So far in this series, we've talked about creating intentional classes.
First, we stopped planning classes around tricks and started writing meaningful learning objectives. Then we used those objectives to filter our Pole Level Map and choose the right skills for the right students.
But there's one more step that helps great instructors keep getting better.
Reflection.
The instructors students come back to aren't necessarily the ones with the flashiest tricks or the biggest social media following. They're the ones who pay attention. They notice what worked. They notice what didn't. They notice where students struggled and what they're excited to learn next.
That's what reflection is all about.
Reflection Improves the Student Experience
Teaching doesn't end when class is over.
Or maybe a better way to say it is that your learning as an instructor doesn't end when class is over.
I know how easy it is to finish teaching and immediately move on. The next class is coming in. There are towels to fold, floors to mop, students with questions, and a hundred little things competing for your attention.
But if you never stop to reflect, you miss the opportunity to learn from the class you just taught.
Reflection isn't asking yourself whether the class was good or bad. That isn't very helpful.
Instead, ask questions like:
-
What worked?
-
What didn't?
-
What did students understand?
-
Where did they struggle?
-
What surprised me?
-
What would I change next time?
Every class gives you information. Reflection is simply taking the time to capture it.
Reflection Helps You See What Students Actually Need
Let's go back to the example we've been using throughout this series: hips-forward versus hips-back movements.
Imagine you planned the class carefully. Your objective was clear. You chose skills that matched your students' level.
Then you taught the class.
Maybe students understood the shapes but struggled with the weight shift. Maybe they could perform the movement but didn't really understand why it worked. Or maybe the progression you chose turned out to be too big of a leap.
That information is incredibly valuable.
It might tell you to spend more time exploring the concept before introducing the next progression. It might reveal a prerequisite skill that belongs earlier in your map. Or it might simply tell you that a different explanation would click better with your students.
Reflection gives you better information.
Better information leads to better teaching decisions.
And better teaching decisions create better student experiences.
Student Requests Are Information
One of the most valuable things you can reflect on after class is what your students are asking for.
But here's an important distinction:
A student request is information.
It is not automatically your next lesson plan.
Let's say a student asks, "Can we learn Jade?"
It's a reasonable question, and most instructors genuinely want to help students reach their goals.
Instead of asking, "Can this student do Jade today?" try asking, "What skills does this student need to build to make Jade possible?"
On my Level Map, Jade requires a solid Outside Leg Hang and a confident Hip Hold before I would introduce it. So if I notice that several students are struggling with Hip Hold, that reflection tells me exactly what the next class should focus on.
Not Jade.
Hip Hold.
Not because I'm gatekeeping the trick. Because I'm building the skills that make the trick possible.
The Difference Between Gatekeeping and Skill Building
This is one of the hardest balances to strike as an instructor. There is a very fine line between gatekeeping and skill building.
Gatekeeping sounds like:
"No."
"You're not ready."
"That's too advanced."
Students sometimes hear that as, "Maybe I just can't do this."
On the other hand, simply saying yes to every request isn't necessarily helping either.
I've had students leave to chase advanced tricks elsewhere, only to come back months later and say something like, "I think I just want to go back and work on my basics."
I cringe a little when I hear the words "basics" and "perfect," but I know what they're really saying. "I think I moved too fast."
And that's okay. Because they came back. Not because I said no. Because they trusted that I knew where they were going and how to help them get there.
Skill building sounds different. It sounds like:
"Yes. That's a great goal."
"Let's figure out what will help you get there."
"Here's what we're going to work on next."
The difference isn't whether you teach the trick today. It's whether your student understands the path forward.
You're not taking away their goal. You're giving them a roadmap. That's how you keep students safe, motivated, and excited to come back.
Your Level Map Is a Living Document
Your Level Map isn't something you create once and then file away forever. It should evolve as you teach.
Teaching real people will always challenge your assumptions. Some skills take longer than expected. Others come much faster. Students surprise you. Your understanding grows.
The map grows with you.
Reflection is where you capture those discoveries. The things I believed when I first started teaching aren't the same things I believe today. And that's exactly how it should be.
Plan. Teach. Reflect. Adjust.
The best instructors aren't the ones who have every class perfectly planned. They're the ones who keep learning.
A simple teaching cycle looks like this:
Plan.
Teach.
Reflect.
Adjust.
Then do it again.
Every class gives you information. The only question is whether you're capturing it.
Why the Pole Instructor Planbook Exists
This is exactly why the Pole Instructor Planbook includes sections for objectives, lesson plans, student requests, and reflection.
Lesson planning shouldn't be:
Plan.
Teach.
Forget.
It should be a process where every class makes the next class better. The goal isn't to fill a notebook with completed lesson plans.
The goal is to build a record of your teaching decisions, your students' needs, and what you've learned along the way.
Because the instructors who create intentional learning experiences are the instructors students trust. And the instructors students trust are the ones students come back to.
Final Thoughts
The goal isn't to create the perfect class. It's to create a process that helps you become a better instructor every time you teach.
If you haven't created your Pole Level Map yet, that's the best place to start.
The free Pole Level Mapper helps you organize your teaching knowledge, identify progressions, and make intentional decisions about what you teach and why.
And once you have your map, the Pole Instructor Planbook gives you a place to turn those ideas into lesson plans, capture what happens in class, and continue improving your teaching long after the music stops.