Last week, the teacher who normally teaches my favorite Sunday afternoon 2/3 Vinyasa Flow class was out of town, so the studio brought in a substitute teacher. The sub was well-trained and perfectly qualified to be there, but about fifteen minutes into the class, she said something which kind of riled me. She announced: “If you’re here expecting to get the kind of class that [regularly scheduled teacher] teaches, you’re not going to get it, so get over it.” At first, I was a little annoyed by this, but then I just dealt with it; after all, there was not much I could do at the moment, and, besides, there’s always something to be learned from different teachers. But this got me thinking: What, if any, responsibility does a substitute yoga teacher have in terms of teaching/mimicking the class style of the regular teacher?
In my experience, students develop a unique bond with their yoga teacher(s). I know when my favorite yoga teacher is out of town, I’m disappointed and can’t wait til he comes back. But I do try other teachers, and, in fact, my regular practice now consists of four different teachers, because I learn different things from each one. In other words, I appreciate a variety of teaching styles and approaches to yoga.
When there is a sub for one of my teachers, though, I do expect that the sub will make some effort to teach a class that is similar to the regular teacher’s class. In the end, a yoga studio is a business, and the students are the “paying customers”. I believe that customers ought to get what they pay for, and they ought to be informed about what it is that they are going to get when they agree to pay for a service or product. If I pay $20 for a 2/3 Vinyasa Flow class, and I have become accustomed to a certain sort of “product”–i.e. a sweaty, physically intense yoga class with a nice mix of vigorous flow, arm balances, inversions, and backbends–I expect that a temporary sub will provide a comparable product.
Some teachers, however, seem to think that a sub gig is an opportunity to promote themselves, and they do whatever it is that they want to do, with little or no regard for what the students want or expect out of a yoga class. I think this is a selfish way to teach, not to mention unprofessional. Of course, every teacher is unique, and you can’t reasonably expect a sub to be exactly the same as your regular teacher. But I do feel that a substitute yoga teacher ought to be aware of and sensitive to the students’ expectations, and the yoga studio ought to hire substitute teachers who are appropriate for the classes they sub. Unfortunately, this does not seem to (usually) be the case at the studio where I practice.
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I often feel a kind of resistance arise when I find a substitute leading a class usually taught by a favorite teacher.
I have adopted a practice for such situations: I use the sensations of disappointment and resistance to show me how my clinging to my expectations shades and limits what I am willing to experience.
Comment by seangreenfrog May 22, 2008 @ 10:20 amI disagree strongly with the idea that a yoga class is a “product” and yoga students “paying customers” who are entitled to their money’s worth. To me this is contrary to the spirit of yoga. I go to yoga class to have not only my physical habits challenged but also (and particularly) my habits of thinking. The consumerist attitude is one of these habits.
But I do agree that some substitute teachers overdo the “this class is going to be different so deal with it!” routine. But I see this as a defense mechanism. It must be daunting to teach a yoga class in which you know that the students will slightly resent your being there and are going to be resistant to what you have to teach them.
I actually look forward to having a substitute for my yoga classes. It’s a good way to practice dealing with change and the unexpected, and also to find out about really good teachers whom I wouldn’t have otherwise learned about.
Comment by Claudia May 22, 2008 @ 3:01 pmI like variety so subs are no problem for me. It’s a little weird when they get insecure about not being someone they’re not, but like the other commenters have intimated, that’s really just a lesson for me about my own grasping for security.
Comment by Guest May 22, 2008 @ 8:28 pmIt sounds like your sub was a bit self conscious with her “get over it” comment. Was she teaching a completely different style of yoga?
I don’t believe a sub should “mimmick” the teacher she or he is subbing. Where I take class the really have their own personality class (one tells a little philosophical story to start class, another does quite a bit of chanting at various points. So let the sub bring his or her own personality to class.
But I DO expect the class to be of the style and intensity advertised. If I go to a 2/3 vinyasa class and get a slower anusara or jin class, I am not so happy. I mean, would people be happy if you went to your restorative class and the instructor taught a 2/3 vinyasa class?
Comment by David May 22, 2008 @ 10:14 pmIt’s wonderful when the regular teacher lets students know they”ll be away and recommends the sub because they have chosen/taken class with them. It’s also great when the studio chooses an appropriate sub. Yoga buds kept telling me i had to take a particular anusara guru’s class. Every time I tried there was a sub announced only at the desk. Regulars would just leave, after dismaying the caring desk worker with their disappointed grumblings and whinings. Each time I’d get a great small class with a conscientous master teacher who artfullly tried to translate directions into anusauran and focus on handstands & other other anusauran faves. I feel the absent absent teacher and studio co-owner, away at preplanned workshops each time could easily have found one of the many qualified teachers who took The Practice with him each week and knew his personal as well as professional style, to keep the community happy. Not doing so is a way to build a very personal following and dependence on one particular teacher.
Comment by Sarita May 26, 2008 @ 3:05 pmIs it possible the reluctant sub had met the wrath of groupies last time she subbed and/or never attended the regular’s class?
You or I could probably do a pretty decent job of teaching a composite of one of our favorite teacher’s classes, especially a flow, if we had the playlist and some prep time. Including the jokes.
Hi,
Any advice if I wants to start learning yoga? Where and what can I start with as a newbies?
Comment by Didi June 9, 2008 @ 1:45 amDidi – it kind of depends where you live. If you’re in a City with yoga studios, they pretty much all offer “Beginner’s” or “Level 1″ classes. Go to a few of these and see if you like it. It’s probably possible to start by watching DVDs or something, but if I had the choice there’s no way I would pick that over learning from a teacher. When I started I tried a bunch of different teachers at the beginning and found a couple I really liked. If money’s an issue try the YMCA, etc.
Comment by Guest June 9, 2008 @ 7:28 amSomehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Meritless
Comment by Meritless June 18, 2008 @ 11:03 am.
Sounds to me like the teacher was talking to herself. That said, I think variety should be embraced. Truthfully I do not think a sub yoga teacher should have to teach the same class as the regular teacher. How could they? They are a different person, different ideas about yoga, and a sub is an opportunity to be with and learn from someone new.
Comment by yogisamantha June 26, 2008 @ 9:39 amI can relate, a bit, to the sub. I’ve actually stopped subbing because the reception can be so cold, even hostile. But all teachers have to sub, at some point. The sub was probably picking up on the vibe of the room. Remember it’s 20 people looking up at her, and not just you. I do disagree with, however, her approach. A more positive spin could have been used. Something like, ” I know this is going to be a little different than what you’re used to. But please keep an open mind, we may just learn something new together.” Or what have you. I used to emphasize that we were both experiencing this for the first time, and that I was learning from them too. Of course it does help to try out the teacher you’re subbing for, but in some ways this makes it more difficult if it’s just too far from your own teaching methodology. Sometimes it’s just good to remember that you’re there to teach, and that if you weren’t the students would be going without any class at all.
Comment by Candice July 3, 2008 @ 12:29 pm