Mon morning I had an appointment to see a BODYCOMBAT trainee in his clearance class. Honestly I did not put much expectation in the trainee coz the last time he team taught with me 2 weeks ago, he had a very big issue with timing. And I was very honest with him, and I told him that he would really need to work on the timing if he were to stand any chance of clearing.
Spoke with his mentor as well and she also said the same thing about his track presentations. So today I was sort of expecting at best, an average presentation in the class. However, 2 weeks' of hard work sure did wonders for this guy. He taught a very energetic class!
The morning ladies in IOI Mall were certainly pleased with him and I was excited as well. Halfway passed the class, I text his mentor that if he continued his form, he will surely cleared the assessment.
Sure, there were a few spots where he lost the beat, but somehow he managed to get back on the beat without losing control of the class. And at the end of the class, after the feedback time, I gave him the good news.
I think the happiest person to hear the news of his clearance(besides him) is probably his mentor, because if I had a trainee under me who excels, I would be too. And based of the SMS between us, I can feel her joy and pride in seeing this new trainee succeed.
To think about it, when I first started teaching, the greatest joy was definitely being able to stand in front of the members and teach one heck of a class. Seeing another instructor teaching an awesome class would spur me to try to outdo the instructor, in a positive manner. Then, something happened: I became the headteacher.
Suddenly the focus was shifted. Instead of thinking of myself and my ego, I began to think about the whole team. When launch time, it's no longer about showcasing my ability. If the members prefer certain insturctors, then that's what they'll get. I will be equally happy to teach in a smaller clubs, as long as I get to contribute to the experience of the members.
Even in huge events like our annual Miracle charity event, there were times that I consciously chose to step aside and let the other instructors teach the tracks. As long as the launch was successful, it doesn't matter whether I teach or not. The team is more important than any individual instructor.
But today, after exchanging SMSes with the trainee's mentor, it just dawned upon me why the great pleasure for any instructor should be the success/grooming of another new instructor. As instructors, the joy of teaching an awesome class lasts only 1 class, even for a new release. After that, it's gone and you'll have to start all over again with another class. But when you successfully groomed a new instructor, the joy lasts so much longer... Seeing the person when he/she first started, how insecure and lost on stage teaching a track for the very first time.... till the day he/she can finally conduct the class alone.
Yup, nothing beats grooming new instructors!
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