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Many kids yoga teachers use free trials or taster classes in their marketing plan to get more work in nurseries or schools or to get more children in their clubs. But how do we make sure that this doesn’t feel like we are giving our services away for free and not being valued? There are many reasons it can be great to give freebies or trial classes in our business, such as:
What freebies could look like in a kids yoga business: Clubs and workshops
Schools and nurseries
As great as free offerings can be, I think there are some things to consider… Don’t compare to others Don’t offer because you think you should or because you have seen other kids yoga teachers offering the same, what works in one person’s business doesn’t necessarily work for you- it might not work for them either!! Make sure what you are doing feels right for you. How does this offer fit into your over- arching marketing strategy? Why are you offering it? To get more people to come to classes? To raise visibility? To launch a specific offer? To build relationships? What are your boundaries around the offer? When you know why you are offering this ‘freebie’, you might want to think about: Who are you offering it to? Everyone? Specific schools or in specific areas? Specific clubs or all of them? How long are you going to offer it for? Is this something that you will always do, or are you just doing it until you have a certain number of people in your club? Remember, this is your business and you get to decide and make the rules based on what works for you. Be clear in your own mind about what you are offering, it can be useful to think about: What are you happy to offer and what are you not happy to offer? What is included and what isn’t? When are you offering it? Are there specific times of year that you will offer it? Check in with your emotions Sometimes when we offer a freebie we can be asked for more. This might look like a school asking for two free classes when you have offered one, or someone asking for a freebie at a time that you aren’t offering it. It depends on how you feel, whether you would agree or not. You might feel positive about it and be happy to extend your offer. Or you might not, either is ok! Remember, this is YOUR BUSINESS- you get to do what works for you. Never do anything that you are unhappy about. If you are getting a negative feeling about what you have been asked to do then don’t do it! A freebie should feel like a gift, something you are happy to give, not something you are resentful about and if it begins to feel that way then say no! A question that I love to meditate on when I’m asked to do something is: “Does this feel heavy or light?” You don’t need to give an immediate answer. Take some time to check in with your body about how this feels. What next… So, you’ve given a freebie, hopefully with some reason in mind. Now what? Are you just going to leave it there? Hopefully not! Think about your reason for giving a freebie and what steps you might take afterwards. It can be useful to map this out before offering the freebie. Some action steps you might take:
Review regularly It is important that we regularly review what we are doing in our businesses, to check that it still aligns with who we are and how we want to show up in the world. You might like to consider: Does what once worked for you still work? Have your opinions changed? Do you want to add to your marketing strategy? I tend to do this each season, having a ‘pause point’ where I reflect on what I am offering and whether it still works for me. I’d love to know your thoughts on this topic. Do you give freebies in your business? Would you like to but are not sure where to start? 👩🏻💻If you would like to work with me to talk through anything in your yoga business, you can book directly here. 🎁Get the free feedback form here Or email me at [email protected]
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Do you teach in schools? Perhaps you would like to? In this blog I will be writing about how as yoga teachers, we can foster a greater feeling of community with the schools that we work with. I think that it's important that we do feel like part of the community when we're working in a school. I love feeling like part of the furniture, part of the team. It can make us feel good and it is also far more likely that our contract with the school will be renewed. Being part of the community is also really good for the children too, because it gives them a more cohesive view. It means that all of the people who are delivering lessons to them, are giving similar messages, which helps them feel safe and stable. The staff at the school are also likely to feel more comfortable to join in with your lessons if they see you as ‘one of the team’. Here are my top tips for, building a greater feeling of community in the schools that you work with. Use Names! Using people's correct names is really important to me. I usually recommend having name cards for the children that you teach, so that you can use their names. Over time, you may even remember some names. This is also an important safety point, if you have name cards for the children, then you can more easily get individual pupil’s attention if they are doing something that is unsafe. When you use children’s name within your classes, the children are much more likely to feel really seen, by you. Learning the names of the staff is important too. Getting to know, the teacher's first names and also their surnames is so useful. Especially when you're in the hall and somebody asks “oh, have you seen Mrs. so-and-so?” - you can actually answer the question rather than just smiling and saying I don't know! (has this happened to you too, or just me!) You can find out people's names by just looking on the school website. Usually, most schools have pictures of staff on a ‘who’s who?’ or ‘meet the staff’ page, or you can ask the children, the names of their teachers. People who work in schools usually aren't great at introducing themselves, schools tend to just be really busy places and staff just go from one thing to the next! But if you do take the time, learning people’s names is a really powerful way of just feeling more connected and, and feeling like a greater part of the community. Know the school's vision, values and ethos The school's website usually shares the schools values and ethos, perhaps as a mission statement. You may also see this on any emails or letters. Some schools also display artwork or words that represent the school values. Just take notice of what those words are because, when you know the school's values, then you can embody them within your lessons. If one of the values was perseverance, for example, and you saw that a child was demonstrating this in your lesson, you'd be able to say, “oh, wow, you really persevered, well done, that is one of our values at ….. school” small things like this make a big difference and it will be noticed by the staff. Reward systems Using the school's, positive reward system is another way really good way of fitting in with the schools expectations. Schools may give house points, class points, dojo points…. Each school is different and finding out what the school you are in uses and aligning yourself with that can help both you (for behaviour management) and the school (consistency is key). Not all schools are happy with this though, so ensure that you have a conversation with the school about preferences. Also, it may not feel ‘right’ to you to be using these reward systems, so explore what feels right for you and your style. ‘We’ ‘Us’ ‘Our School’ Another way of fostering community, is with the language that you're using. Using the words ‘we’ and ‘at our school’ helps to embed yourself within the school. When you come into a school, you are part of their community. You are acting under the umbrella of that particular school. Yes, you're an outsider coming in, but if you talking as if you are part of it, helps children to feel safe with you because they will feel that you are part of their world. Stay Informed Keeping in the loop of what is going on at a school is another great way of feeling like part of the community. Be aware of if they have got any special days that they're running, or topics that are being taught, or any trips that the children are going on, or any residential visits. So you can weave this into your classes and also conversations with the children and staff. You can stay informed by reading the school's weekly newsletter, reading displays around the school, or follow social media accounts for the school. You can also share the schools social media posts on your page or tag them in your posts. Be Generous Another way to be part of a school community is to support them in fundraising activities. Schools often have events such as Christmas or summer fairs. You could support them by giving them some vouchers, or other gift for a raffle prize, for example. You might even deliver a little session at one of their events, or offer to volunteer, if that's something that you feel comfortable with. This is a great way of feeling like part of the community, and it's rewarding for you as well. If you offer other services, such as community classes, adult classes or workshops, you could ask if you can reach out to parents and to share with them information about these services. Gifting a discount to parents and staff is a great way of getting more people at your events and giving value to the school community. If you're reading this on the day that it's been released (24th of September), you still have six days to sign up to Cerys Keneally’s free challenge to help you get into more schools. Sign up here to join the challenge If you've got any questions that you'd like me to answer, please do feel free to email me, [email protected] 🎥To watch the video, click here
To mat or not to mat!? I’ve received lots of questions about mat use in my kids yoga classes in schools, questions like: Do you use mats in schools? What type of mats do you use in schools? Are yoga mats even necessary in schools? How do you transport your mats around to different schools? So in answer to these questions… BIG FAT YES TO MATS!! Ideally, I think that it is best to use yoga mats in your classes with kids in schools. Giving children their own space to move is safer for everyone and also exciting for the children. When the hall is set up with all of the mats it is inviting for the children and they can more easily remember your rules, expectations and what the lesson will entail. Children move around A LOT! Giving them their own space and own boundary helps them feel safe and be safe. It also means that it is easier for you as the teacher to manage behaviour and communicate effectively. The mats I use are these ones. The initial outlay is expensive but I have found these mats to last really well (none of these ones have been picked at which can’t be said for my other cheaper mats that have since been relegated to outdoor use!). I use these bags to transport my full size mats (which I use for ages 7 and up), I can get 11 mats in each bag. When I am teaching children younger than 7 I use half sized mats (mats that I have cut in half) these are the bags that I use for my half sized mats. I can fit 16 half mats in each of these bags. To help protect my back, I use a flatbed trolley and straps to hold the bags in place, here is the trolley I use. Another question I have been asked is: Do I insist on children wearing PE kits in my lessons? This is a tricky one as schools have their own policies around wearing appropriate clothing for PE and some do not allow children to wear school uniform while exercising in PE. I have a rule in my own classes that if the children are comfortable and happy, then I am also comfortable. I ensure that the children are safe (requesting removal of ties or other clothing that may be a danger) but I don’t mind what the children are wearing. I will also communicate this to staff, as I would rather have children joining in and experiencing the lesson, than sitting at the side. I’ve also been asked: Do children wear shoes and socks in my classes? If I’m teaching indoors and the floor is safe, I always ask for shoes to be taken off. We are using mats anyway, so it is easy for the children to understand that we take shoes off to keep the mats clean. I also share with the children how being barefoot is easier for balances. I tend to give the children the option themselves about whether they keep socks on or remove them. Young children especially can find it a challenge to get their socks back on their feet after the class. Obviously, if the children keep their socks on, there may well be other safety implications when travelling around the space, especially if it has a slippy floor. If you are reading this blog on the 17th of September 2024 (when it is being published), you may like to join the live that is taking place in the Facebook group School Yoga Teachers at noon (UK time) today. I will be live with Cerys Kenneally and we will both be there to answer any questions that you may have about teaching yoga in schools or getting into the schools or nurseries. If you would like to work in more schools and nurseries, check out Cerys’s free challenge which will be launching on the 30th of September, you can join it here. If you have any questions for me, email me at [email protected] |
From Julia
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October 2024
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