Diverse Student Population

So as the semester comes to a close, I can honestly say I have gained a great deal more than just a new exercise routine.  Pilates has actually become part of my daily routine.  I feel like I need the deep breathing, relaxation and stretching each morning and each evening.  Though I have not yet returned to the full 45 routine in the DVD, I just use some of the poses each day based on how much time I have that day.  Since the DVD remains at my parents’ house, I still have not returned to using that at all.  I will occasionally look at the book, but it is more for new ideas than as a guide book.

I saw so many applications of this experience to my teaching.  When I look back at my writing, I remember how unsure I was and how much effort I put into “doing it right”  Now I am more than a beginner and am able to focus on other skills. Now I have the basic foundation on which to build.  This reminds me so much of what I must do for my students.  I must first create that comfortable, inviting environment, then provide and gradually remove scaffolds, then allow for independent practice and extension.  What a great learning experience!

So as the semester comes to a close, I can honestly say I have gained a great deal more than just a new exercise routine.  Pilates has actually become part of my daily routine.  I feel like I need the deep breathing, relaxation and stretching each morning and each evening.  Though I have not yet returned to the full 45 routine in the DVD, I just use some of the poses each day based on how much time I have that day.  Since the DVD remains at my parents’ house, I still have not returned to using that at all.  I will occasionally look at the book, but it is more for new ideas than as a guide book.

I saw so many applications of this experience to my teaching.  When I look back at my writing, I remember how unsure I was and how much effort I put into “doing it right”  Now I am more than a beginner and am able to focus on other skills. Now I have the basic foundation on which to build.  This reminds me so much of what I must do for my students.  I must first create that comfortable, inviting environment, then provide and gradually remove scaffolds, then allow for independent practice and extension.  What a great learning experience!

As only I could have asked for in this experience, I got to be the teacher! Though I will not be signing up to teach Pilates classes anytime soon, I did feel proficient enough to teach my sister.  She came to visit this weekend and we tried out some Pilates poses together.  Actually, it started when she saw me doing “the roll up” and (in true little sister fashion) she had to do it too! So I showed her a few of the poses that I knew.  I will not lie, I had to look back in my book some to be able to explain them properly.  She needed to know exactly how and I could only show her at times, but she needed to see it for herself or read the book’s directions.  It really was  the picture perfect “teachable moment” both for me and my sister.

At first I was a little unsure of my own Pilates plan, but it worked out well.  I started with “the hundred” and closed with the relaxing breathing  as my DVD did.  But other than that I didn’t really follow the progression.  what I found though was that I remembered more and more as I went along! As I was doing one pose, it would remind me of the other.  I was able to fill about 45 minutes, the general time frame of the DVD, with my own Pilates activities- even without looking in the book.  I felt like I knew the poses and felt comfortable doing them.  Much different than I felt back in February!

Now I am without my DVD.  I took it home to my parents house and left it there.  So I am completely without one of my scaffolds, though I still have my book. I will have to devise my own plan for progressing, I guess? I’ll see how it goes!

I have noticed that the book and the DVD have the same progression.  They both start with an activity called, “the hundred” (which actually looks really funny and the breathing associated with it does too) and then close with a full body resting and relaxation pose.  Right now, I am able to watch the DVD and complete the activities, but also modify them with ones from the book.  I am also really starting to enjoy it! I no longer am so concentrated on figuring out WHAT to do and HOW  to do it! I can actually enjoy the relaxation that is intended.  I don’t have to watch every second of the DVD because I have grown accustomed to the progression of the poses and the poses themselves.  I can recognize them by name now! I also can skip through the DVD and do only the portion that I like!

I have gone back to the book.  I have completed the DVD ample times now and am exploring the book for more.  I found similar stretches and poses to the ones listed- some of them have different names, but they are generally the same.  There are also more modification than those shown on the DVD.  I did not notice this before, but the book gives recommendations for beginners, intermediate and advanced Pilates “students”( as they say).  What I am also finding out is that the book and the DVD have varying levels.  Some of the stretches listed as beginner in the book were the basic or general stretch  on the DVD.  So, this made me feel a little better about my first attempt at Pilates- the book actually was harder!

Has you ever heard of “sit bones”? The instructor on the DVD refers to a part of your body as your “sit bones”- it seems very strange to me.  All of the other terminology she has used has seem familiar, but also foreign in that I do not use it very often.  For example, she uses words to refer to your different muscles and body parts, like triceps, abdomen and hamstrings.  I know these words, meanings, etc, but really don’t use them on a daily basis.  But I have never heard of sit bones… so guess what I used??? Context clues! She was sitting and the pose involved sitting- I know that this must be somehow related! However, in all honesty, I think she was just referring to your behind!

So I am feeling more accustomed to the Pilates stretches and poses now. I am also feeling a little bit sore!  There are parts of the DVD with which I am more confident-so I am using most of the recommended poses, just a few scaled-down modifications needed.  Some of the modifications are necessary simply because I am just not as flexible as some of the stretches require…but some of the modifications (or scaffolds) I just no longer need.  I understand the poses now.  I don’t need a modified version.  I know I mentioned it before, but this is really bringing to light the use of scaffolding in the classroom.  I am my own example- gradually building strength, familiarity and confidence and taking away the scaffolds!  I even have a new goal! I want to be able to to the advanced poses!

The DVD is definitely the way to go.  There is one main woman who guides the instruction.  However, there are also two other women doing modifications of the basic exercise.  One women is doing a toned-down version, for beginners and those unable to do the basic stretches.  The other woman is doing an enhanced version of the stretches, for advance and proficient viewers.  It was really great to have these two modifications.  In general, I was able to follow the basic stretching, but at times I needed to have the basic stretch toned-down or made less complex.  I was able to do this by following the other woman!  I had a scaffold!  I did not feel like I needed to turn the DVD off or give up on this new undertaking simply because I had a scaffold! I did not anticipate this activity having so many classroom implications, but it really does!