This year, I want to challenge you to reach new heights in your coaching. This may mean moving out of your own comfort zone. It’s something we ask of our riders all the time; how about ourselves? What can we do to push ourselves, to take risks, to put ourselves out there in front of our students and announce to the world that we aren’t afraid of growth?Read more…

One of the best ways to grow as an instructor is to attend other instructors’ classes. You can assess what you like and what you don’t like, you can look for similarities with your style, and you can seek out coaching styles that you would like to adopt. And if you suspect you may have a bad habit, you can ask yourself poignant questions like, “Is that what I sound like when I yell ‘Go!’ all the time?” Here are 30 things to evaluate when you take another class.Read more…

For so many years I’ve heard cycling instructors lament that “Students get bored if the class is cycling specific, so I need to [add silly move here] or they won’t come to class!” Well, I have news for you…maybe it’s not the moves or technique that are boring; maybe it’s you! Here are 13 ways you can be sure to keep students engaged while riding and committed to your classes without resorting to silly gimmicks on the bike. Read more…

Our goal as instructors is to foster an environment of connection, motivation, and success. But it isn’t just a one-way street; there is actually much more going on. Let’s take a look at four pathways of communication and discuss some tools and strategies to foster clear and effective communication that keeps participants engaged and coming back for more.Read more…

Indoor cycling instructors have to wear different hats at different times. How many hats do you have in your skills closet? And do you know the right time to wear each one? Here are some best practices to employ when trying to educate your students, and links to five additional articles on how to teach your students outside of class time.Read more…

Everyone had a class with a fun and wacky science teacher in high school, right? I’m not advocating that we start developing quirks or acting wacky in our indoor cycling classes, but the point is, making education fun using humor and wit is a great way to learn AND and a fun way to teach. Hopefully our dating, bagels, poultry, and pasta analogies will spark some ideas to create some of your own wacky ways to explain something on the bike.Read more…

ICA’s editor, Shari Miranda, was approached about teaching a class with a rider who was both deaf and blind. Shari spent a few weeks preparing for this class, including emailing with the rider and his interpreter about the best ways to communicate the profile. She shares what she did and how it went. Read more…

When it comes to cueing in the cycling studio, there are two distinct paths instructors can take: telling and asking. Both have their place and both are paired nicely with showing, or demonstrating. Cori explains how incorporating questions into your cueing can elicit more effort toward the goal and ownership in the outcome from your riders.Read more…