Teaching as a kid

[Kieran-Lilith]

Okay, random update. I was asked (forcibly volunteered actually) to teach a group of kids their second kata. Oh boy. These kids were, for the most part, ages 6-8. Most of them couldn't tell left from right. So that was the first lesson. Then came footwork. Then came the kata. And...I discovered that two of them didn't know forward leaning stance. Ugh. Then I had one little boy who kept singing the Star Wars theme song and dancing/bouncing. Can't figure out for the life of me why, but he stopped after he had to do push-ups. But overall, it went much better than the last time. Thank you all for your advice.

[Sabumnim]

Be confident

If you are chosen to instruct lower grades your sensei has confidence in you.

If you know what you are teaching you shouldn't have a problem, apart from maybe a few know-it-all's. Just make them do push ups.

[Sam]

lol - star wars theme....

I always find teaching kids of that age a little challenging , and im old enough not to have an age problem when i teach....i thnik generally that's wehre you need the whole "patience is a virtue" thing going on otherwise you might go mental.

[Kieran-Lilith]

It's a pity I'm not good with patience, then....but Star Wars? In the dojo? And dancing? I still can't believe it. But, on the bright side, I got out of having to teach again by somehow getting sucked into a group that was learning the kata I'm on. Yes! Score! No teaching the midgety brats! Sorry, but a lot of them really are little demon children. I think half of them are there because their parents said so, not because they want to be, so it makes it very hard to teach when I have to. But Star Wars?

[Sam]

yeah i hate it when parents use the doj o/ang as a drop centre for day care.

But then again - sometimes they're there when their parents are forcing them to to learn some discipline - so if their parents are making them go you might assume you can be stricter with them as thats part of why parents send kids to MAs

[Atalanta071]

Yes I remember when Kieran had to teach those midgets. I wasn't paying attention, I was either learning Nikyu kata (which I should have learned ages ago) or Penan Shodan. I know one of these days Sensei won't pair me up with someone to teach, so i might as well start reading your advice.

But the Star Wars theme song complete with dance... Man, I wish the thought to watch him hit me. That would have been amusing.

[Georgia]

Trust me, singing Star Wars is the least they can do. I'm 16 and I've been teaching for the past three years. I have no troubles with the adults, they look up to me, seeing as I'm the highest ranking student in our dojo (kind of sad really). The kids on the other hand can be monsters if they want to. I've heard them talking about guns, video games, toys, school, anything to avoid paying attention. There's this one kid who questions everything I do, saying, why can't we do it this way? I useually awnser that it's not the way we do it, and that people much more highly skilled than us made it that way, but he just replies that he does it that way in HIS style of karate (which is completely made up from his own imagination) Anyhow, I feel your pain.

[Sabumnim]

I'm also 16

I always think it must be weird for adults having to call me sir or Mr. Never had any trouble from students, I have sparred the adults plus they've seen me in competition and kids have seen me in demo and during class.

It seems the adults respect my ability and cos the kids know I'm on the England team, I tell them what we do in squad training and threaten them with it lol.

Mind you with kids, when they see a black belt they pay attention... mostly

[Sam]

Yeah - but you dont always get people hwo respect ability - they only look at age.

[parkerlineage]

I always think it must be weird for adults having to call me sir or Mr.

Me, too! I always tell adults not to call me that, but they insist on doing it!

Going back into my little corner, now...

Parkerlineage