Ever get really hard-to-digest feedback on an audition or just from students in your class?
They might of told you that you did not speak loud enough, or your sequence was not understandable, or maybe you did not have enough voice que’s for a certain asana. A student in your class might of looked angry, or frustrated, and after class stormed off. The next day, a text might of come through from a studio manager telling you your class needs advanced poses. And next week, when it comes time to teach, you’re terrified to even walk back in the room.
Half of the senarios I just listed happened to me in real life.
It took me a long time to realize that I had power in how I respond to feedback.
How you respond to feedback is KEY for your success and confidence in teaching. You can either let it ruin your day and career, or you can really take it for what it is, and let it build you up to be a better teacher.
To illustrate this, lets break down the above senario and see how you can get all of the juice out of each possible moment:
Speaking Loud Enough – This one is one of my personal nemesis’s. (although, if you asked my boyfriend today if I speak loud enough, he would have no problem saying yes!) When I was in teacher training this was the one piece of feedback that continuously came back to me: “Jess your not speaking loud enough, Jess we cant hear you, Jess start over and speak loud and proud.” At the time, I over-intellectualized and over-analyzed this so much, that I became so afraid of standing and even opening my mouth in front of class. “They are just going to tell me I suck,” I said to myself, “the actors in the class have had voice training – and now they will have yoga training.” I think I pondered the end to my yoga teaching career many times before I even became a certified teacher.
Looking back, I can see I WASNT LOUD BECAUSE I WAS NOT CONFIDENT IN ANYTHING I WAS SAYING. I wanted to get the words out, but I was always being paused after the third or fourth word. I wanted a chance to speak before I was told not to. So while the feedback is true, I needed to be louder so the class could hear me, but it was not a problem with me. I just needed the chance to begin before I was told to stop.
I actually got this chance on the last day of Teacher Training. We were doing our final group practice and set up in child’s pose. The lead teacher came over and patted me on the shoulder and said “Jess, your teaching this one.” TOTAL SHOCKER. I was literally shaking. But I just got up and began, this was an opportunity and an honor I could not pass up. The teachers left the room – and it was just us. I taught the hour long class and got the most amazing feedback from my fellow TT’s. So much love was in that room that no feedback could push me off the edge. And you know what, I DID GET NEGATIVE FEEDBACK THAT I WASNT LOUD ENOUGH from the teachers who WERE NOT IN THE ROOM. And I did not care, because I knew that I was loud enough and everything went perfect, they just needed something to say 
More responses to feedback coming in the next few days. Post a comment about a moment where you felt stuck because of feedback and let me help you see it differently!
