Behaviour Patterns

Understanding Behaviour Patterns Across the Year:
A Guide for Kids Yoga Teachers

One topic that comes up time and time again, with those who I mentor and kids yoga teachers in my community,is behaviour.

Many kids yoga teachers find managing behaviour one of the trickiest parts of the job—especially if they’re new to working with children, or have experience in very different settings. That makes absolute sense!

Teaching yoga to children requires a unique kind of relationship—one that blends playfulness with boundaries and calm with energy (not easy to navigate at all!).

Since starting my work with children in 1997 (yes, really that long ago!), I’ve noticed certain times of year where behaviour can feel a bit more… crunchy. These are the moments when things can wobble—not because you're doing anything wrong—but because that’s just how children ebb and flow through their year.
Let’s explore these “crunch points”.

Crunch Points: When Behaviour Might Be More Challenging

1. The Start of a Term or Class SeriesWhether it’s a brand-new school year, term, or just the first in a series of classes, the beginning always has its own flavour.

Some children might test the waters,  thinking:
"Who are you?"
"What can I get away with?"

Others might hang back and observe before revealing their full selves in lesson two or three. This is a natural part of how children adjust to new spaces and people.
The first three sessions are crucial. They’re your chance to establish clear, kind boundaries and communicate what you're about—what you welcome and what you don’t.

Even with groups I’ve been teaching for a long time, that post-holiday amnesia is real. Children will test the boundaries again—and that’s okay. It’s not personal, it’s developmental.

2. The End of a Term

By the end of term, everyone’s running low on energy—children and adults alike.
This is especially true of the autumn/winter term here in the UK. It tends to be the longest stretch of the year, and by December, children are often tired, dysregulated, and ready for a break. (Aren’t we all?)
The summer term can be equally tricky. Children know a big change is coming—holidays, new year groups, new teachers—and this uncertainty often shows up as restlessness or “behaviour.”

3. Any Kind of Disruption or Change

Children thrive on routine and predictability. So anything that shakes up their world—even if it's not in your class—can impact how they show up.
Some common triggers:

• A new teacher or teaching assistant
• Absences or changes at school
• Disruptions in home life or routines
• Changes in your own class structure, timing, or venue
  
  
  

Even if you're teaching a lovely community class far away from their school day, these changes ripple through and show up on the mat.

4. Windy Days and Full Moons (Yes, Really!)

I know it might sound bonkers, but over the years, I’ve consistently noticed that behaviour is more challenging during full moons and on windy days. And when both happen together? It’s like the children are rolling downhill at top speed—excitable, energetic, and a little bit wild.
Anyone else noticed this? I'd love to know if it resonates with you too!


Top Tips for Navigating Crunch Points

🌟 1. Knowledge is Power
Anticipate the wobblier weeks in your termly planning. I like to mark out the start and end of terms, then plan for a bit of extra flexibility and energy in those lessons.
If you’d like help with planning, I’ve created a free planning resource to support you with long-term, medium-term and short-term planning—you can find it here.

💛 2. Be Compassionate
Children aren’t choosing to be disruptive. Behaviour is communication, and it’s their way of showing how regulated (or not) they’re feeling.
They’re responding to their environment in the only way they know how.
So meet them with kindness—even when it’s hard—and don’t forget to be compassionate with yourself too. You’re human. It’s okay to feel tired or irritated. What matters is how you respond—not that you never feel those things.

🤝 3. Seek Support
You’re not alone. If you’re finding things tough, reach out.
You can join my free Facebook group School Yoga Teachers or consider joining my mentoring or online training programmes. Sometimes a chat, or a fresh perspective is all it takes to feel back on track.


Want More Support with Behaviour?
🌈 Free Behaviour Video Playlist – Packed with practical tips
📜 Rules Poster & Guide – How I approach class agreements
🎓 Tame the Crowd Without Being Loud – This self-paced e- course, is packed with neuroscience, psychology, and practical strategies (currently just £35 until 1st June, when it’ll increase to £47 to reflect all the new additions!)

If you’ve got a behaviour-related question that isn’t answered in the course, just send it over—I’ll answer it and even add it in for others to benefit too.


Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Do full moons and windy days affect your classes too?
Have you noticed these crunch points?

Leave a comment or drop me an email at [email protected]. I always love hearing from you.

Julia x