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Permalink Reply by Sadie 'Spins' Yancey on August 11, 2010 at 6:21pm

I'd really love to hear what you've learned along these lines this year. I've been contemplating similar things... here's some of what I have...

- With regard to advanced students feeling like they're teaching a class...that's their choice, and good practice for when they want to teach on their own. I've been trying to spread out the teaching duty so it's not just 2 or 3 of us teaching everyone, but learning from someone slightly more advanced. I've been personally asking others (esp former students) to step up and talk to strangers and teach what they know. Giving more advanced hoopers the encouragement to teach is new type of encouragement and helps my flow.

- Someone at hoopcon mentioned a rule their bellydance jam has... once you learn a trick, you have to teach it to someone before you can learn another. I haven't put this into action in our jams, she said it worked very well for them, cause teaching a trick really cements the knowledge and gives an appreciation for the effort in teaching

- we had a 'STFU and Spin' hour at a spin jam and that worked pretty well. That jam ran 3 hrs a week and 1 hour was loud music, no talking. It worked well to get people focused and less chatty chatty chatty

- weather... we've had an awesome summer for heat, so even when it rains it clears up fast, and it's not that cold. I love hooping in the rain! For regular events it's nice to be about to say 'rain or shine'... I try to avoid creating doubt about whether or not jam is happening