The impact of social groups in dance and exercise classes
I have just been reading through some of the completed feedback forms looking at some of the issues we face as teachers and how we overcome them. I also wanted some personal opinions from instructors about different parts of class experience.
Something very close to my heart being discussed was social groups in classes. I want to have a look at the reason I think this is so important to my work here.
Part of my work at my health care company is being a Care Planner. This job requires me to have 1:1 sessions with clients discussing barriers that prevent them having a healthy lifestyle. These barriers can be nutritional, physical, psychological or social.
For me, putting someone on the list for an exercise class or course is not just about getting them to lose weight, it is also about giving them access to a social group. A social group that may form naturally or be pushed by a teacher.
For a vulnerable or indeed just an independent person out in the community, a social group in a class can be a place where they feel safe and welcomed. It can encourage people to leave the house who normally might not bother or feel able to. It can create new friendships for people who have moved to a new area and felt they had to completely start again. It can create a support group for a person who at a stressful time in their life has no one else to lean on.
I have seen social groups in my classes develop into such strong support groups, that when I stopped the classes, the students actually carried on seeing each other to socialise because they enjoyed people's company so much. I have seen people come to class in a panic about something going on in their life, and I have seen people who have equally as much stress go over to that person and explain everything will be alright.
For me, social groups are a way to encourage adherence to exercise and dance classes. But I also believe most importantly they can have a really positive influence on someone's life.
A social group may be able to reduce stress and anxiety, overcome barriers of social isolation and it can reinforce the positive affirmations from the instructor that they belong in the class and should keep coming. Perhaps then social groups could in theory address all the barriers to exercise that we originally hear our clients talk about?
How do we as instructors help to create social groups? I recently attended a CPD workshop on group exercise classes and the instructor mentioned their technique of buddying up new members with old members. If a new member arrives the teacher would greet them personally, and then take them over to a small group of people and introduce them to the new member. This way they don't feel so alone in the first class. I asked what happens if perhaps the people don't get on. The teacher said that normally they will just find a new social group, but that is easier to do if they already know people in the class.
Another suggestion was partner work during the exercise class. It was suggested that if someone is partnered up with someone, because they have a 'moment' together in class, the next class they are likely to acknowledge the person as they walk in, and then the week after they may initiate conversation with the person.
I have introduced the first idea into my classes and it has so far worked really well and the clients appear to feel looked after.
I would like to hear other people's thoughts on this. Perhaps you run community classes or have looked at social groups? If so please get in touch.
Something very close to my heart being discussed was social groups in classes. I want to have a look at the reason I think this is so important to my work here.
Part of my work at my health care company is being a Care Planner. This job requires me to have 1:1 sessions with clients discussing barriers that prevent them having a healthy lifestyle. These barriers can be nutritional, physical, psychological or social.
For me, putting someone on the list for an exercise class or course is not just about getting them to lose weight, it is also about giving them access to a social group. A social group that may form naturally or be pushed by a teacher.
For a vulnerable or indeed just an independent person out in the community, a social group in a class can be a place where they feel safe and welcomed. It can encourage people to leave the house who normally might not bother or feel able to. It can create new friendships for people who have moved to a new area and felt they had to completely start again. It can create a support group for a person who at a stressful time in their life has no one else to lean on.
I have seen social groups in my classes develop into such strong support groups, that when I stopped the classes, the students actually carried on seeing each other to socialise because they enjoyed people's company so much. I have seen people come to class in a panic about something going on in their life, and I have seen people who have equally as much stress go over to that person and explain everything will be alright.
For me, social groups are a way to encourage adherence to exercise and dance classes. But I also believe most importantly they can have a really positive influence on someone's life.
A social group may be able to reduce stress and anxiety, overcome barriers of social isolation and it can reinforce the positive affirmations from the instructor that they belong in the class and should keep coming. Perhaps then social groups could in theory address all the barriers to exercise that we originally hear our clients talk about?
How do we as instructors help to create social groups? I recently attended a CPD workshop on group exercise classes and the instructor mentioned their technique of buddying up new members with old members. If a new member arrives the teacher would greet them personally, and then take them over to a small group of people and introduce them to the new member. This way they don't feel so alone in the first class. I asked what happens if perhaps the people don't get on. The teacher said that normally they will just find a new social group, but that is easier to do if they already know people in the class.
Another suggestion was partner work during the exercise class. It was suggested that if someone is partnered up with someone, because they have a 'moment' together in class, the next class they are likely to acknowledge the person as they walk in, and then the week after they may initiate conversation with the person.
I have introduced the first idea into my classes and it has so far worked really well and the clients appear to feel looked after.
I would like to hear other people's thoughts on this. Perhaps you run community classes or have looked at social groups? If so please get in touch.
Hi Chrissy,
ReplyDeleteAs a dance teacher of children, my classes are obviously different to yours, but I use similar methods like partner work and group work to encourage the children to work together to create bonds with each other.
I find this usually works very well, however sometimes, children can feel left out if no one goes to them straight away to be their partners, but I usually very quickly try to sort this out and pair everyone up so no one feels this way. I am sure this would be less likely to happen in an adult class, but varying who parents who each week, to encourage them to interact with new people every lesson would be a good way to encourage new friendships to form.
Emily x
Thanks for your reply Emily - I think it must be harder to do with children as you said they could feel very left out. So to overcome this do you normally put them into partners? I find with my adults they are happy enough to get in a pair or a group but they never want to be first to do a corner exercise! How do you think the class would be for you if you didn't do any group work at all? I think the great benefit of group work is if you place a confident person (be it adult or child) with a less confident or new person, it can create a sense of relief and remove some pressure from the less confident person. x
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