A lot of times we get requests for classes that are kid and adults together.
Right now with the pandemic, it’s something we are offering, but we are seeing the challenges that we have always seen in that adults and kids learn differently.
Imagine having a one room schoolhouse, where students from 5 to 18 are in one class with one teacher. The teacher has to divide their time between all those different lessons and learning abilities, leaving students alone for a bit of time to work on their lessons.
It would be easier for the older students to do just that, but the teacher would struggle to really understand how the student learns or what they understand because of the limited time they were able to commit to them.
A younger student would not be able to stay on task for long and would constantly need to be revisited and assisted, taking away from the other students.
In a martial arts setting as we have done for over 15 years, this doesn’t work. We can train the class as a whole, working together with assistants, to allow the class to be taught all the time. We can immediately see when a student misunderstands. We can plan the class to accommodate the age group, Lil Champions, Juniors and Adults, so they can get the most out of their learning.
Right now we are having to combine the age groups, allowing them to attend together to accommodate our COVID-19 cleaning and no spectators precautions. However, it’s a challenge to teach young students in a class of older students. Littles need more attention, they are distracting, while the older students need more challenge, less direction.
It’s a challenging time, and we look forward to getting back to normal. We will be patient and follow the guidelines set out by the government to keep our families as safe as they can be in this uncertain time.
Thank you for being part of our dojo family. We appreciate all your support.