Top Tips For Teaching Yoga In Schools - Tip #54: A Two-Month Timeline
Welcome back to the blog!
A common question I get asked is when to start thinking about and preparing for the next school year, and the answer is: December -January of the previous school year.
When it comes to teaching yoga and mindfulness in schools, especially as an outside provider, it’s important to be prepared, so I wanted to share this two-month timeline with you to help you plan accordingly for next school year.
As we enter December, it’s time to start getting your ducks in a row and preparing for not just next semester, but next school year.
If you’re looking to expand your program to new schools, you’ll want to begin the process NOW.
The timeline below is a very rough outline of the steps you should be taking over the next weeks and months, but understand that each school and district has different timelines, so this is NOT a formula, simply a guide to be adjusted as you see fit.
Timeline:
Now-End of December: Start gathering feedback / testimonials from kids / families / administrators. This is key, especially if you’ve pivoted to virtual offerings -- you’ll want to have testimonials that speak to your program and your adaptability in a virtual learning environment since second semester and next year are still up in the air in regards to virtual / hybrid / in-person learning, and you want to show schools that your program can work in any setting.
First 2 weeks of January:
implement any changes to your curriculum or program based on feedback you received from students, families and the school
If you’re currently teaching: plan to administer an exit survey (it can be informal) to gather data on your program
reach out to any schools you’re in contact with or confirmed to work with for the second semester to confirm / finalize dates and plans.
Mid-January-Mid-February: Principals will start getting a sense of their staffing needs / models for next school year.
Begin to contact school administrators about working with them for next year. Consider inviting them to observe a virtual class, if possible, or send them pre-recorded video. Ensure that each conversation ends with an action step / timeline for when you will next follow up.
Make sure you have all of your supporting materials in place: testimonial one-pagers, a one-page overview of your program, budget / program costs, your resume, and more.
Tip Takeaway: Use the rough timeline above and follow the necessary action steps to ensure you’re planning ahead for next school year. Taking these steps over the next few months will come in handy in the spring, when principals start actively planning for the next school year.