How much time is reasonable to plan a Zumba class? PLEASE GIVE INSIGHTS
I have one Zumba instructor who teaches two 1 hour classes per week. In addition to those hours we pay her for teaching, she puts down 6 – 8 hours per week for planning/prepping for those classes and for learning new songs and material. I am happy to pay my instrcutors for planning within reason – I do not teach Zumba or any choreographed classes myself, so I am not sure what is a reasonable time to expect for learning new songs/choreography etc. Any insights into what might be fair would be great! 8 hours seems like a lot to me…
Wow, I would love to work someplace that pays me for my prep time! I always thought it was my own responsibility to come up with class plans/choreography, just as it is my own responsibility to attend continuing education, etc. to maintain my certification.
That being said, I agree with Joanne and Karin that it does take a significant amount of prep, especially for a new instructor, to develop their classes. I had group fitness experience prior to obtaining my Zumba license, so my prep time initially was about 4 hours for the very first class I taught (learning the music and choreographing steps or learning choreography), and has since decreased to about 30 minutes a week for each class format I currently teach.
Sarah’s last paragraph sums it up well; as instructors, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel for every class – our students want some consistency in order to not have to be mentally thrown for a loop and can just focus on the workout itself. For my Zumba classes, I keep most of the same routines for weeks, just mix in a new song or two every few classes and/or play with the lineup of songs to keep it fresh. 6-8 hours every week is absolutely excessive. If you provided 1 hour a week for prep time, that is wonderful! Do your other group fitness instructors receive the same benefit? Especially those who may teach more than one format or who have multiple certifications and experience?