Are your kids bored, not paying attention, or dropping out? Sounds like your school could use a better "kiai!" "Kiai" means the bringing together of spirit. As instructors, we must bring together the spirit of the class as a whole so that the individuals within it want to learn from us. Is the structure of your class rigid and unchanging? Kids love structure, but need something new to be introduced on a regular basis. Perhaps your program just needs a little freshening up? The kids will tell you what is working and what is not if you watch their body language and their attention level in class. If you notice a lot of yawning going on, that's definitely a sign. To keep the kids enthusiastic you must create diversity within your lesson plan. Here are some simple rules of thumb I use to keep the spirit moving in class: Feel the mood - When class starts, say hello to the kids and get a feeling for what kind of mood they're in. Like adults, kids can have rough days too. Perhaps a child has just woken up from a nap and is sleepy-eyed. Perhaps a child is sad from something that happened at school. Perhaps a child is nervous about having arrived late for class. Judging the overall mood of the children is the first step in deciding how to run your class that day. Energy level - How well the kids are able to focus in your class is directly related to their energy level. If they come in hyped-up on sugar, forget the speeches, you better get them moving right away. If the kids come in tired, perhaps having just arrived from soccer practice, your lesson plan that day may include more sit-down time with individual demonstrations rather than a lot of group activity. Enthusiasm - Nothing is more boring than repeating the basics over and over. Doing a hundred reverse punches does not sound fun to the average kid. Yet students can only achieve excellence through repetition. So, what's a Sensei to do? The secret here is to disguise the repetition with variety. Start out with punches on the line - slow motion, medium speed, fast action, and of course, super-speed. Kids love this. Then, take it to a circle formation. Then, move to another part of the room and hit some equipment - kids love anything tactile. All the while you have been working on the reverse punch. Before you know it, the kids have performed a hundred reps and had fun doing them. Teaching is an art. Just as with the martial arts, some of us are naturally more proficient than others. Just as with the martial arts, repetition is the key to becoming an excellent teacher. But if you feel that you are repeating the same old scenario from class to class, you may be getting just as bored as your students. Take note of your moods and energy levels as well, and create a class that motivates you first. Also, take note of your natural personality as a teacher. When I hire an instructor, I look for someone who has experience with kids, but even more than that, I look for someone who has the "spark" - that little glow that happens when a natural born teacher connects with a child. I don't think I can teach someone how to have the spark; it just has to be there. Perhaps you enjoy working with older children, but don't feel successful working with the little ones. Stick to your personal comfort zone, and hire someone who has the spark. That way, you are happy with what you are doing and yet you are still providing quality classes for children of all ages at your school. If you are connected to your own personal ""kiai," you will provide a reflection for your students to recognize theirs as well. Together, you can create a class that is fun, exciting, and believe it or not, full of repetition. Good Spirit!