No Shows -Kids and Instructors

[KenpoTess]

I don't know how many times Seig and I have shown up to teach Kids class and nobody shows up.. No Calls.. no email.. Nada.. this is getting really ridiculous~! For the size of our kids class it's getting pretty aggravating the parents don't call if they aren't coming. (yes we've made mention and posted signs many times), Last night (labor day) we were there.. no kids showed, Same as last friday. How do we get across to the parents.. if they aren't going to be there to let us know!! We drive 20 minutes to the school each night. So curiousity has me asking you how any of you deal with this.

2ndly.. We have quite a few Assistant Instructors who are not pulling their weight.. The same ones are there helping out in kids class.. but the others.. they only show up randomly for adult class.
Anyone else have this issue? I know Seig can pull them off the floor and talk to them.. I'm just curious how other school owners deal with this issues.
Thanks

In Respect,
Tess

[GouRonin]

If they don't show they still pay right? if they don't show they don't grade right? Tell the kids if they want to grade they show. Tell the parents that they're losing out on something they are paying for.

As for the instructors. Ask them. Maybe there is a reason that they are not pulling their weight. But remember, and this may not be the case with you, usually assistant instructors are not paid. A lot of instructors forget that little point.

[jkn75]

Question 1: Unfortunatley, you can't make people show up. You can only have policies in place to prevent it, e.g. they still have to pay, can't make up the class, etc.

Also look at when you are having classes. Friday nights and holiday evenings are hard to get people to show up. Parents may have taken the kids out of town for the weekend and then when they returned were just too tired to take their kids to class.

Question 2: Some instructors do not like to teach kids. Depending on the assistant instructors rank, they may feel they have achieved all they can. Some people who achieve a black belt may not be as motivated in their martial art anymore. Additionally people have lives outside of martial arts. There may be things in their lives that are keeping them from showing up.

Having an instructors meeting and saying that they are all a valuable part of the staff and their presence is needed, helps. Sometimes that is all that is required to get instructors to show up.

Additionally, what do the assistant instructors do? Do they ever run the classes with you supervising? Do they get to come up with a lesson plan for a day or a week? Get them involved with some of these things,(of course you have the final say and ultimate responsibility that students learn the syllabus youve prepared) and this may spark more participation.

Good luck.:asian:

[KenpoTess]

Right.. they still pay.. it's not the money.. it's waking Seig up an hour early to get to kids class and waiting around twiddling our thumbs whilst he grumbles.. That's the main issue.. I use that hour to work on my forms or tecs.. :)

Nope nobody get's paid.. but they all Know the hours teaching are tallied up.. I think people are getting lazy tis all.. and unlike the old days.. Can't force them to participate.. Gee I miss those days~!*wg*
99 % of them are college students.. so they use school as their excuse.. can ya believe that~! hahaaa.. Maybe Seig and I are just in need of a break..

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by jkn75

Question 1: Unfortunatley, you can't make people show up. You can only have policies in place to prevent it, e.g. they still have to pay, can't make up the class, etc.

Also look at when you are having classes. Friday nights and holiday evenings are hard to get people to show up. Parents may have taken the kids out of town for the weekend and then when they returned were just too tired to take their kids to class.

Question 2: Some instructors do not like to teach kids. Depending on the assistant instructors rank, they may feel they have achieved all they can. Some people who achieve a black belt may not be as motivated in their martial art anymore. Additionally people have lives outside of martial arts. There may be things in their lives that are keeping them from showing up.

Having an instructors meeting and saying that they are all a valuable part of the staff and their presence is needed, helps. Sometimes that is all that is required to get instructors to show up.

Additionally, what do the assistant instructors do? Do they ever run the classes with you supervising? Do they get to come up with a lesson plan for a day or a week? Get them involved with some of these things,(of course you have the final say and ultimate responsibility that students learn the syllabus youve prepared) and this may spark more participation.

Good luck.:asian:

Good points.. Thank you.. :)
Yes we understand people have lives and that holidays & Fridays are 'off days' .. We are going to go back to the 3 days a week during the holidays coming up.. (Thanksgiving through college term break) That should help us some and give us a break too.

The Instructors meetings are a good idea.. :)
The assistant instructors each take one of the kids and teach them at the studio and at the college class (2 nights a week) they go around and assist in Techniques etc.. and are alot of help.
We follow a scheduled sllyabus so if we can't be there one of the upper belts can take over.. :)

[jkn75]

Originally posted by KenpoTess

99 % of them are college students.. so they use school as their excuse.. can ya believe that~! hahaaa..

This is the ultimate excuse. I never had a problem until I was in law school. My instructor then asked me to just come once a week. Although my schedule was tight, I was able to show up once a week.
Once a week is better than not at all.

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by jkn75



This is the ultimate excuse. I never had a problem until I was in law school. My instructor then asked me to just come once a week. Although my schedule was tight, I was able to show up once a week.
Once a week is better than not at all.

We've even offered Saturday classes to those that can't possibly make it during the week.. we did it last year for a bit.. but then only a couple showed up.. and it really took away Seig's and my only time together..

[lvwhitebir]

Here's what I do. I don't assign people to specific days, that let's people's schedule flex a little bit. Then I can close for holidays because people can make up the time.

I'm lucky, in a way. I have classes 6 days a week to allow people plenty of class days and times to choose from. Of course, on those days that people don't show up... I'm still there but I can do my own workout, paper work, cleaning, etc.

One thing I would suggest you *not* do, is bring up the point that the parent (or student) is still paying for the class. That gives them the idea that they are paying for the time they spend in the workout when in fact they are paying for the benefits of the martial arts, in and out of class. If you bring up the paying issue, they are more likely to try to deal with you to make up for the time they lost and you lose twice.

As far as assistant instructors go... I'd make it some sort of requirement or privilege to teach classes. Then if they don't make some number of classes, no-shows of course, then they don't get any more of that privilege. For example club membership of some sort (e.g., Black Belt Club). They have to understand that part of being "black belts" is making and sticking to commitments.

WhiteBirch

[Nightingale]

an idea that I've seen used:

have a sign in sheet... students must sign in, and must attend a certain number of classes before they are eligible for their next rank.


for your assistant instructors:

1. are they required to teach for their next rank, or are they simply volunteering? If they're just volunteering, you have to take what you get, I guess.

However, post the class schedule in the office a month at a time. Have them initial in the squares for the classes they are assisting with. That way you have a schedule that they have committed to, they know when they're expected to show up, and you have something to call them on if they don't show.

If you don't compensate them any other way, and they're just volunteers, if the time isn't required for their rank, what about giving them say...one free private lesson for every five hours they help you out, or something like that...

a few ideas...

[GouRonin]

While I agree that teaching is an important aspect to being a black belt I am often of the thought that it is just a way for a school to take advantage of their students and have them teach for free. Not everyone wants to teach. It doesn't make them less of a practitioner. It just means that perhaps they won't be able to pass the art on as well. But not always.

[Nightingale]

a student of the art, in my opinion, is under no obligation to pass the art on. If they take the time to learn something, it is their choice whether or not to share it.

Personally, I love teaching, but not everyone is a teacher, and not everyone should be.

[Seig]

Originally posted by GouRonin

While I agree that teaching is an important aspect to being a black belt I am often of the thought that it is just a way for a school to take advantage of their students and have them teach for free. Not everyone wants to teach. It doesn't make them less of a practitioner. It just means that perhaps they won't be able to pass the art on as well. But not always.
I have to strongly disagree with you on this one. I know not everyone wants to teach, but if you are going to really learn the art and be proficient enough to be at the black belt level, teaching is an absolute must. You don't know anything half as well as you think you do until you start trying to teach it to someone that has no clue what you are talking about. It's what helps you really develop insight and understanding to what you do.

Originally posted by nightingale8472

a student of the art, in my opinion, is under no obligation to pass the art on. If they take the time to learn something, it is their choice whether or not to share it.

Personally, I love teaching, but not everyone is a teacher, and not everyone should be.
Again, it's not about becoming a great teacher or even about really passing the art on, that's my job. It's about giving my students what I believe is an essential tool for them really understand what they are doing, not simply to regurgitate material. Let me put it in another light. Remember having to go to the black board in school? This is the same thing. Some love it, some hate it but it is an irreplacable tool for teaching and learning. I have made teaching a requirement for rank above advanced green. The ones that do not get in their hours are not invited to test until they do. Unfortunately, I have a few that when they do teach I wind up going behind them and cleaning up the mess. I have told them time and time again what they are doing is patently wrong....but I will deal with those indviduals in my own insidious time and way.

[Nightingale]

my response was to Gou's comment about black belts teaching. I think at a black belt level, people should have a choice whether or not they want to teach.

At a green or brown belt level, however, I agree with you that teaching is an important tool. It helps them better understand what they know, have some idea of what they don't know, and you an opportunity to watch them in action.

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by Seig
I have to strongly disagree with you on this one. I know not everyone wants to teach, but if you are going to really learn the art and be proficient enough to be at the black belt level, teaching is an absolute must. You don't know anything half as well as you think you do until you start trying to teach it to someone that has no clue what you are talking about. It's what helps you really develop insight and understanding to what you do.

I don't think I disagreed that teaching was not needed to understand an art. I said it was a good thing. I just said it was abused. I also think some people should NOT teach just as much as there are those who SHOULD.


Originally posted by Seig
I have told them time and time again what they are doing is patently wrong....

I would put forth that this might a problem with much of American Kenpo today. Nothing is "wrong." Just that there are things that are "More effective, effective, and least effective." It always strikes me as odd that with so many people doing AK why is it that so many people are telling everyone else they are wrong?

My 2 cents.

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by GouRonin



I would put forth that this might a problem with much of American Kenpo today. Nothing is "wrong." Just that there are things that are "More effective, effective, and least effective." It always strikes me as odd that with so many people doing AK why is it that so many people are telling everyone else they are wrong?

My 2 cents.

ahh a Teacher in college English.. grading papers on what the student interpreted from varied Poets works. Grading them as Failing. Big Red X's through the interpretations.. now that is what's occuring in our colleges today. How can one Fail in an Interpretation of Poetry? What I'm attempting to achieve here Doug, is, Once the Instructor Knows the basic material then they can modify or adapt to their hearts content. But following AK.. Each Tec is written in B/W.. If I see an Instructor teaching Delayed sword and using a backfist instead of a sword hand.. that is incorrect teaching, it's modifying the tec and turning it gray from B/W...
When I started teaching is when I started really learning.. sure I made mistakes. and was corrected, causing me to delve deeper into why I made the mistake in the first place and also challenging not to do it again. I'm not answering for Seig.. but for myself .. I understand your statement.. and not retaliating by any means.. just defining what I think Seig said by being patently wrong..

With Respect,

Tess

[GouRonin]

If you're talking about students teaching written material that you have in your curriculum not as you are teaching it then I would agree that it would be wrong.

Not to say that your written curriculum is wrong or right compared to anyone else's. I've bounced around a few places and each one of them claimed their written version was the correct one.

[KenpoTess]

Yes that's what I'm referring to.. we follow the IKKO written Curriculum and each instructor has their own copy of the tecs notebooks. If they aren't teaching it to the lower belts the way it's written, we can only then say it's 'wrong'.

Kinda off the topic .. I hear alot of the politics behind the AK Seniors scene.. On one hand.. if you take AK the way it was written by EP in that day.. it has to be modified for height differences, etc. It's evolved in many different areas and schools. When I first began Kenpo.. it was a combination of Kenpo, Jiu-Jitsu and Akido.. with emphasis on the Tracy system.
it was all good stuff.. but not True AK. So now Mountaineer Martial Arts is totally regimented in the AK System.

Diversity makes up the America's... the ability to be whom we choose to be.. Individuals ... And an AK Stylist can choose .. this is all good :)

Tess

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by KenpoTess
Yes that's what I'm referring to.. we follow the IKKO written Curriculum and each instructor has their own copy of the tecs notebooks. If they aren't teaching it to the lower belts the way it's written, we can only then say it's 'wrong'.

Then I would agree with that statement.

Curriculum really only is good for your school that you work out in or with similar schools that use the same curriculum. Once you step out the door the rest of the world uses a different yardstick.

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by GouRonin



Then I would agree with that statement.

Curriculum really only is good for your school that you work out in or with similar schools that use the same curriculum. Once you step out the door the rest of the world uses a different yardstick.

Yeppers.. isn't it great .. If everyone was the same.. how boring~!!

[Seig]

Actually, what I was referring to had nothing to do with the how a student executed a self defense technique. What I was referring to was, for example, an advanced green belt showing someone to side kick using his knee as the source and power of the kick. This occurred after I had already worked with the student and had a Brown 2 continue working with him. The along comes the advanced know it all...... With all the injuries I have sustained through the years, I am big on executing bodily movements in ways that will acheive maximum speed and power while doing minimal to no bodily injury to the executer of the movement. This requires several elements, the first being the proper foundation. When I have a student put a crack in a new foundation, that is wrong. In most instances, I pull the offender aside and explain to them why they were incirrect in doing what they did and then work with them and "their" student.

[GouRonin]

Nevermind then.
:D

[KenpoTess]

Man I wrote a litany for that.. hahaaa.. :)

[artful dodger]

I have noticed that a lot of people get up to Black Belt and then leave once they perceive their place in that martial art to be primarily that of instructing. I have seen this so many times and I even left one martial art because of it myself. I was getting closer to black belt and I started noticing how everyone who got their blackbelt stopped training and had to assist in instructing. Then I saw them stop turning up. I changed to an organisation that I knew had a lot of senior dans, courses for seniors and a lot of seniors in their class. So when I got to that stage I wouldn't start resenting any assistance I gave. You need to look after your seniors. When the kids don't turn up it might be a good time to have senior training and to encourage the seniors to turn up to that session maybe you could devote time to senior training after every kids class, even if that means cutting down on the kids time a bit.

[FUZZYJ692000]

Originally posted by artful dodger

When the kids don't turn up it might be a good time to have senior training and to encourage the seniors to turn up to that session maybe you could devote time to senior training after every kids class, even if that means cutting down on the kids time a bit.

Our kids class is right before the adult "senior" class. The thing that I think Tess and Seig are trying to do though is some how get some of the other upper belts more active in teaching. There is always the same assistant instructors that help in both the kids class and the college class. I personally like working with the kids class more than I do with the college students, they don't have swollen heads and big egos yet. Hey Tess, I do like the idea of assistant instructor meetings though. I guess I can talk to you about that on Monday.
Sincerely one of your more dependable to show up or call assistant instructor, ;)

[Stick Dummy]

Hey!

Asst. Instructors Meeting - Buy'em a pizza and let them talk before classes, after class is outta the question most nights for Seig.

Then they can try out their concepts and see if they're valid.

Goal Oriented Achiement for college students


Oftas clean my toys............

[artful dodger]

O.K, its a tricky one, and it highlights the problems all martial art schools have. Good thread as hopefully it will bring out some ideas to address the problem. But you gotta look after your seniors, I can't count the amount of times I have heard blackbelts wanting to leave and do another martial art (only to end up ion the same situation) because they don't like their new role as instructor rather than student. In saying that, at least you're left with the committed and truely intertested ones. Would social events with BBs outside the dojang help? Also use the particular talents of an assistant instructor (e.g, they are really good at self defence) and let them be IN CHARGE of that aspect of the training. Everyone wins that way and most people like teaching things they specialise in.

[Seig]

Originally posted by Stick Dummy
Buy'em a pizza and let them talk before classes

You want me to give pizza to this group? Before Class? It'd be back on my carpets chewed and half digested before the night was over. :barf: Talking before class for this bunch is not an issue

Originally posted by artful dodger
Would social events with BBs outside the dojang help?
We do a good bit of outside class socialization, at least when we can. Understand, too, that none of my students have their BB from me, yet. The closest ones have between 6 months to a year to go.

Also use the particular talents of an assistant instructor (e.g, they are really good at self defence) and let them be IN CHARGE of that aspect of the training. Everyone wins that way and most people like teaching things they specialise in.
What I am seeing here is that when I put on person in charge, unless it is Tess or myself, is jealousy rearing it's ugly head. I don't mean when they are teaching a child or an absolute beginner, but when they are teaching someone only one or two ranks below themselves.

[artful dodger]

I was imagining you had a few blackbelts floating around as assistant instructors. That's different then.

[lvwhitebir]

Originally posted by Seig


What I am seeing here is that when I put on person in charge, unless it is Tess or myself, is jealousy rearing it's ugly head. I don't mean when they are teaching a child or an absolute beginner, but when they are teaching someone only one or two ranks below themselves.

Are you saying they are jealous of you and are teaching them wrong because "they know it better?" If so, this can be a festering sore that needs to be either patched or let go or you'll have bigger problems later.

I would say that if you're giving out the rank, then you are *always* right. Not that you're infalible, but if you don't like the way something is taught, you correct it either with the instructor or with the student that learned it incorrectly. It's your responsibility in the long run to make sure the person is learning something this way for a reason.

I've had people teach something different from the head instructor (alright it was me...) and the student came back to me and said, "But sifu said...". If that's the response, then Sifu is always right and my method was the way I interpreted him/her. Granted I did it out of ignorance or misinterpretation instead of jealousy.

WhiteBirch

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by lvwhitebir



Are you saying they are jealous of you and are teaching them wrong because "they know it better?" If so, this can be a festering sore that needs to be either patched or let go or you'll have bigger problems later.

I would say that if you're giving out the rank, then you are *always* right. Not that you're infalible, but if you don't like the way something is taught, you correct it either with the instructor or with the student that learned it incorrectly. It's your responsibility in the long run to make sure the person is learning something this way for a reason.

I've had people teach something different from the head instructor (alright it was me...) and the student came back to me and said, "But sifu said...". If that's the response, then Sifu is always right and my method was the way I interpreted him/her. Granted I did it out of ignorance or misinterpretation instead of jealousy.

WhiteBirch

Seig is the head instructor and what was meant is when an assistant instructor is chosen to teach.. the lower or same level belts .. some get their feathers ruffled .
Our school is just over a year old and 90% of the students have been with us since day one.. the ones that maybe have issues with the assitant instructors are ones that have lagged behind and watching ranks bypass them.

Tess

[lvwhitebir]

Originally posted by KenpoTess



Seig is the head instructor and what was meant is when an assistant instructor is chosen to teach.. the lower or same level belts .. some get their feathers ruffled .
Our school is just over a year old and 90% of the students have been with us since day one.. the ones that maybe have issues with the assitant instructors are ones that have lagged behind and watching ranks bypass them.

Tess

If the ones that get their "feathers ruffled" are the lower ranks then I've seen it before. They think that they should *only* be learning from you, not some other "student." In a way I agree, they are paying for your instruction. Otherwise they could just pay the blue belt. But, I also agree that you have to release the reigns and let under-belts teach because it gives them a deeper understanding. Maybe you need to make sure under-belts only teach a small percentage of the classes and make sure that people understand that this is a necessary element and essentially a requirement for advancement.

Other things I've seen that work good for this is to assign a particular night or class to the under-belts to teach. That way if people don't want to learn from them they can just avoid the class. It's frustrating to people when they enjoy learning from you and want to learn from you and randomly can't because someone else is teaching.

If the ones that get ruffled are the other people that aren't chosen to teach class, then you just have to let them know why and that their turn will come. That's definitely jealousy.

WhiteBirch

[Seig]

Originally posted by lvwhitebir




If the ones that get ruffled are the other people that aren't chosen to teach class, then you just have to let them know why and that their turn will come. That's definitely jealousy.

WhiteBirch
That sums it up quite nicely. Just Monday night one of my students overheard that two of her contemporaries were selected to test. She then came up asking for details about when she should be there. I had to explain to her that she had not been invited to test as I felt she was not quite ready......

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Seig


That sums it up quite nicely. Just Monday night one of my students overheard that two of her contemporaries were selected to test. She then came up asking for details about when she should be there. I had to explain to her that she had not been invited to test as I felt she was not quite ready......

Whoa! :eek: I feel for the girl! What'd she say in response to
that?

[Seig]

Originally posted by Kirk



Whoa! :eek: I feel for the girl! What'd she say in response to
that?
Nothing to me, I think she may have "vented" to one or two of her peers though. For the past few days, Ihave been talking to all of my students to see where they feel they are at and to let them know where I feel they are at. In most cases the two opinions are very close. I asked her last night how many of her techniques she knew "cold" and she told me, I believe, 8. Now the rank she is going for has 20. Still feel? Don't get me wrong, I like the young lady and she is a valuable asset to my studio, she just is not ready for brown 3, yet. Give her another few months and she will be there.

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by KenpoTess



Yeppers.. isn't it great .. If everyone was the same.. how boring~!!

Hey, who you calling boring?:soapbox:

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Seig


Nothing to me, I think she may have "vented" to one or two of her peers though. For the past few days, Ihave been talking to all of my students to see where they feel they are at and to let them know where I feel they are at. In most cases the two opinions are very close. I asked her last night how many of her techniques she knew "cold" and she told me, I believe, 8. Now the rank she is going for has 20. Still feel? Don't get me wrong, I like the young lady and she is a valuable asset to my studio, she just is not ready for brown 3, yet. Give her another few months and she will be there.

I feel for her, because she had to face reality, and sometimes
that hurts. That's all I mean by it.

If my instructor asked me how many I knew "cold", he would've
had to expand on that. I think our definitions of it are different.

Also, just out of curiosity when you talked to all of your students,
was it a one on one deal, or in front of the class? I've never been
comfortable tooting my own horn in front of people.

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by Kirk



I feel for her, because she had to face reality, and sometimes
that hurts. That's all I mean by it.

If my instructor asked me how many I knew "cold", he would've
had to expand on that. I think our definitions of it are different.

Also, just out of curiosity when you talked to all of your students,
was it a one on one deal, or in front of the class? I've never been
comfortable tooting my own horn in front of people.

Reality does sometimes Hurt.. but hey.. uhh.. we all exist in reality.. maybe some of us don't realize that..*grins*

Since we went to the IKKO Curriculum (gee that doesn't look like it's spelled right.. oh well) we are not on the every 3 month testing schedule as we have been. Seig tests when ready. He takes the students aside privately for their one on one talks. Asks them where they want to be, where they think they are right now and then tells them what he's seeing of them.
Our class structure is :
All warm up together.. warmups led by Seig..
Then we break up into belt ranks.. and go over our material.. Seig makes his rounds continuously throughout the class .. watching and helping everyone. He rotates the upper belts around when they want a 'break' from their material so we are all integrated. Our group is a tight knit body :)
Brown belt is at the minimum a year .. we are still on the old belt system for the upper belts.. white, redstripe,(we didn't have yellow) orange, green, purple, honorary brown (not a rank .. as purple belts have a 6 month minimum requirement .. the honorary brown generally given after the first 3 months) then brown3, 2, 1 to black.. again a minimum of a year at brown belt.
The students who are purple /honorary brown normally would of all tested by Sept. but since we are implementing the test at own pace.. Some are feeling 'left out' but it's now by Invitaion only.. Seig watches all of us.. and if he invites us to test. great.. if not.. we keep working.. it's been common knowledge this is how it would work.. So if people have their own choice.. Be ready or not.. :)

Hope this gives an insite into how we work :)



Hey Ricardo.. Did I call you Boring?? Hahaaa

Tess

[Kirk]

Pretty cool. It's similar to how my school does things (minus
the belt ranks). He'll put tabs on your belt of the next color, when
you've been taught all of the material. He'll then put red tabs on
the belt when he feels you're ready to test. Then it's up to you
to show up or not at the next belt test.

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by Kirk

Pretty cool. It's similar to how my school does things (minus
the belt ranks). He'll put tabs on your belt of the next color, when
you've been taught all of the material. He'll then put red tabs on
the belt when he feels you're ready to test. Then it's up to you
to show up or not at the next belt test.

Yes it works ;) Now the new students are being put on the IKKO belt system and we start them off white, yellow, advanced yellow with tabs or tape as we use now to signify where they are in their learning. We use a poster board for the kids also, giving them stars when they know the first 5 and second 5 of the yellow belt tecs, Salutation, Kenpo Creed, Yellow belt sayings, Short 1, and so on. For each star they get a stripe on their belt. So Seig or I just can take a glance at their belts and get an idea of where they stand. Maybe we need to institute something of the sort for the adult class.. ~! Sans stars that is.. :)

We are using the advanced (Stripe through belt) for each new student achieving rank . Yellow, yellow stripe, Orange- stripe- Purple -advanced- Blue - advanced Green - advanced Brown 3, 2, 1 Black

Students know exactly what material they need to ingest before they test and without the every 3 month testing it's good and bad.. as they now are able to learn at their own pace and hopefully retain what they learn instead of cramming Everything into a 3 month study session. But the downside is, They grow complacent in their studies without a deadline. But I guess you can't have everything..

Tess

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by KenpoTess

I don't know how many times Seig and I have shown up to teach Kids class and nobody shows up.. No Calls.. no email.. Nada.. this is getting really ridiculous~! For the size of our kids class it's getting pretty aggravating the parents don't call if they aren't coming. (yes we've made mention and posted signs many times), Last night (labor day) we were there.. no kids showed, Same as last friday. How do we get across to the parents.. if they aren't going to be there to let us know!! We drive 20 minutes to the school each night. So curiousity has me asking you how any of you deal with this.

2ndly.. We have quite a few Assistant Instructors who are not pulling their weight.. The same ones are there helping out in kids class.. but the others.. they only show up randomly for adult class.
Anyone else have this issue? I know Seig can pull them off the floor and talk to them.. I'm just curious how other school owners deal with this issues.
Thanks




In Respect,
Tess

There must be some compensation (somehow) for those you are asking to help you.

To often, this is a sore point for many martial artists. They get used so much in working for others while the head man makes a profit. (not to imply that you're abusing your students)





:D

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by RCastillo



There must be some compensation (somehow) for those you are asking to help you.

To often, this is a sore point for many martial artists. They get used so much in working for others while the head man makes a profit. (not to imply that you're abusing your students)





:D

Assistant Instructor status and patches are given generally at Green belt.. with the spelled out knowledge that 150 hours of teaching is required per belt level. It's not a requisite for the student to attain rank.. that's their choice. If they choose not to assist in teaching then they forfeit. The Teaching is done when Seig or I are present. We don't put demands on the students to take over what we do. We are always there for questions etc during kids class and right out there on the floor if need be. The whole idea of lower belts teaching the beginners is to help them ( the assistants) to ingrain the tecs, forms etc. into themselves as well as teaching others.

If we had a school full of Blackbelts and demanded they teach then that's a whole different story. We are not doing that. We are only following our school criteria :)

Tess

[Seig]

Originally posted by RCastillo



Hey, who you calling boring?:soapbox:
Hark! The Bear Awakens! Here him roar!

Hey BooBoo! Where are the picanic baskets? I repeat, where are the goodies?

[Seig]

Originally posted by Kirk



I feel for her, because she had to face reality, and sometimes
that hurts. That's all I mean by it.

If my instructor asked me how many I knew "cold", he would've
had to expand on that. I think our definitions of it are different.

Also, just out of curiosity when you talked to all of your students,
was it a one on one deal, or in front of the class? I've never been
comfortable tooting my own horn in front of people.
I did that on a case by case basis. Some were very one on one and some were in front of their peers. It depended on the personality involved.

[Seig]

Originally posted by RCastillo



(not to imply that you're abusing your students)





:D
or, unfortunately, making a profit:(