(no subject)
Jul. 3rd, 2015 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceebeegee So as I said a lot has been going on. Another really exciting thing, perhaps the most exciting thing besides our saving Sweet Briar, has been that I have been promoted to Head Coach! I didn't expect this until the fall and winter possibly next spring. This past spring they had scheduled me for quite a lot of classes--it was actually a very difficult schedule to maintain. But I suppose I was doing so and I know that I was getting very good feedback. They had observed several of my classes and gave me excellent reviews based on that. And then I taught a couple of classes at a Catholic school downtown and the class coordinator in the administration really liked me. She sent an email about me to our office, praising me and they told me that that particular school had been an on-again, off-again customer but that they'd specifically said they wanted to do classes in the fall and that they "can only hope they get Coach Clara again." Obviously this made me feel fantastic! So I think the fact that I actually created business for them is part of why I got the promotion.
It's also interesting to note that my promotion has leapfrogged over that of some other coaches. Like any company I suppose, there are some excellent coaches here and then there are some hacks. There was a coach I worked with last summer who was a nice enough guy but was very--how can I put this?--inauthentic when dealing with the kids. He just seemed very fake in his enthusiasm and as a result the kids really didn't listen to him. I actually had to teach a class with him this spring--one of the ones at the aforementioned Catholic school. The kids at that school are great kids but they're very high-energy and you definitely needed to as, I put it, blow the whistle with them. And he didn't do it--he would ineffectively cajole them and explain to them and they just ignored him. Until finally I pulled out my whistle, blew the heck out of it, and informed the kids they WOULD sit down, be quiet and listen to the coach. (Understand for this class he was the head coach, the one officially in charge, and I was the assistant.) Then when the class was over he kind of wandered off after saying goodbye and never signed out the kids which is a big no-no. I ended up running after the kids and their parents to sign them out officially, and then going up to the office and apologizing. I said to the coordinator "I don't know what happened here--it is officially his class and he was the one responsible but I apologize. And I will personally make sure for the rest of the classes that I have the kids signed out properly." I think it was the this that that got the corner later on my side and why she eventually sent the email to the office about me. Like, you just can't DO that, you can't just leave these kids, you have to make sure that they end up where they're supposed to be! As I said some of these coaches are hacks. I know that one of the other coaches who also got promoted to head coach as well--I'm not sure if they've ever observed his classes, they must have, but I've worked with him. He's a nice enough guy but he never plans his classes, he just shows up and improvises. And maybe this wouldn't be so bad (some coaches are excellent improvisors) except he tends to throw the ball at YOU, as it were. Like, I'm not going to help you plan your class, that's your job, that's why you're listed as the head coach for this class. Every class of ever worked with him, he flails around and asks if I can think of anything--well again, that's your job. It's very frustrating. I put a lot of thought into my classes, the exercises and their ages, etc. and it's annoying when I have to cover for someone who can't be bothered to put in the preparation.
Anyway so it's all been very exciting. Also exciting is that--and I may have mentioned this already--but they have opened up offices internationally. They just opened their first office in London a few months ago. They have all-company meetings before every new season, so roughly 4 times a year. And at the most recent meeting I introduced myself to the London contact and talked to him about possibly going over there to help. Especially because I know that they want to build the girl market internationally and that is something at which I could be very good.
It's also interesting to note that my promotion has leapfrogged over that of some other coaches. Like any company I suppose, there are some excellent coaches here and then there are some hacks. There was a coach I worked with last summer who was a nice enough guy but was very--how can I put this?--inauthentic when dealing with the kids. He just seemed very fake in his enthusiasm and as a result the kids really didn't listen to him. I actually had to teach a class with him this spring--one of the ones at the aforementioned Catholic school. The kids at that school are great kids but they're very high-energy and you definitely needed to as, I put it, blow the whistle with them. And he didn't do it--he would ineffectively cajole them and explain to them and they just ignored him. Until finally I pulled out my whistle, blew the heck out of it, and informed the kids they WOULD sit down, be quiet and listen to the coach. (Understand for this class he was the head coach, the one officially in charge, and I was the assistant.) Then when the class was over he kind of wandered off after saying goodbye and never signed out the kids which is a big no-no. I ended up running after the kids and their parents to sign them out officially, and then going up to the office and apologizing. I said to the coordinator "I don't know what happened here--it is officially his class and he was the one responsible but I apologize. And I will personally make sure for the rest of the classes that I have the kids signed out properly." I think it was the this that that got the corner later on my side and why she eventually sent the email to the office about me. Like, you just can't DO that, you can't just leave these kids, you have to make sure that they end up where they're supposed to be! As I said some of these coaches are hacks. I know that one of the other coaches who also got promoted to head coach as well--I'm not sure if they've ever observed his classes, they must have, but I've worked with him. He's a nice enough guy but he never plans his classes, he just shows up and improvises. And maybe this wouldn't be so bad (some coaches are excellent improvisors) except he tends to throw the ball at YOU, as it were. Like, I'm not going to help you plan your class, that's your job, that's why you're listed as the head coach for this class. Every class of ever worked with him, he flails around and asks if I can think of anything--well again, that's your job. It's very frustrating. I put a lot of thought into my classes, the exercises and their ages, etc. and it's annoying when I have to cover for someone who can't be bothered to put in the preparation.
Anyway so it's all been very exciting. Also exciting is that--and I may have mentioned this already--but they have opened up offices internationally. They just opened their first office in London a few months ago. They have all-company meetings before every new season, so roughly 4 times a year. And at the most recent meeting I introduced myself to the London contact and talked to him about possibly going over there to help. Especially because I know that they want to build the girl market internationally and that is something at which I could be very good.
