Old Dogs and Model Students

At the other extreme, adults who want to juggle will listen very intently to everything you say, patiently practice, and take forever to do even the simplest task.

 

Loon explained, "At about age 20, it seems like the ability to learn deteriorates. Eleven­ and twelve-year-olds will learn balls in an hour, but it takes an adult two hours."

 

It's especially hard if they get into a rut of some bad habit, like the infamous two-ball shower. Loon said, "I have to stop them, and tell them, 'Yeah, you can juggle three that way, but that's the hard way.' Sometimes it takes standing there and shouting 'Throw!' before they are able to even let go of the third ball."

 

For that reason, good habits such as starting from either hand, good posture and ball placement are important at the beginning.

 

Sometimes, especially with adults and younger children, it is best to start with scarves to give them something relatively easy. Early success motivates them, and if other things are too tough, they can always go back and learn new tricks.

 

"They don't learn as quickly, but they have much more enthusiasm," Melonhead said of the older students he has taught. "And then when they get something, it's 'Wow!! This is neat!!' With teens it's 'Yah, sure, this is neat, now show me something else. '"

 

How to Avoid Neuroses, or "Don't Worry! Just Juggle!"

No matter how old students are, one of the most important factors is the good ol' PMA ­positive mental attitude. Everybody has plenty of opportunities in everyday life to get their psyches stomped. Your juggling workshop should not be one of them!

 

Yet sometimes the odds are stacked against students from the beginning. When asked for the number one problem with enrichment programs like the juggling workshop, Afterschool's outreach director, Linda Eiseley, responded, "It can be a wonderful opportunity for kids that want to be there. There is a problem, though, with kids who are put in these programs because the program interests only their parents."

 

The key requirement for her instructors is not academic credentials or experience. It is passion, a love for what they do, and the ability to break it down and share it with others. "The essence of enrichment is creating a connection that transfers the passion from the adult to the children... This is the way that hobby becomes avocation, a catalyst for a career. "

 

Positive Reinforcement. Positive Reinforcement. Positive Reinforcement.

This is the key to keeping students who aren't sure they want to be there interested in what is going on. Melonhead noted that there is always something positive to say. "You can say, 'I like the way you're catching, now we have to work on timing.' It's important to offer a lot of feedback, constantly."

 

Loon concurred. "Attitude is very important. A lot of people look at a juggler and immediately say 'I could never do that'. Until you change that view, you never can. As each person masters a skill, like scarves or balls, I pump them up, shake their hands, announce that they are an official juggler... It's a real blast to see the change in the roles they've cast for themselves."

 

In Loon's workshops, no one is allowed to say "I can't." And a major teaching tool is "The Little Engine That Could."

 

Damage Control

Of course, you could smile more than Vanna White and still have no guarantee that a student will cooperate. There are people who, for whatever reason, feel the need to be uncooperative and disruptive. The most important thing to remember in that situation is not to be confrontational. Aside from the fact that there are a lot of things around to throw at each other, remember that your job is not behavior management. You are there to teach people to juggle.

 

It is important to know where the behavior­control people are, though, whether they are teachers, conference coordinators, or (worst case) security. If the student will not cooperate with calm, reasonable requests, then simply stop the class long enough to get in touch with people who can take the person aside and resolve the difficulty. Then, while they are doing their job, you can continue with yours. This sometimes requires the patience of a right-fielder, but it is worth it. It will not only help your workshop run more smoothly, but also develop a professionalism that will serve you well in other workshops and shows (think about the heckler from hell, for example).