What makes a good instructor

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bellaM

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I've been teaching for about 8 months now at a riding school, and sometimes I have days when I doubt myself, like today I was teaching a young girl on a pony that is usually well behaved and will jump anything, today it wouldn't, the young girl fell off, she was fine but then went to take the horse over another jump, I was stood next to and the bloody thing swerved and came right at me to which some 4 word expletives popped out. My boss didn't look very happy and I just felt a bit bad about myself so what qualities make a good instructor?
 
Resilience and experience! Don't let it get you down...you can't psychically control the horses on behalf of your clients.
Caring is another good quality - and you obviously do care so are well on the road to being a great instructor.
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I once had an instructor who was always like "is this boring? do you want to carry on. oh im so sorry if that didn't help" and was really unconfident - thats bad! I would say confident and kind, escpecially to unsure children. Make it benificial but fun and different!
 
Patience. Tells the student why to do something, not just JFDI. Adapts their style for different students and horses. The very best (like mine) understand how their students' minds work and adapt to it (I am an engineer so she uses mechanical terms on how my and Charlie's bones and muscles are working).
 
In my opinion, someone who can be calm and confident when everything is going wrong. Firm but kind enough to realise when not to say anything. Having mine and my horses best interests at heart.
Knowledgeable and prepared to spend the time needed when required.
An angel in other words, no wonder they are so hard to find.
 
Someone caring and fun.

An instructor that can laugh and find something entertaining about the world crashing around their ears really takes the pressure of the pupil.

I have had 2 like this and feel very lucky. My previous instructor managed to make every lesson I had fun, even if I came off, or really had a shocker of a lesson we always had a laugh.
 
defiantly patience, and also an understanding that every person learns in a different way, and one thing that works for one person might not work for another. try not to doubt yourself either, i know its hard though because i do it all the time!

good luck xx
 
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