I really and truly like teaching any age, but my favorite group to teach is the 9-13 year olds. They're so much fun to work with and they're just starting to understand goal setting and hard work. I've only had a handful that give me backtalk, so I guess I've been lucky.

I thought I'd take an entirely unscientific poll and see what the other coaches prefer.

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So, some of my answer depends on what level I'm teaching as well...for beginners, I LOVE snowplows, but I don't like doing them several sessions in a row (my poor back!). However, I really dislike doing basic 1 because I haven't figured out a good, non-childish way to describe things...

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"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

That's true, it depends on what you're teaching. I like the Basic 4-Freeskate 3 range best. At one point, I had all three Basic 1 classes and the Parent & Me class for three sessions in a row - oh, my back! I asked for a break and ended up with all three Basic 8 classes, which was a drastic change. I had to remember how I teach those elements, lol.

I know what you mean about teaching Basic 1 to skaters who aren't little kids. It's easier to teach a young kid to do a hop by saying "bunny feet together...snuggle (sit) like a bunny...POP UP BUNNIES!...now snuggle back down with your baskets!" than it is to describe how to "glide, feet together and hop up. Bend your knees as you land." Sometimes I cop out and say "I tell the little kids to do this: ..." and then use the same bunny analogy, lol.

I like teaching the Parent & Me class at our rink, but I just haven't been feeling the "let's have fun" part lately. The parents and kids are all learning and it's a low-pressure setting, but I'm just not up for the "Red Light, Green Light" game playing. I think it's because I have kids as young as 3 and as old as 8 in the same class, one or two with special needs. The kids who totally ignore the class and the instruction are really bugging me, too. It would be cheaper for them to just go to a public session than to pay for a class. *shrugs*

It's hard to find game-like activities that can challenge without overwhelming when there's a big spread in ages. I can't do "chase the bubbles" or there will be a stampede and the little kids will be trampled. This week, I dumped a bucket of balls on the ice and set up relay races with swizzles, back wiggles and snowplow stops. It would have been better with four teams instead of two.

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I second the aching back remark about teaching tots. I do not like teaching this level. The kids are just too young for me. IMO, picking kids up who cannot stand on their own is not coaching. I teach them how to get up, but it takes some of them a long time to get the coordination to do it themselves. However, this level is part of teaching grp, so I have to do it when that is all that is available.So, I do my best.

Personally, I prefer to teach older children and adults. I also like to teach low FS classes. My preference is probably B4+; although I have had a lot of fun teaching lower classes when the kids are mobile and receptive to games.

Kay

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I really love teaching tots- which is good, because that's all I get assigned.
However, I don't love parent & tot classes, because I'm really really silly with the kids, and while I don't mind parents watching and seeing me look ridiculous, when they are participating, I feel stupid. So I'm not as good with that class.

I also used to really like teaching the beginner adults at our rink- we used to have a few women who had good balance, but not much more then that. I got up to 3-turns with them (and then handed them off, since I'm not too advanced myself), and it was really fun to see their progress. However, lately, we've had adults who have very scary balance, can barely walk off ice type- and I've told the skate director I'm not comfortable teaching that sort of group. I'm not a really high level skater, and I worry that if a law suit came up, my inexperience would work against me, even though I've been teaching for 3+ years. (I think it was a good decision to give up the group- we've had quite a few bad falls to the extent that the rink wants to stop allowing adult LTS. I am not sure I like that idea, because without adult LTS I wouldn't be ice skating...)

I have fun the few times I've subbed in the other levels with older kids, but the older kids aren't really my bread and butter of ice skating. I like working with the 4th-8th grade age level better in schools, but on the ice, it's the little ones!

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