I'm looking for activities to fill my days. While I am enjoying not working, I need to be in motion. There is a limit to the amount of time I want to spend on the computer or reading. My friends are doing mahjong and bridge but card games are just too sedentary for me. When Living Social came up with a $20 coupon for 6 classes, I grabbed it, not knowing what I was getting myself into.
Being born with two left feet, and being extremely unathletic, I worried about looking the fool. But, I learned I had nothing to fear. The class had people from 20 to 70 years young, in all physical conditions and with varying levels of talent. Everyone was so busy doing their own moves, no one had time to look and laugh at me.
The leader was a young man. He demonstrated the moves and kept us going for an hour. As we gyrated, he kept his eyes on the mirror, moving around the room and offering individual guidance to many of the needy students. With 30 students in the class, it was impossible for him to give the individual attention I was desperate to have. Oh, he tried all right but one teacher cannot successfully guide so many students. Five minutes was the most time he could give me.
This was a fun class, no one was graded and really, the goal was to keep moving and get lots of exercise, which we all did. The teacher really did a great job. I don't know what he is paid, I'm willing to bet it is not very much, but he worked like a dog. A huge bonus wouldn't get him to do more. If the class was smaller and he could have spent more time with me, I know he would have and I might have gotten a tad better.
I get why my Zumba class is big. This is a business and profit is important. Kids, on the other hand, are not a business. They need smaller classes so they can get the attention they need to succeed. Teachers, even the best, cannot give them what they need with class size as big as they are. And, just like the Zumba teacher, public school teachers won't be able to do any more, even with the promise of a $20,000 bonus, something most will never see.
