I have an observation: sometimes students just need to hear the same thing in different words from a different person for the message to get through.

Last night, I was delayed by traffic, making me almost 20 minutes late for my group class. The instructor that started my class for me worked on three turns with the students. They could execute a 3turn, but there was no control or flow. I've had these skaters since September and they're now working on Basic 5/6 elements. Still, every week we did 3turns and it was holding them back. I was ecstatic to find that they were doing beautiful three turns when I arrived.

I could see that the biggest change was their posture and arm check. One of my students said "Is it okay if I kind of use the front of my blade. Just for an instant! Just while I'm actually DOING the turn?" (Yes, of course.) The other told me that it's easier when she bends her skating knee before and after the turn.

I guess my instructions of "Arms up, hug the circle, stand up straight, but bend your knee, come up to turn, bend your knee again" weren't cutting it with these kids. I'll have to start working on new keywords for teaching these - my usual banter is getting old and they've stopped listening. Or maybe I should be late whenever they're struggling and things aren't working. LOL

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At our club, we get a different teacher once in a while for a session by definition. I like it, because each of them has their own focus. The girl who teaches us on sunday likes to really make us sweat, doing jumps and spins one after the other. Another one focuses on moves, spirals, and then just lets everybody practice their jumps and spins and watches for mistakes to fix. Another two usually coach our nationals-competing girls at the same time on the ice (we don't have as empty sessions as you americans seem to have... We rarely have under 50 people on the ice, and some of those are girls&boys doing nationals and international competitions). When the group has ballet on ice from the ballet teacher or something, they coach us. Technically, they're very good. They also know how to kick my 'hiney to get me to work real hard.

I really like the change. Especially because every teacher has a different way of doing things really, explaining things. I had the greatest difficulties keeping the landings on pretty much all my jumps. Mireille told me to do salchow-loop, toeloop-loop, flip-loop etc. Suddenly, my landings got fine. Even if I left out the loops at the end. Just thinking about doing them did it already.
She's also gotten me to land my loop in like 10 minutes, and jump through on my flip (at first, I jumped forward). I don't know, something about the way she explains just clicks with me.
Elly just yelled at me at some point to get my butt on the circle and do a sit spin of 10 revolutions. I was like yeah right. Then I did like 8, when before I never could do over 1 or 2 revolutions... She's gotten me to spin on the camel too. Mainly because she yells. Which is why she's more popular with the older skaters than with the really young ones I guess.

This is exactly why our coaches like us to go to camps and have lessons with other people when we're on them. My coach says, rudely, "You need all the lessons you can get!" but he likes it when I come and report back to him that I found so-and-so's way of describing this or that helpful.

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Mrs Redboots
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