Why do new Pilates instructors lose confidence?

Doing Pilates and teaching it are two different skills. Most trainees have put a lot of time and money into changing careers, so they feel the pressure. Their confidence goes up and down while they build their basic teaching skills, and that's normal.

What mistakes push new Pilates instructors away?

There are three common ones. Giving them too much information at once, expecting more than they can do yet, and correcting them all the time. Each one wears away confidence they're still building.

How do you mentor a new Pilates instructor?

Be kind and keep your expectations realistic. Give them room to practise and permission to get things wrong. Start with what they're doing well, then give one thing to work on. Praising their strengths builds confidence faster than pointing out what's missing.

Should I share my own teaching methods with a trainee instructor?

Not while they're still training. Other methods can clash with what their course is teaching them and leave them confused. Let them finish their training first. There'll be plenty of time to share your experience afterwards.

How do I support a Pilates instructor after they finish training?

Give them teaching opportunities that build up gradually so they grow at a steady pace. Expect them to find their own teaching style rather than copy yours. A team of different teaching voices makes a stronger studio.

How to mentor a new Pilates instructor without losing them

Naomi Di Fabio

Oct 3

2 min read

Reformer teacher training group in pilates studio

This mistake could cost you an exceptional teacher on your team.

Most studio owners and experienced instructors mean well when they mentor a new Pilates instructor. They just forget how it felt to be new.

Why new Pilates instructors lose confidence

When someone enrols on a Pilates teacher training course, they're excited and extremely nervous. They're giving a huge amount of time, and often some hard-earned money, to the chance of a new career doing something they love. You likely had a big part to play in that.

Take your mind back to when you were learning. Doing Pilates is one thing. Leading other people through it is something else entirely.

During teacher training, they're building their skills and their toolbox. Their confidence goes up and down. As a teacher trainer, part of my job is helping them build it one step at a time, with the skills they need.

Three mistakes that push new instructors away

You have years of teaching and continuing education behind you, so wanting to help is natural. Here's where it can go wrong:

Giving them too much information

When you share everything you know at once, you create a lot of confusion. A new instructor needs one clear thing to work on at a time. This happens within their teacher training.

Expecting too much, too soon

This is the worst one. Even after they've passed their Pilates teacher training, they are not the best teacher they will ever be. They are at the start. Can you remember what that was like?

Pointing out what they're doing wrong

It feels helpful, but it chips away at the confidence they're still building.

How to mentor a new Pilates instructor

Be kind and set your expectations right.

Give them space to practise and the freedom to make mistakes, because that's how we learn. Stop telling them what they're doing wrong. Start telling them what they're doing right, and build from there.

While they're training

Don't tell them how you do it differently. Let them complete their course and learn the basics. Undermining what's happening there won't help you get a great teacher.

After they've passed

Give them chances to grow into teaching gradually. Don't expect them to teach just like you straight away, or at all. They're not you. They're a different person.

You could have an exceptional teacher on your team, in time. Or you could destroy someone's confidence and their love of Pilates.

The line is thin.

Want instructors trained for your studio?

If you own or manage a studio and want to bring trained instructors into your team, get in touch. Tell me what your studio needs, and we'll talk through how Fearless Fitness Training Academy can help you train instructors who are ready to teach and confident in their own teaching voice.

Email Naomi