assaults are pre-emptive in nature and occur
before class starts. Upon arriving to sub a class, Cathy Rotch, an aquatic
instructor in Virginia Beach, VA, was asked the
whereabouts of the regular instructor.
After being told, the mean student snarled,
“Ugghh. I
wouldn’t have come if I had known that!”
Taken aback, Rotch politely asked the student if
she had done anything to offend her?
Without blinking, the little darling replied,
“No. It’s
just that I have observed that you are not as good as
the other instructors.
Your timing is awkward and you model poorly.
I GUESS I’ll see if you have improved any.”
As nausea churned into stomach acid, Rotch says
she petitioned a silent prayer and somehow made it
through the class.
Naturally, The Destroyer left early.
The other students thanked her for a good
workout, but Rotch wonders if the good comments are
enough to outweigh the wrath of The Destroyer? Can a Destroyer be neutralized before demolishing an
instructor’s psyche?
When subbing, Cindy Patterson, an aquatic
instructor and presenter, in Fairfax, VA, comes prepared
with a stock speech.
“I go in with a ‘bad news/good news/bad
news’ message to warm-up a potentially hostile
crowd,” says Patterson. “First I tell them the bad
news that their instructor couldn’t make it.
Then I tell them the good news that there will
still be class. Then
I offer bad news, by asking if anyone would like to
volunteer to teach, and of course no one does.
So then, I tell them that I will teach for them
JUST THIS ONCE, but since no one else volunteered to do
so, I expect ‘not a peep’ out of them!”
The speech delivered by Patterson is an example
of taking control.
Over the years, seasoned instructors simply learn
from experience. Personally,
I have found that the less I try to solicit approval,
the better! Some
people dislike my teaching style and choose an early
exit. Fine.
I used to suffer SEVERE rejection issues when
people walked out of my classes, but now I consider it a
badge of honor. I
am the expert and I come prepared to deliver a
well-planned routine, sticking to it despite the
occasional unhappy student who goes out of their way to
pout and roll their eyes.
My favorite is when the malcontent student starts
whispering to others around them, hoping to instigate a
mutiny. Invariably,
the other students move away, forcing the floating nag
to swim off into silent exile.
TRYING NEW THINGS – BEWARE THE
TRADITIONALISTS!
After taking an aquatic kickboxing workshop,
Teresa Ruckdeschel, an aquatic instructor in Syracuse,
NY, was eager to try out some new moves.
While debuting her kickboxing creations, one of
the students jogged up to the front and said very loudly,
“Teresa!!! If
you took a bungee jumping workshop, does that mean we
would have to bungee jump too???” Fortunately, Ruckdeschel replied back with a humorous comment
about wanting to try bungee jumping, thus defusing the
situation.
Humor can be your best defense in class.
Without doubt, I believe that my sarcastic wit
and fun-loving spirit act like a shield in keeping the
witches & warlocks at bay. Students can smell fear
and hesitation and are more likely to pounce if they
perceive an easy target.
Humor promotes an aura of confidence and ease.
OLD HABITS DIE HARD!
After obtaining her AEA certification, Betsy
Hare, an aquatic instructor in Buffalo, NY, was eager to
teach new material.
Unfortunately, the group she was teaching was
used to “old-style” instruction.
Apparently, the previous teacher had done a lot
of overhead arm movements, with the idea that it raised
the heart rate. “Fresh
from my certification, I started reminding people to
keep their arms in the water, pushing and pulling,”
says Hare. Sure
enough, one woman loudly decried Hare’s actions as
heresy. “She
was shouting that it was all a bunch of non-sense and
that I didn’t know what I was talking about,”
exclaims Hare. The
heckler quieted down when Hare calmly stated that she
had literature she could read, but that the discussion
needed to be tabled until after class.
It worked! The
offending student still attends Hare’s class,
dutifully working her arms against the water’s
resistance.
Educating our students is crucial, but that
doesn’t mean they will always like the curriculum.
I think it is important to sell the students on
the program and explain the benefits, however, I
carefully AVOID asking my students for feedback.
Students make it abundantly evident when they
don’t like something, as was the case with Hare.
If you ask, you may get more than you bargained
for!
If you want feedback, provide your students with
a survey or evaluation form.
This is a much more appropriate way to find out
your student’s likes and dislikes, and if a mean
student is going to scourge you, at least it won’t be
in public!
MUSICAL
MAYHEM.
Musical choice and volume control can often lead
to incendiary outbursts.
While playing some show tunes one day, Valerie
Trerise, an aquatic instructor in Rochester, NY, was
quite unprepared for the volatile reaction of one of her
students. “She started yelling things, but I couldn’t quite hear
her,” says Trerise.
Determined to have her say, the musically miffed
student jogged up front and yelled, “CAN YOU TURN THAT
MUSIC OFF? IT
STINKS!” Ever
so calmly, Trerise asked the other students if they
liked the music? Wide-eyed
over the tantrum, the other students nodded approval,
and Trerise sweetly stated, “I think they like it.”
Well, the SHOW went on, and yet another student
swam off into silent exile.
When it comes to music, I do a couple of things.
First of all, I select a music style that
reflects the choice of choreography, and the
demographics of the students.
Secondly, I avoid asking my students if the
volume is ok. The
volume will NEVER please everyone!
If I ask, they will have me turning it up and
down until I’m completely exasperated and want to
pitch the entire sound system into the pool!
NO ONE IS SAFE!
Yes, even sweet gals who hail from West Virginia
are vulnerable to scathing rebukes.
When reading over evaluations from IAFC 2003,
Julie See, President of the Aquatic Exercise
Association, came across a poisonous missive aimed
directly at her. It
read: “Director
Julie –very unfriendly and unapproachable.
She seemed unwilling to help or assist the
delegates – after all – it’s us who are paying
large conference fees.
Julie needs to do something about her ‘unusual
physique’ – looks terrible – she’s so male!!”
According to See, the unknown author stated
that she would NOT be attending another IAFC.
Lucky Julie!
Unfortunately,
not all instructors are that lucky.
Each class, week after week, the troops ready
themselves for the spotlight, suited in emotional Kevlar
and armed with verbal pesticide, ready to take aim at a
floating nag. No
one wants to be stung, but hopefully the sting will seem
more bearable simply knowing that you are not alone in
the battlefield.
Yes, mean students suck, but to the 99.5%
of students who make our job a joy, we salute you!
Stay Fit and Motivated!
Mark
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