Winging It

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Thelonious Monk

When a great jazz musician plays a solo it looks like the most spontaneous thing in the world. But as a musician I know that the relaxed spontaneity and command of the material that make for great music are the result of many hours of meticulous practice and preparation. I can't think of a single situation involving getting up in front of a group of people, whether to speak, teach or perform, when it's appropriate to do so without preparation and, in most cases, rehearsal. 

In teaching yoga and aikido I've learned that I teach best when I'm prepared. Like anyone, I hear that inner voice that tries to talk me out of planning: "Oh, you've done this for years, you know your stuff. You're not like all those other people." That particular inner voice is mistaken. 

If a yoga instructor, for example, is ill-prepared, instead of a class when students can be attentive to their own transformation, students are forced to focus on the instructor as she or he gets confused, backtracks and loses focus. 

"But," says the inner voice, "what if I prepare for an intermediate-level class, and a bunch of beginners show up? Or what if I develop a class for a big group and only five people are in class?" If this is a big likelihood, then prepare a backup plan! But in many cases, even if do have to improvise a little, your preparation still pays off. Every time you prepare a class you add to your "data bank" of possible improvisations. Not just the ideas you used, but the ones you considered and rejected are somewhere stored in your memory. When you're looking for a few ideas for beginners, if you've prepared, they'll be there. If you've never prepared, when you go to the bank, it will be empty!

The teachers I revere the most not only do a great deal of planning, but they record their classes and study them to find out how they can improve. If you are really dedicated to becoming a better instructor, you'll find there's nothing quite so instructive, (painful, but instructive,) as "playback." 

If you want to become a better instructor, prepare for your classes. If you care about your students and respect their time, prepare for your classes.


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