The Kangoo Jumps® Adventure: Sometimes You Get What You Need

It seems that my quest to become a Kangoo Jumps® Power instructor has become more of a marathon than a quick and ambitious sprint. In the six months (oops!) since I've added to this blog, many steps have been taken but the process is not yet complete. I have not submitted a second video, and I have learned many things.

First, I learned not to expect myself to finish much of anything during the cold, gray, dreary winter where I live. I have wondered more this year if I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) than any year I remember. As soon as spring came, with more sun and warmer weather and flowers in my garden, my motivation perked up immensely.

Second, I was reminded how the universe gives me what I need when I need it. Every time I felt I would never finish this quest, someone would come up to me and tell me something encouraging that made me want to keep trying. That helped get me through the winter of my discontent.

Third, I learned a LOT about being an instructor from being allowed to practice in small ways, and from watching many instructors and analyzing how they do what they do. I learned that stamina matters, so I don't look worn out before the class ends and I am only a little out of breath while giving verbal cues. I learned that style and technique matter, because making it look effortless and fun is good but making it clean and easy for the class to copy is better; doing all of the above is the stuff of greatness. I learned that you have to know your content so thoroughly that you can cue it ahead of time and take distractions in stride (like microphones that try to fall off your head). I learned that you need to teach to both the beginners and the advanced students in the same class enough that neither quits on you. I learned that more cues are better than fewer, especially when students need the "which body part is doing what" and not just the name of the move.

Lastly, I learned that I am not a video producer. The first location I used is hard to schedule again. The second was my basement, much too small and crowded. The third was a wooden deck I was worried about breaking. The other two locations did not work for reasons of coordinating with other people. At one point I thought it might actually be easier to fly to Florida and "audition" live than to get the video done (too expensive; not an option). My current plan is to treat this more like a home video, and do a segment at a time when the opportunity appears, and then have it edited together into one file.

One thing I am clear about is that the delay in getting the video done has given me the opportunity to become a better instructor. (OMG! Is that the universe giving me what I need instead of what I want? Cue the Rolling Stones as the credits roll.)