First time Leading a class... alone

[ShotoJon]

A week from now my Sensei wont be able to come to class. she was debating simply cancelling class that day. then tonight she approached me and asked if i could lead the class in her place. this will be my first time going leading class without Sensei Linda there or any other black belts for that matter. Wish me luck

 

[Cyriacus]

*Wishes You Luck, then goes to Eat a Piece of Cheese.*

*Clears Throat*
Best of Luck!
And try to Pre-Plan. Winging it seems like a Good Idea, until you Attempt it

 

[Monroe]

Good Luck! If you have enough beginners, we won't know the difference. :bangahead:

 

[jks9199]

You'll do fine. Your instructor wouldn't leave the class in your hands unless you could handle it. I kind of expect that they'll leave you with a lesson plan (I would if leaving the class in the hands of a senior underbelt)... but if not, use it as a chance to review and practice basics. Don't try to teach or correct yet, more than the most basic and urgent stuff. Just run through drills and kata. Everyone always needs more time on the basics.

 

[Buka]

You'll be fine. Just have fun and everyone else will, too.

 

[geezer]

Stick to the basics and be nice. Man, I used to hate it back in the old days when the Si-hing would fill in. He was always so much tougher than our Si-fu. Looking back, I really think he was just a little insecure and made up for it by taking on the role of "drill sargent".

 

[James HKD]

Just be strong and confident. I think teching 5 year olds for the first time was worse for me than adults. It was like the newest huge roller coaster. Waiting to get on is scary. Getting on the cart and securing yourself in is scary. Finally taking off is awful. But once you get moving and your on the tracks, smooth sailing (unless you hate coasters which would make that a horrible metaphor ). And yeah, theres nothing wrong with covering the basics.

 

[stickarts]

Good luck! a great learning opportunity for you!!

 

[SuperFLY]

It's scary but you soon get into the swing of it. as said above, try to have a lesson planned out so you know what you want to achieve. also helps you keep it interesting rather than doing the same thing for 'too' long.

I haven't led a class, I'm not even black belt yet, but I'm often asked to lead the warm-up by our sensei. First couple of times I stuck 100% to our usual warm-up, started forgetting parts that I wouldn't have normally and generally got a bit muddled. A bit nervous and not confident to try anything else. Now, I've got no problem doing it and I'll even mix it up and do something completely different just to keep the class on their toes

good luck! you'll feel great after

 

[Nomad]

Write a lesson plan! This will let you keep the class focused. You might consider having a theme running through the class (eg. stances), then work the theme from a few different angles. Stick to basics, and don't try to get too fancy; there's a time and place for that, and your first solo class isn't it.

If you're not feeling confident, fake it (no, really... this actually works and projected confidence turns into real confidence over time... just don't ever BS them.)

Oh yeah, and have fun! It's contagious, and if you're obviously enjoying yourself, most of the students likely will too.

 

[Champ-Pain]

It'll be fun, you'll see. Don't try to make too much out of it - don't push things, just go with the flow. Good Luck & Enjoy

 

[seasoned]

It is different looking at the class, then to be in the class. As stated, have a plan and stick to it. If you answer questions, don't get side tract, but get back on plan again. You will do awesome.............

 

[OKenpo942]

Good luck! You will do great. It is an honor that your Sensei asked you to lead the class. She obviously has a lot of confidence in your ability to do this.

 

[wingchun100]

A long time ago I was left in charge of class one night per week. I would run people through a warm-up, then forms, then a self-defense application. The problem was I would let the self-defense part get ridiculously complicated. If I had it to do now, I would be MUCH more "back to basics."

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

The first time I ran a class, my first thought looking out at the class was, "It sure looks different from here."

 

[sfs982000]

Your sensei has faith in your ability to lead or she wouldn't have approached you. To piggy-back on some of the other posts I would try to focus on the basic, but also try to have some fun with it if you can.