As the title says, I have a big and unruly alpha class. This is my first year teaching, and this is the first class I've had a really hard time with. I have 12kids in the class. Half of them are almost passing, and half of them should probably still be in pre-alpha. The class as a whole is not very attentive. A small group of the lower level kids won't do the skills unless I'm one on one with them, and if I'm not watching, they pick on each other constantly. The higher level kids tend to get bored and start skating carelessly. I feel like it's chaos on ice. How do you all cope with big classes where the skill level is drastically different???

Have you discussed this with the school coordinator/director?

That's a big class to handle with what is really a three-level gap. It should be split into two groups or a helper should be assigned to supervise the lower-level students in your group.

You also need to lay down the law about paying attention, being nice and working independently. That's a different sort of lesson that kids need to learn and you can teach them.

Another thought: buddy the student up so each student is working with someone else. That should help keep them on track.

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Definitely ask for a helper! Most rinks have qualified teenage skaters who would love to assist with group classes, but who aren't yet old enough or high enough level wise to do so on their own. There's nothing wrong with asking for a little help, especially considering the level differences. Don't think that you're skating director will think you incompetent. Any good skating director will recognize that you're overwhelmed and have assistants on stand-by to lend you a hand. I've taught classes that have had this kind of ability gap, which sucks because you can't focus on helping one kid learn to march while teaching others backward swizzles, for example. Younger helpers are great for beginners and can work with them in a more one-on-one atmosphere or in smaller groups.

I've been teaching about 7 years and I've dealt with classes like the ones you've described. As a coach, it's not only frustrating to have to try to teach and maintain some kind of order, but it's embarassing to appear as if you can't manage a bunch of little kids and unfair to yourself to have to discipline these kids when you really should be teaching. Yes, coaching does involve instilling a little discipline in your skaters, but I don't think it should be to the degree you've mentioned.

One thing I've found that helps is to lay down the rules on day one. It's probably a little late for this now, but for your next session, I'd inform your class of what you expect on their first day. For instance, everyone stands quietly at the boards while instructions are given; no free skating until designated class times (if you have this); you will be given respect as the coach, etc.

Also, don't use threats unless you're going to follow through with them. Kids will easily realize what they can get away with if you threaten to kick them off the ice or put them in the penalty box until they can behave and then don't, such claims will have no effect and you'll get nowhere fast.

Anyway, good luck. It stinks when you have a group of kids behaving so outrageously and (oftentimes) parents watching who can't seem to see that their kid is misbehaving. Group lessons are not a babysitter, and I think that if some parents realized that (and also told their children how they expect them to behave), teaching these larger groups would be a little easier.

You might recommend that some of the kids who belong in pre-alpha be moved to a pre-alpha class, esp if there is a smaller one going on at the same time. I assume someone passed these kids to alpha and probably should not have. Find out your program's policy for passing kids. Some rinks don't want pros to pass kids who do not deserve to pass. However, some rinks have the pro hand out badges on the ice on the last day of class and if a kid does not get one s/he cries and throws a fit. This puts the coach in a bad situation.

I second the helper suggestion if you cannot move kids to a more appropriate level.

If you can, talk to the parents too. Let them know your concerns. Be polite and professional.

Kay

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Until you get a helper or some of the kids moved to other classes, you can try putting the more advanced kids on a circle and the real beginners inside the circle. Keep the circle kids moving around with half swizzles or practicing two foot turns on the circle. Make sure they all understand that passing the skater ahead is done to the outside. Have the ones in the middle follow you in a smaller circle marching, dipping, gliding, stopping, hopping, etc.

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Thanks for the advice!

I asked for a helper a few weeks ago when I saw that 5 kids were transferred into my class, but the skating director didn't put anyone else on the class. Now, a couple of parents complained, so I'm getting a helper for the rest of the session. The good news is that no one complained about me as a coach. They all complained that the class was just too big for one coach. I just wish something was done before people started complaining.

Unfortunately, I can't move any of the kids down to Pre-Alpha. They are all at the passing standard for the rink. To pass pre-alpha, kids only need to do 3 swizzles in a row (forward and backward) and do 1 foot glides on each foot for three seconds (doesn't have to be very consistent). Unfortunately, this does not prepare them very well for crossovers in alpha.

I think I'll try splitting the kids up into high and low level groups next week since I'll have an assistant to watch over one while I work with the other.

The skating director also told me that I can put kids in timeout if they are being consistently disruptive to the class. I hate to do it, but I bet it would make the kids take me more seriously when I tell them they need to behave. No one else at my rink does this, so I wasn't sure if it was allowed.

I'll let you all know how it goes; next class is on Thursday.

Glad you have help on the way. I thought of you today because the other Beginner coach was out, so I had to cover all 20 kids in one class! I did have two (or three?) really good assistants, so we managed.

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I had a similar group of Pre-Alphas a few years back. Glad to hear you're getting a helper!

One thing I sometimes do with groups where we have "listening issues" is write each child's name on the ice in magic marker. When I'm giving directions and I want them listening and standing still, I tell them both feet need to be on their name. (It helps with learning/remembering names, too, especially if it's a big class). Even if the group is manageable, sometimes there are two or three kids who need to be separated from each other- I'm sure we've all experienced this - and when you write out the names you can make sure they're not together.

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Class went really well last Thursday. I can't take much credit though, because only half of the kids showed up and it was pretty much all of the well-behaved kids. One of the lower level girls was there, and she had actually improved. I couldn't figure out why she was so much better all of a sudden, until one of the other coaches told me that she just started private lessons. What a difference a little extra practice and individual attention makes!