I’ve been attending Pilates lessons twice a week for some time now. The studio I go to offers various time slots and instructors, but over time, I’ve settled on two favourites: Maureen and Elise. Reflecting on why I gravitate towards them has led me to think about two aspects of teaching.

Maureen is extroverted, outgoing, funny, and chatty, and I enjoy her personality even though she’s very different to me. What stands out most about her is her excellent instructions. During her sessions, she keeps us fully informed about what’s happening. In Pilates, proper positioning is critical—every detail matters, from the placement of your hands to the alignment of your shoulders and head. Maureen is great at guiding us through these subtleties, providing constant feedback and reminders to help us do the exercises correctly. Her attention to detail and her ability to maintain clarity and structure create a supportive and organised learning environment.

Elise, like Maureen, is skilled at the technical aspects of teaching, but I really appreciate the way she is genuinely invested in my progress. Elise often takes extra time to acknowledge my improvements and make me feel that my effort is paying off. Her encouragement and attention show me that she truly cares about my success and well-being.

I think the main takeaways from this for me are that both of these facets are ones which are possible to improve. Classroom management is a technical skill that we can work on. When I started teaching, my classroom management skills weren’t great, but I worked on them over time. It’s a technical skill that improves with practice and reflection.

And if you’re reading this, I would hope that you already care about your students. But it’s not just about caring – it’s about demonstrating it. This is something that we can consciously try to add to our teaching practice through our interactions with our learners.

As a language teaching professional, I enjoy taking these lessons from my own experiences as a learner, and it’s a reminder that we should sit on the other side of the desk, so to speak, sometimes. We might learn a thing or two, and even get a bit more flexible as a result!

What lessons have you learned from your favourite instructors? Share your thoughts – I’d love to hear them.