Once upon a time, in the olden days when I was in circus school, there was no such thing as a cell phone outside of the movies or the very rich (and even then they were HUGE and not at all smart – just a gigantic phone you could carry around). If I wanted to take video of myself in class, I had to use – no lie – a video camera WITH A VHS TAPE IN IT. Yes. It’s safe to say we’ve come a loooooong way! That said, is your phone a tool or a Big Giant Distraction during your aerial classes? One ringy-dingy….

YES to Phone!

While I prefer paper, lots of students keep notes in their phones. This is a great use of available technology! One of mah bebbehs is even keeping a photo record of the moves we do in class so she can mentally review between sessions. From reminders of moves to notes on technique, writing stuff down is a good thing.

I also allow and encourage students to video themselves during classes; there’s nothing like seeing that wonky knee bend (that I’ve hollered about 10,000 times) for yourself. Love you! Videoing classes or training can be a fantastic way to keep it real, and to keep yourself motivated, but (DING) if you leave (DING DING) your notifications on (VIBRATE VIBRATE VIBRATE)…

You might get sucked into…. THE DISTRACTION ZONE!!!!!!

Put that Damned Phone Away

If you’re anything like me, you absolutely cannot resist the siren song of a notification. It’s stupid, but so real. Thing is? It’s not only distracting to your student brain, it’s often super rude to the Sainted Teacher trying to get some good circus into you. Thankfully, we live in the future! There’s an app for that. You can:

• Turn off your notifications at the start of class.
• Use an app that blocks distractions.

Or, you know, have your teacher take your phone away if they see you facebooking during class. Cause I will do it.

If you have long breaks between turns*, you have options. Consider actually watching other students (you’ll learn A LOT). If this doesn’t work with your learning style, bring homework! I bring my PT toys and do all those exercises I totally meant to get to during the day.

(*Note for teachers: if you’re seeing a lot of phones coming out, or students disengaging from class, it might be time to revisit your pacing, or include and engage the group that’s not actually working. You can try talking through technique, pointing out similarities (“see that arch? that’s where you’re getting stuck too”), assigning conditioning, or adjusting the length of turns so folks get a rest, but not a slumber. )

Like so much of our modern lives, phones make for great employees, but terrible bosses. Give yourself that hour or 90 minutes to really be fully present! Show up for class with your whole self – Instagram will survive without you. For now. Love and pull-ups, Laura