Photo credit: PilatesAnytime
Do you consider yourself a Pilates teacher or a Pilates instructor? Both terms are very similar in their meaning and some Pilates professionals are very vigilant in making sure that they are called one and not the other.
But does it really matter?
I know I promised to talk about Pilates cueing but we need to settle this issue first.
A Teacher is someone who imparts theoretical knowledge to students AND can also show practical implementations of this knowledge.
An Instructor is someone who shares practical applications of the knowledge.
When I was going through my training for group fitness I was getting a “fitness instructor” certification. My job was to show my students WHAT to do and HOW to execute moves with proper form.
When I was going through my Pilates training I was working on my “Pilates teacher” certification. As Pilates teachers we do not only tell our students WHAT to do and HOW, we also explain to them WHY these moves are appropriate for them and WHERE they should focus their attention during each movement. (OK, so we settled that we are “Pilates teachers” but if you have “Pilates instructor” written on all of your business cards don’t rush to reprint another thousand of those. Most of your students/clients – it might be a topic for another linguistic discussion – will not know the difference.)
In order to to fulfill our role as Pilates teachers we need to master the art of cueing (I told you I had a point!) Our cueing is the way to guide our clients successfully through the movements and to educate them about everyday movement techniques that will truly transform their lives.
One of my favorite things about taking classes from other teachers is picking up fresh cues that I can use with my students. We all get stuck in a rut sometimes that limits the learning potential of our students. I’ve had students that have worked with me for years and then one day I use a different cue and they experience a huge “A-ha” moment. It’s truly a joyous event for both of us that opens up a new level of “Pilatethism” that we can start learning.
Developing and fine-tuning cues is a lifelong challenge for any Pilates teacher. Today I want to introduce to you Carrie Pages, the owner of the In Balance Pilates studio in Wilmington, NC and the Winner of the 2016 Pilates Anytime Next Instructor award. I had the privilege of working with Carrie for the past 2 months as I was developing a website for her new online Pilates studio – Carrie Pages Pilates. During this time I learned that Carrie’s “superpower” as a Pilates teacher is her cueing.
In Carrie’s opinion, creative cueing was the exact thing that helped her win the Pilates Anytime contest. So today I am talking to Carrie about her experience with PA and about creative cueing techniques.
Carrie and I have a special treat for you. After watching the interview you can watch one of Carrie’s favorite tutorials on how to teach Pulling Straps on the Reformer. She uses her creative cueing technique and precise spotting to guide a client through this challenging exercise. This tutorial is just one of over a hundred Pilates videos available on Carrie Pages Pilates – an online Pilates studio.
Resources mentioned in the interview
- CarriePagesPilates – watch FREE Pilates mat video or try this online Pilates studio for just $1.
- Confession: I used to be a Pilates jerk
- Follow Carrie on Instagram
Pulling Straps on the Reformer: Detailed Tutorial
BTW, you can download another Pilates video tutorial for FREE if you go to Carrie’s website (click here) or you can even try her online studio for just $1. You get access to all videos and get to learn from a very talented Pilates teacher.
Do you have questions or would you like to share some of your favorite creative cueing techniques? Please join the conversation by leaving a comment below.