People often ask me how I started teaching yoga to children in school and it was a mixture of being in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people (
Sparkle Yoga Therapy), some good luck and little bit of hard work.
So I thought I'd write something to point some of you in the school direction, if that's where you're thinking of going.
Choosing a Children's Yoga Teacher course,
research and ask for recommendations. There are lots different options and courses available, face to face, online or a mixture of the two. You may wish to go down the franchise direction, especially if you're brand new to this. It may seem like the safer option, with the promise to help you get your business off the ground and offering ongoing support, but it can also be the most expensive option, there's the initial cost and the franchise fee, and there are often (not always) limits to the style you teach and the area you teach in. Ask questions, check out the websites, look at the classes they have available and ask how many successful franchisees they have.
If you prefer you can set up on your own and if I can do it, anyone can :) This offers you more freedom to teach the way you'd like to and there are then no restrictions on the areas you can cover. If you're worried about setting up and ongoing support and it isn't offered by your course tutor or course mates, there are lots of online communities that can offer it, join them and start asking questions, it's free!
If you are setting up on your own, one of the biggest upfront costs, after training, is equipment, think mats. This year I've replaced my mats, after 3 years of picky hands and wear and tear. Don't spend a fortune, I've found anything thicker than 4mm is a blank canvas for little hands, to be picked, poked and scratched to within an inch of it's life... which itself can cause a safety issue, so let's move on to risk assessments. You can write your own or use an online template, if you're a member of a yoga organisation they might provide them for you.
Approaching Schools - This is the hardest bit, especially if you're like me and allergic to mithering. Research who you think would be the best staff member to approach, maybe the school have a specific person who deals with well-being, it might be the pastoral lead, or the medical assistant, it could even be the head of PE, then address your correspondence to them. If you have the wrong person, you'll probably be directed to the correct person in the end... And please don't worry if you don't get a response, schools are busy places, your email may have gone unnoticed, or they could already have a yoga teacher, wouldn't that be amazing!
Must Haves - If you are going to be on your own at any point with the children you are going to need an enhanced DBS. You can't apply for one yourself, so speak to your course tutor, if they don't provide them, they may suggest an umbrella company. If all that fails, speak to your school or nursery to see if they could apply on your behalf.
I'm putting insurance in the Must Haves, although you're probably not going to harm anyone by teaching them yoga, it's good to know your students are covered in the very unlikely event that something goes wrong.
Maybes - Not all settings will 'need' you to have the following but it's always good to be prepared.
Safeguarding Training - mine is with the
NSPCC,
they offer a range of different options to suit almost everyone. There are other providers, research and ask for recommendations.
First Aid - part of the requirements of my membership with the
British Wheel of Yoga
is to keep an up-to-date First Aid certificate, they often organise first aid days for members and non-members.
That's the paperwork covered, next up - specialist training courses and diversity... Happy teaching :)
