Things I do in the last 10 minutes before I teach

Lately I’ve been attempting to systemise everything in my business to make it (and myself) more efficient.  Last week I participated in Rachel Holmes’ webinar, which focused on time management (for those of you who don’t know, Rachel is an amazing and inspiring fitness entrepreneur.  Check out choreographytogo.com for more information).  Since then, I have managed to file my paperwork more effectively, re-started my ideas list and have began creating systems for everything, including my teaching practice.  So the list below is part of that new process of becoming more efficient and consistent.

Things I do in the last 10 minutes before I teach.

• Set up my sound system and do a sound check – this saves me time during the class as I then don’t have to keep changing the volume once I’m teaching.  Also my sound system occasionally plays up so I like to double check everything’s working!
• Check the space for hazards. Sometimes chairs or tables need putting away or sports equipment tidying up.
• Clean / brush the floor, especially if it’s straight after lunch time.  There’s often some mushy peas, raisins, random sticky substance on the floor! And I always check for spillages and wipe them up.  The dinnertime staff in primary schools have to work to a very tight schedule and there’s often a very quick turnaround between dinner time finishing and my dance class starting.
• Check all props are prepared and in the right place.  I ensure it’s all set out and ready to go so that I can keep flow and pace to my session.
• Once I’m happy that everything is ready to go, I spend 2-3 minutes preparing my body and mind for the session.  This normally involves some yoga, such as a few sun salutations or warrior poses.  It’s great to have the quiet and calmness before the session to ensure I feel ready to teach.  I actually find I’m a much more focused teacher during the session if I get chance to stretch and deep breath first – it clears the clutter from my mind and helps me to be more in the moment (rather than racing ahead to all the other activities in my lesson plan in my head).  I notice more of what the children are giving back to me and I feel more engaged with the content of the session.

There are also a few things I try to avoid before I start teaching…

• Drinking a cup of tea!  I’m really sensitive to caffeine these days.  If I have a normal cuppa before I teach, I’ll talk extremely quickly!!!
• Arriving late.  There’s nothing worse than feeling flustered and unprepared.

What systems or little rituals do you have to ensure you’re ready for your teaching?