Big or Small

[silatman]

Just got to thinking what peoples feelings are on class or school sizes. My club is very small (4 - 8 people) but filled with committed guys who are close in grades. This gives us one on one tuition and doesn't allow any bad habbits to start but doesnt give us the benefit of training with people of varying size and skills. I have often thought of trying to find a bigger school to get these benefits but I'm afraid the big schools might just be robot factories.

What do you reckon big or small?

 

[searcher]

I guess it depends more on the instructor. Some can handle larger groups while others would struggle. On the other side of the coin ask your instructor if from the financial side if he would like more students. If he would ever want to make it a full time business he would almost surely have to expand his operation and class size. I, myself, like the challenge of teaching a large group of students. But I do make it clear that if they need more help that I or one of my assistant instructors will be more than willing to give some one on one. I have taught both small and large classes with my preferance already being stated.

 

[silatman]

I had not really thought about the instructors point of view I guess I was only talking about size from a students perpective as I've got a long road before I get to the other side of the fence. :asian:

 

[Franc0]

Silatman, you've brought up a good point that has devided a certain element when it comes to quality verses quantity when it comes to the types of training offered at some schools/dojos/kwoons/dojangs/studios etc.
The quality, IMO, can be easily downsized when it comes to having to deal with a large group. To me, this is because attention to the individuals progression is lost to a sea of robotic following when it comes to specific applications. In other words, when you have a dozen or more students to attend to in an hour and a half session, the majority of practitioners are left to following the movements of the more advanced students (usually those ranked at the head of the group) as opposed to having a small group where the instructor has the time to attend to each student individually. When it comes to some styles, this can work. In other styles, this can be a detriment, in that only the students that have a better natural ability will progress, while those that don't have the natural attributes to advance, are simply overlooked as individuals that just "don't have what it takes". Of course I'm expecting to be contradicted in this view, especially by the more TMA stylists view, I'm saying that a more basic "cookie cutter' type of training can handle the larger classes, at least when it comes to beginner training. But when it comes to the more advanced practitioners, it's better to have the smaller groups (6 to 8 students) to help adhere to the quality control of what you're teaching.

Franco

 

[Sam]

we have an especially large school (at least I think it is) about 250 students and 11 instructors. Some classes are large and some are small - it just depends on the day. The most I've ever seen in one class is 21, we really cant have more than 25 people, there just isn't room. I don't think quality is compromised at all - the students help each other out, and the instructor obviously corrects mistakes that he sees - but then again we don't learn our new material in group classes usually - that's saved for the private lessons.

 

[Sin]

What my school does is has a class where everyone is there, and there are other classes that are narrowed down to a few, being belt rank or age

 

[searcher]

What my school does is has a class where everyone is there, and there are other classes that are narrowed down to a few, being belt rank or age

Do you have a large number of students in your school? If so how does is work with time of the day? What I am saying is that most people work until 3:30 to 5:30 in the evening. Then they go home and pack up for class. Then they go to class. This surely limits the number of seperate classes that can be taught in the evening. To compensate for this does yur instructor give classes in the morning or afternoon? Is your instructor a full-time instructor or does he have a day job? if he has a day job does he go straight from work to the school for classes?

Please help me out as I am not a full-time instructor and I only have a certain number of hours in my day. Insight into how he/she does it would be helpful to me.

I hope this goes along with the original topic of this post.

 

[arnisador]

Where I train in town, morning classes are small--I get focused attention--but night classes are large--I get to work with a variety of partners. It's perfect! In general, I enjoy a large class but know that a small one is probably better for me.

 

[dscott]

I train with a very small group. There are 4 of us plus the instructor. Sometimes it's just me. I like it because you get the 1 on 1 attention even when there are other students in the room. The good thing is that the skill varies. There's one guy who's been training for about 3 years, I've been training for about 1 1/2 years and then two new guys that started about 3 months ago. Sometimes me and the other guy help out (which is great because we learn that way as well). Sometimes I wish it had a more "school" feel to it but I'm glad it's the way it is.

 

[ginshun]

Both the schools I go to are small. It seems to make sense to me that smaller class sizes leads to more individual attention from the instructor which leads to better training. My taijutsu school averages 4-6 students plus the instructor at any given class and my aikido school averages a few more, probably like 8-10 plus the instructor.

 

[Sin]

Do you have a large number of students in your school? If so how does is work with time of the day? What I am saying is that most people work until 3:30 to 5:30 in the evening. Then they go home and pack up for class. Then they go to class. This surely limits the number of seperate classes that can be taught in the evening. To compensate for this does yur instructor give classes in the morning or afternoon? Is your instructor a full-time instructor or does he have a day job? if he has a day job does he go straight from work to the school for classes?

Please help me out as I am not a full-time instructor and I only have a certain number of hours in my day. Insight into how he/she does it would be helpful to me.

I hope this goes along with the original topic of this post.

Sorry it took me so long to respond....

For the summer we have started morning classes...and when he wants to have a special class he asks what time is good for everyone...for example..
Regualar class times are from 6pm-8pm on tue thurs and sat, morning classes have not been completly formed yet some times are unsure, I know that we will be starting at 6 or 7 am 3 times a week, I myself will be teaching that class, my instructor will pop in from time to time, but that will be my class to teach...somewhat of a proxy to my sensei. Special classes at the request of senseim are on days that there are no evening classes.
now I am going to start working at UPS in July from 12am-4am so I can teach morning class with ease, my sensei can teach evening clases and check on me from time to time cause he works right down the street from the Dojo and his hours are spaced out due to the fact he is a massage theripist at a chiroprators office. So our scheduling revolves around both our schedules, and it seems to work for everyone.

I hope this answers some of your questions :asian:

 

[searcher]

I hope this answers some of your questions :asian:

Thanks for the info. It sounds like you and your instructor have a good setup for teaching.