By Silvia Mordini

We’ve all been that new teacher, so excited and eager to teach and grow. For many of us that process has been made more difficult due to lack of conscious teacher mentors. It is not enough to have a teacher trainer but beyond a teacher training we all would benefit from helping one another: teachers helping teachers. Here are some suggestions from over fifteen years experience, and more than 11,000 hours of teaching.

1. Experienced teachers can mentor newer teachers:

* Make it easier for someone else.

* Take someone under your wing. Proactively reach out to them and offer support (instead of waiting for them to reach out to you.) Give them a place to ask questions.

2. Share your resources and what you know. Make the intent of your social media efforts first and foremost about education.

* Offer something for free. Not because its karma yoga but just because sharing yoga in the world makes it easier for other teachers.

* The best teachers are educators and give freely like Sadie Nardini and Seanne Corne and Kathryn Budig

3. Teach fewer classes

* We can make things better by reducing teacher burn-out. Too many of us teach too much reducing the quality of our offerings. When you can’t remember if you just said something you’re only half showing up and students deserve better.

* If you’re too busy to be a student and take a class you’re teaching too much.

4. Take responsibility for the professionalism of yoga as a career.

* The more we hold ourselves up to a high standard of integrity the more others will appreciate what we do.

* IF we’re not professional how can we expect to create a universal positive reputation.

5. Appreciate each other and appreciate ourselves

* Put in place a planned self-care program. The more you make time to receive and demonstrate self-love the eeasier it is to take a few minutes per wee to support and appreciate fellow teachers.

* What this doesn’t mean is making this visible in social mediate to appear more yogic. Do it quietly too. Try not to get credit.

* Send thank you emails

* Call someone you know teaches and tell them you see their effort.

* Be a grown up this doesn’t mean posting ocmments for each other on facebook with over used hearts and love you’s.

* Say something more meanigufl and specific otherwise the I love yo’s are becoming too generic.

6. And above all take each other’s classes.

* Showing up on the mat is one of the easiest ways to show you appreciate fellow teachers.

Let’s a pledge where sharing, collaboration, education, professionalism and appreciation are promoted by us as an entire tribe. May we commit to inclusivity so as not to leave anyone out because as teachers there is an implied agreement we are all in the same tribe.

Love yourself, love your day, love your life!

Silvia