Student pole ratio - safety

Charley started this discussion · 6/21/2010

I recently read somwhere that 1 student per pole isn't safe...mind you the example they gave was 10 poles/ 10 students...however we have 6 and max out at 5. Can someone think of any reason this is not a safe way to teach? I am able to spot everyone, with everyone on a pole they are able to work on transitions and spins while I spot and work individually with a student. In very basic classes we are all able to link transitional moves together and I can run around correcting hand position and posture and really knick bad habits right away. Everyone takes turns doing theirt spins so we can all watch and mainly so I can work with them 1 to 1. I like my classes because students have to time to practice movement and dance while they are learning tricks.

15 replies

Judy Jovanelly · 6/21/2010
whaaaaa ? 1 per pole not safe ??? personally i don't agree. in my studio we have 8 poles. 99 percent of the time our classes are 1 per pole, or less (occasionally we have a couple poles with 2 on them). so far, it has not presented any problems. of course, no one in our classes is at an advanced level -- we have only 1 or 2 students (with solid gymnastics backgrounds) who have the form and strength to properly do a simple invert. once we get more who are able, we will definitely keep the class size smaller. in addition to my instructor, i am always on hand during classes anyway, so we always have 2 sets of eyes on the students. this will continue thru all levels. do you remember where you read that? i'd like a look myself....
cococutie007 · 6/21/2010
I find this weird too. Maybe they were alluding to 10 pole as too many in a class? and maybe questioning whether that's to many to safely keep an eye on. I've heard or read that somewhere. Just trying to see it a different way and how it could be spun. We have 11 poles and cap at 10 and I do same as you Charley make my way around spotting, giving pointers, and correcting technique. While I'm working the room others can practice whatever it is we're doing at the time then we all go as a group a few times. I have found if nothing else people want their own pole in class. My folks do not like to share. They look at me with serious side-eye 😕 if they see a bunch of girls in the lobby and make a beeline for their pole to make sure they get one.
Charley · 6/21/2010
I have taught classes with only 4 poles and 3 to a pole...it's a different teaching style and I did find that for me I felt like we focused more on tricks than movement. This worked fine. I had a lot a huge percentage of retention and the girls made friends. It was a good environment. The bad things was classes were 90 minutes, sometimes longer and the major issue was people coming late or having to leave early. When I began teaching at PoleFIT I saw the opportunity to teach movement and teach pole DANCE and I requested that classes be shorter 60 minutes and only open to 1 student per pole. I make less miney this way but I am able to provide a product I am really proud of. I am really proud that my students learn tranistions and floor work. I make everyone do a warm up dance and we take time to learn how to get into the music...we do also work on tricks...I find having this type of class allows me to work with multiple levels of ability and give one to one attention. If I had more than 5 students I would certainly get an assitant/intern. I think there are many ways to structure a class that works, I am just wondering WHY the 1/pole is unsafe.
miss fern · 6/21/2010
I think it's most likely that they were saying 10 students to one teacher wasn't very safe. However if they really are talking about poles to students ratio, then maybe their logic is that the students have too much opportunity to do stuff behind the teacher's back, and too much opportunity to wear themselves out, resulting in injury? I think 1 pole per student is a great arrangement. I personally prefer 2 to a pole, because they learn a lot from watching eachother, and most have more fun this way since they generally come with friends anyway. Plus I like it prevents them from over doing it and wearing themselves out to the point they get wrist burn through sloopy technique because they are tired etc etc. But that's just personal taste. I've taught many classes with 1 pole each too. I find that I am much busier in these classes funnily enough! And to be honest, I've had rogue students disobeying me and trying to invert behind my back etc - and it happened in a 1-pole-each class, and in a casual/shared pole class. So I don't think you can use that as an argument either way, personally.
amcut · 6/22/2010
Personally, I shy away from pole sharing. I don't like cooling down without stretching and it ALWAYS happens when you share a pole. Booooo pole share. Boooo. But I love full classes! Mm! Mm! I don't know how you talented pole instructors keep up, but I LOVE THEM. Yeah, I do! Chic Physique has a big room, and when it's full... the demanding instructor bosses us into submission. There's no chance of us being bad, or sloppy. She must have seven sets of eyes. Anyways, the big room has such amazing comraderie. I imagine it is more stressful than a 5 student max room... but so much more enjoyable!
nymphdancer · 6/26/2010
I don't like cooling down without stretching and it ALWAYS happens when you share a pole. Booooo pole share. Boooo. That has not been the case in my experience. If you have two to a pole you can still do a good stretching cool down both without using the pole, and with two to one pole one on either side.
amcut · 6/27/2010
Oh no! I mean staying warm? It's just hard. I'll get all warmed up, and then gawk at everyone else because it's not my turn.. and then I'll be cold and the next day I'll feel like an 80 year old.
Charley · 6/27/2010
If I were to go back to 2/pole which I might, I would separate them, one group being forced to work the call and floor and the other group doing pole then switch 😀 For now though, there is no conclusive evidence it seems, to suggest that 1/1 ratio is unsafe. So I am going to keep on keeping on 🥂
NerdasaurusJess · 7/29/2010
I also believe it isn't the number of poles per student but students per teacher, thus also regarding to how many poles you need to watch. I could see someones argument about 10 students being unsafe with one teacher. One reason may be the factor of room (I doubt this is a problem with your studio) unfortunately I have seen studios with their poles way too close together. I am amazed no one has hurt themselves. Another reason is perhaps they think it would be to hard to watch 10 students for good form and injury prevention. Another argument is when you get into inverts and they are learning how could you possibly spot 10 people. your students are probably not in that extreme beginner stage and you may not have a.d.d like I do .
ottersocks · 7/29/2010
We have 10 poles at Poletential and are frequently full. We almost never have ladies share poles, we try to cap the class at 10. I have never had a problem teaching and spotting that many women. All of our classes are mixed levels, so I am able to focus on the ones who are learning a new move, while the ladies who already have it can practice it without my constant attention--although I do make a point to get to everyone and work with them at some point in the class. I teach 10 beginners at a time and am able to work on form and troubleshoot with all of them. Because we're mixed levels, it hasn't happened where we'd have 10 ladies learning to invert at once--that would be a challenge for sure. When I did teach an all-inverts clinic, I capped it at 6, and for the very hard new stuff had them double up on poles so I only had to spot 3 at a time. Our room is HUGE so I certainly get a workout getting around to everyone! 😀
Charley · 7/29/2010
I think it depends on the teacher too. For example if I had 10 poles I could manage a "Sexy Pole" choreo class just fine, but I wouldn't want to teach 10 ppl to invert like you said ottersocks. I also have to look at it like this, home students who take Veena's course will spend all of their time of their practice at their pole - we are all responsible for knowing when to take a break. I haven't heard any conclusive evidence saying that learning from online sites or DVD's is dangerous and that you should have a friend with you so you can take turns. (unless doing more advanced work which requires spotting people.)
meechelle · 8/11/2010
HELLO! the topic caught my eye.. i'm prolly late on it... So here's my 2 cents.. it depends on what you're teaching and how you care for your students. If you are unable to take charge and let them know they are not to do a trick until you are able to spot them, 10 students to 1 teacher IS unsafe. I always show the trick break it down and have them pay attention before they start touching the pole. I'm pretty nit picky about them knowing how NOT to hurt themselves when the trick is more difficult. If they are trying a trick without your help and they do not appear they will be able to get into on their own I just kindly let them know I will definitely help them with it on their turn. I've never had an issue with students in my classes and i've had up to 12 doing intermediate stuff 🙂 *knock on wood*
Bellz · 8/13/2010
In my class, we have 2 poles total. We learn a move on the main pole, with our teacher (the wonderful incredible Michelle Mynx) teaching us and spotting us, ect. and then we move to the second pole to work on it a few more times. That way, she can see everything we are doing. I do NOT believe that you can "spot" anyone that you're more than a few feet away from. "Spotting" implies (in my mind) "if you fall, I got ya!" If you're not near me, you wont catch me. I personally enjoy the one on one...there's no.."wait...where's her hand?...what'd she do with her foot?" Just my opinion....I don;t think it's unsafe to have multiple poles, it just depends on the level and what you're doing. I do not think people should try inverted moves without a spotter RIGHT there...but no one needs spotters for spins usually......
Mary Ellyn · 8/21/2010
Hey Bellz...having talked with Michelle about her program when she was here I understand how it works and it does work for her. The fact is that as Meechelle mentioned it depends on how and what you are teaching. There is no one correct answer. However while it's very difficult to spot someone on a spin, it's actually needed in some cases. You have to watch your students and know their abilities before you ever allow them to try that first spin...which is why we teach several moves prior to allowing them to spin for the first time. I've had students trip and fall trying to spin, as well as tangle their legs so badly around the pole that they could injure their shin or ankle if I wasn't there to support them. Just to note a freak accident...I was watching a girl dancing where her feet were sticking to the floor...she came down on her heel when pivoting, intead of using the ball of her foot, and her leg turned but her foot didn't and she actually dislocated her knee! 😲
Bellz · 8/21/2010
ooowwww!!!! omg!!!!!!!