How long is your lesson?

[Morgail]

I had an hour-long skating lesson last week. I usually take a 1/2 hour a week, but I couldn't fit in my usual 1/2 hour this week so I doubled up last week's lesson. It was wonderful. I can't believe how much more time an hour allows. Most lessons, we can only fit in Moves and then either dance or freestyle. During the hour lesson, we did all three, plus started creating a program, AND did a little off-ice. I was exhausted at the end, but it was a good exhausted feeling. So, now I really (really really) want to do hour lessons each week, but am unsure whether we can actually afford them.

I'm wondering how long your lessons are, and how much you fit into that time. I've only ever had 1/2 lessons, even when I was skating as a kid. Any suggestions for scaring some extra money out of thin air for a longer lesson would be appreciated also:lol:

[TaBalie]

Mine are 30 minutes (I take 3 per week)... I would love to have a longer lesson but my coach won't let me -- she wants me practice on my own LOL :P

[Rusty Blades]

My lessons have ranged from as short as 10 minutes to as long as two hours! Believe me when I say that 2 hours under a coaches scrutiny is INTENSE! Presently I have 2 half hour lessons per week in a total of 8.5 hours on the ice. That will probably increase as competition gets closer.

[Bill_S]

I take 30 minutes lessons twice a week. I skate about 10 hours per week, but will probably have to reduce that with some new work coming up.

In a typical lesson, we go over about three or four moves patterns, or perhaps a dance pattern and a move pattern or two. I don't ask for much jumping or spinning instruction (yet).

[doubletoe]

I generally take 1 hour of lessons per week, either three 20-minute lessons or two 30-minute lessons. Sometimes it's a 40-minute lesson if I really need to work intensively on something like fixing my jumps (like 20 minutes on the harness and 20 minutes off the harness last Friday!). But I find that lessons that go on too long can leave me forgetting some of the things we covered, which is not so good, since I take notes after each lesson and try to write down everything I learned. :roll:

[vesperholly]

Skating is one place I don't mind doing homework! :)

I alternate a 15-minute lesson and 30-minute lesson every other week. I dislike 15-minute lessons but I am so very poor... :cry:

[itfigures]

The longest lesson I've ever had must have been about 2 hours. As much as I love my coach I kept staring at the clock hoping it was time to leave. (I got preaty tired!) I used to have 2, 30 min. lessons a week and then cut it down to 1 45 min lesson a week. I usually skate from 8 to 10 hours a week. I truly wish I could skate more! I would take a private lesson in a freestyle session for 20min. including the entrance fee $56 and for 30min. it cost $66.

I say that you should go for the hour lesson! You will be able to squeek out the extra cash! It is so worth it!!

[phoenix]

I have 2 30 minute lessons. I asked my coach if we could just do one hour lesson (it's a long drive), but he said no, I wouldn't learn as much that way.

[teresa]

I take two 1/2 hour lessons a week. I used to take one 1/2 hour lesson a week, but I found as I get better I need more time to work on skills with my coach. One lesson is just for moves and the other is for spins or jumps. I tried the hour thing once, with an old coach, but I found that this wasn't the best fit for me. As for finances...only you know. =-) Maybe you could do three 15 minute lessons a week. I know many kids do this. Just an idea. Ease your way into that hour.

teresa

[Morgail]

Two-hour lessons! I admire you all...I would pass out on the ice if my lesson were that long8O My legs felt like jelly after the hour lesson.
I'm trying to rationalize the money situation. I'm working 2 hours more a week this semester than I did last semester...that *almost* pays for an hour-long lesson. But I know I won't be working at all this summer (bar exam time), so I know that I really need to save so we can pay bills come June and July.
Skating or bills...skating or bills...sigh.

[das_mondlicht]

I take 1/2 hour lesson a week. Normally, we start with moves run-through and corrections for 15 minutes. Then, one of the following: (1) 3 dance patterns w/ or w/o music, (2) dance basics plus 1 or 2 dance patterns, (3) new move details or review of test patterns, (4) freestyle (jump, spin, turns).

[flying~camel]

I usually get 1, 30 - 45 min (depends on how many people my coach has to get during the 2-hour session) freestyle lesson per week and 1 10-15 min dance lesson per week.

I usually end up skating about 2-1/2 to 3 hours per week (my darned job prevents me from skating more ;)).

I also do 1, 1-hour kick boxing class and 1, 1-hour step aerobics class per week (my coach is also my personal trainer).

[SkatingOnClouds]

15 minutes, and it isn't enough for me. I feel things are so rushed, that I don't really get something thoroughly. And sometimes we work on several things.

This year I am hoping to prepare for a test. Don't see how I can work on the figure patters as well as free skating in 15 minutes. I want to move to having 30 minute lessons, which is what I used to have 20+ years ago, and that was always about right for me back then.

[NickiT]

My lessons are 30 minutes long and I have two per week.

Nicki

[kateskate]

My lessons are 30mins. I have 2 free skating and 2 dance lessons a week. I sometimes have 45 mins if we are choreographing something and I've had an hour lesson once but I find that it is too long and I forget what we cover in the lesson.

I find 15mins too short and 45mins too long. But when I first started I had 15min lessons for about 6months before changing to 30mins.

[Mrs Redboots]

I started out with 15-minute lessons, and Husband still has 15 minutes for his solo. We have one 30-minute couples lesson each week, and I have a 30-minute solo lesson, which I probably ought, for financial reasons, to cut back to 15 minutes, but am not going to!

[Rob Dean]

Sometimes it's a 40-minute lesson if I really need to work intensively on something like fixing my jumps ... But I find that lessons that go on too long can leave me forgetting some of the things we covered, which is not so good, since I take notes after each lesson and try to write down everything I learned.

This is about where I'm at--I usually take 2 20 minute lessons and 1 40 minute lesson in a two-week cycle. I try to keep the 40 minute lesson mostly for dance, since I need the partnered time to drive in what I can't practice solo, but find that 40 minutes spent on moves tends to cover more than I can remember...The 40s do have the advantage of allowing a bit of inefficiency. With a 20 minute lesson, I need to be right on task for the whole length of it, and not try to cover more than about 3 things at most.

Rob

[sk8_4fun]

Skating is one place I don't mind doing homework! :)

I alternate a 15-minute lesson and 30-minute lesson every other week. I dislike 15-minute lessons but I am so very poor... :cry:

I hear ya, Thats exactly what I've just started doing, I can't really afford that but hey. How on earth to people afford to smoke????8O

[mintypoppet]

2 x 15mins per week - one freeskate, one dance. I'd like to up the dance to 30mins, but can't afford to :(

[Ice Dancer]

My group lesson is 30 mins. My private ones are either 15 or 30, it depends on availability. The private ones are priced by the 15 minutes so are quite flexible.

[badaxel]

I do an 45-60 minutes, depending on how late my coach is running, but, since we spend most of that time chatting and (sometimes) eating, she still charges me for a half hour.

[Petlover]

I skate 5 mornings a week, 45 minutes per morning, and have 45 minute lessons on Tuesday and Friday. One time right before a competition, I had a 1 and 1/2 hour lesson, and it was fabulous! Can't do it often though, too expensive and I have to get to work after I skate.

[Hannah]

I think mine are supposed to be 30 minutes, but my coach runs long, about 45 minutes usually. My lesson is once a week.

[Amandaskategirl]

I had 15 minute lessons for years until I started lessons with another teacher two years ago who said that she only worked in half an hour slots. I have 30 minute lessons with the teacher I currently have now too. At the time 15 mins seemed sufficient but now I am having 30 mins I don't know how 15 was ever enough.

I find that 30 minutes is generally long enough. I think that skating more times per week is more effective than skating for longer sessions, fewer times per week. Could you have an extra lesson a week instead?

[NickiT]

I think that skating more times per week is more effective than skating for longer sessions, fewer times per week. Could you have an extra lesson a week instead?

I agree with you there. I used to skate less frequently and stay on for longer. Now I try to skate 5 times and just do an hour each time. It has definitely made a difference to my progress, plus I have generally avoided the nasty falls towards the end of a long session when I've become tired. I certainly feel like I'm getting more out of my time on the ice this way.

Nicki

[Emilyics]

I have 2 30min lessons per week, then i skate 2 hours for practice the rest of the week

[Sonic]

2 x 15mins per week - one freeskate, one dance. I'd like to up the dance to 30mins, but can't afford to :(

Yup, same here.

S xxx

[lillia]

It seems like we have a very different system here in Sweden.
I train 1 hour 4 times a week. And my sister who is eleven train five times a week the same hours.
To complete the training we have "off-ice" which is like jumping on the ground and practise stamina, strenght and flexibility. We also have a one hour dancing lesson once a week.
And the off-ice and the dance is included in the mebership-fee. :yum:

[Mrs Redboots]

It seems like we have a very different system here in Sweden.
I train 1 hour 4 times a week. And my sister who is eleven train five times a week the same hours.
To complete the training we have "off-ice" which is like jumping on the ground and practise stamina, strenght and flexibility. We also have a one hour dancing lesson once a week.
And the off-ice and the dance is included in the mebership-fee. :yum:
Hi, Lillia, and welcome.

Different countries do have different systems, of course. And also it depends on how old you are and what your skating level is. At my rink, you have to pay the teachers for your ice time (unless you use the public session), as there is only one hour of club ice each week - and many of my coach's skaters use this time for a power-stroking class. Some of us older ones would like a lower-level class, as we aren't able to do what the kids can do. They are also expected to do off-ice fitness, strength, stamina and flexibility training - one of the Mums is a gymnastics teacher and she takes the kids for off-ice works in classes, and the rest of us are able to work with her privately if we wish. I do, but not as often as I'd like due to financial constraints.

I know my coach does offer some of his skaters a "packet" that includes all these things, but not all the coaches do by any manner of means.

[Ice Dancer]

Our Synchro teams do a lot of off ice training. I go to the rink on two evenings, and before both sessions there is a synchro team on and they do all sorts of bits and pieces for stamnia and the like, one time during the ice cut they were doing laps around the rink!

The way the lessons work money wise depends on whether they are group or private. Group ones you pay for 8 weeks in one go, and that price includes the lesson and then you can stay on the ice until 9:15pm. Private ones work slightly different in that you pay the entrance fee on the door (£5) and then pay the coach for the lesson, which is varying amounts for each coach.