The Problem: Teachers get lost in their agendas and forget to be empathetic to students.

You might be muttering, “I don’t have an inner yoga teacher.” But please consider Amanda Reynolds’ words before submitting that verdict. She’s an amazing yoga instructor. I know because I’ve taken a lot of her classes. She’s compassionate, gentle, and encouraging. She empowers stiff students to open. If you interact with Amanda outside of the studio, however, you’ll be struck by her intense Ayurvedic Pita nature. She’s enthusiastic, active, focused, and competitive. She kids me that I’m a pita too. Guilty! Amanda’s story is relevant because her daytime job is to teach high school English. She uses her yoga background to channel, and at times mask, her intensity, build relationships, and engage students,  

The stunning Amanda Reynolds

The Hack: Use compassion to build relationships and foster engagement.

• Engage your intuition.
• Ask this youngster, “How are you doing today?”
• Ask your students a courageous question. 

Strive to interact with students compassionately and in the process, gain valuable insight into them and how you can make your class more engaging.

Listen to “26-Amanda Reynolds and Channeling Your Inner Yoga Teacher” on Spreaker.