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No one comes out of teacher training a teacher. We graduate certified parrots at best, only to parrot the dialogue by rote in the exact same way we learned our A,B,C's, eventually burning out completely.
I am a NYC teacher, visiting the Bikram Athens Yoga school in Georgia. In New York the teacher feedback system is zero, so imagine my ecstatic surprise when I arrived in Athens to find out that feedback was exactly what was going to be happening... and after almost every single class too! Feedback is Jolin Conine's (the owner of Bikram Athens) main tool of the environment. She understands that without it, that if we aren't helping each other get better and grow as teachers, then we aren't helping our students get better and grow as practitioners, and so what's it all for?!
Enter Lisa Fisher! Jolin brought LiFi here from San Antonio to lead a teacher intensive, specifically designed to teach us an incredible feedback system guaranteed to bring out even more of the best in all of us. And what an amazing gift this was indeed!
LiFi taught us how to talk to each other about each of our classes in way that was inspiring and didn't shut you down. She talked about the postures and how to teach with asana themes and spiritual concepts. She talked about energy; ways to bring the it up and down and mess with your voice, A LOT! She showed us how to get off the podium and give corrections in many different ways. How to talk to all of your students at check in to find out what's going on with them. She spoke about how to give each other one specific fun piece of homework to keep us inspired for the next time we teach, all the while reminding us to always come from a place of love and concern, not only with our students, but with each other. That last one, the love and concern thing, she never really talked about, it was only by her awesome example with how she led us through her classes and the workshop weekend.
If you are burnt out, you need to give more, but you need to know how. If you are bored, you are boring. You are not giving and you're only thinking about what you're not getting. Like, "How come I can't 'get' her to lock her to lock her knee." And ya know, it just might simply be that you don't know how.
LiFi will teach you and your teachers HOW. How to get to the next level with hard core, clear cut ways stay inspired and ignited for the entire class. Because after all, we are entertaining them up there on that podium, but we have to know how to stay out of their way as well, a delicate balance indeed.
By bringing LiFi to lead a teacher workshop at your school, you are going to keep your students excited to walk through your doors and purchase those annual memberships -- which, by the way, she will also teach you about; concrete ways to not be afraid to sell this yoga, the most amazing wonderful healthcare system on the planet, which in turn only keeps you in the green and your doors open!
So if you are a yoga school owner and your teachers are phoning it in, bring LiFi for a weekend workshop to light a fire, not only under your teachers asses, but under your own and your students. She will help you remember to be the teacher you forgot you went to training to be.
I had the pleasure of attending Lisa Fisher's Teacher Tune Up in 2015 in Chicago. Lisa is a very talented teacher. I was so excited from the workshop that I brought her to our studio to lead a teacher focused workshop as well as an intensive class. Our teachers were emboldened by the workshop and the students loved Lisa's class! She teaches a high energy, alignment focused, and loving class. She has a wonderful way of working with students and is extremely knowledgeable on the postures and how to help students achieve their best. For the teacher workshop she helped inspire our teachers in their own teaching. She covered how to use themes in class, teaching concepts, using voice, body language, and corrections in class to help students achieve their best.
She also helped drive the importance of how to increase sales which is important to continue to grow as a yoga studio, offer more for your yoga community, which translates to more support for your teaching staff. I highly recommend Lisa. If you are a studio owner, she is a great person to bring in to lead a workshop as she will surely inspire your team to achieve their best. I always look forward to having her visit our studio!
Lisa Fisher is a dear friend of mine and an inspiration. Her knowledge of the body, the yoga postures, and one of a kind approach to developing teachers makes her a tremendous resource for the yoga community. Lisa's well rounded skill set has a profound impact on the student experience. She radiates authenticity throughout her own self study and teachings. If you are lucky enough to have Lisa come through your city, take advantage of every class offering she has!
