From the Mat to the Classroom

Since I was four years old, my life has revolved around gymnastics. What started out as a tumbling class at a rec center turned into an college scholarship at Southern Connecticut State University. The journey was long and hard, but I accomplished my main goal, which was to earn a gymnastics scholarship, and I am forever grateful. All the years of sweat, tears, adversity, and answers of "No, sorry. I have practice." from the "Hey, can you hang out tonight?" texts from my friends were completely worth it.

By this point, you're probably saying to yourself, "Oh, that's cool. She does gymnastics. But what does that have to do with teaching?" And to answer your question, a lot does, actually. The abundance of skills gymnastics has taught me throughout the sixteen years I've been involved in the sport are, I think, important skills that teachers should have. Here is a list of the ten, in no specific order, that I think will be the most beneficial as a teacher: 

Time management. Wake up, school, gymnastics practice, homework, sleep. Repeat. Training 20+ hours a week since I was 10 years old has made for very little time to do anything besides school, gymnastics, and homework. By having such a tight schedule for so many years, I've learned that I have to manage my time well in order to get sleep or do anything fun. As a teacher, you have to learn how to manage time during the school day in terms of how much time you want to spend on a certain subject or activity. If you do this well, your students will be successful. 

Perseverance. "Tough times don't last, but tough people do." I cannot tell you how many times I've wanted to quit gymnastics because of an injury or other difficult time. Sometimes, the stress was just too much. Other times, I wasn't having fun anymore. But, I stuck with it, and looking back, I'm so glad I did. As a teacher, there will inevitably be times you'll want to give up. Maybe you can't get this one student to do his homework, and you think you've tried everything. Keep looking for solutions, and believe that things will eventually get better. They always do. 

Patience. Accomplishing new skills in gymnastics does not come easy. Or it never did for me, anyways. There were always those girls who were more talented than me, and it sucked watching them get a skill in one day that I had been working on for months. But for me, I learned I had to be patient and that my time would come. In the teaching profession, working with kids always requires patience. Your students will push your buttons all the time in more ways than one, and you have to know how to cope with that in a positive way. Parents may also be a pain at times. Communicate and work with them if they have a problem.

Work ethic. "The only time success comes before hard work is in the dictionary." Gymnastics taught me that day in and day out, I had to work my butt off to see the results I wanted to see. All gymnasts know that in the sport, nothing is ever given to you. Everything you accomplish is because of the work you have put into it. As a teacher, the work you put in for your students directly influences their success. If you do not take the time to create developmentally appropriate lesson plans, for example, your students will not learn.

Determination. In gymnastics, I've undoubtedly failed more times than I've succeeded. But every time I've fallen down, I've gotten back up, because mistakes are inevitable and I know I'll reach my goals if I continue to work hard. As a teacher, you're going to mess up, and more times than once. What separates a good teacher from a great teacher is the ability to bounce back from those failures. Don't let the mistakes define you.

Social skills/communication. Although gymnastics isn't necessarily a team sport, I was with the same girls every day in the gym. Some of my closest friends are from gymnastics. We understood the demands of the sport and what it took to become the best. Our coaches knew that, too. They pushed us to our breaking points, but stressed the importance of letting them know if something was wrong. As a teacher, you have to know how to communicate with your students, the parents of your students, and the other teachers/professionals in your school. Lack of communication can lead to problems that could have been avoided.

Teamwork. Yes, I did just say gymnastics is highly individual, but most people don't realize there is a team side to it, as well, especially at the collegiate level. The average of a set of team scores throughout the regular season determines whether or not your team qualifies to the National Championships. As a teacher, you must know how to work together with your students, parents of students, and other teachers/professionals. For example, in order for a specific student in your class with an IEP to be successful, you have to communicate with each of his or her teachers, parents, and other professionals.

Leadership. As I grew older and continued to get better in gymnastics, I became a role model for the little girls in the gym. There was no better feeling than looking over at them and seeing them watching you. Knowing they were always watching, I had to be a good example. As a teacher, you need to be a good example for your students. Kids are going to copy what you do, whether it is good or bad. To avoid the bad, show them what a responsible adult looks like.

Love what you do. This goes for anything, but for gymnastics' sake, it taught me that if I had a passion for it, I would work hard and ultimately do well. The same can be said for teaching, or any other profession. If you don't love what you're doing, you're not going to put much effort into it, which means you will not be the best you can be.

Don't take any moment for granted. I started gymnastics sixteen years ago, and in two short years it will all be over. Everything I've known my whole life will suddenly be gone. So, I've learned to cherish every day, even the hard ones when I want to give up, because I know when I'm done with gymnastics, I'm going to want it all back. As a teacher, especially a new one, you have so many years ahead of you. Before you know it, though, the many years will have passed and you'll be on the path to retirement. Live in the moment and don't wish the time away.

From this list, as well as many other skills I didn't mention, I truly believe gymnastics is the best sport in the world. Sure, it's dangerous and injuries are bound to happen, but that's part of any sport. The lessons and skills I've learned from it will take me far in life. I'm who I am because of it, and I hope you at least consider putting your children in the sport.