Network Magazine Winter 2017 | Page 43

GX SKILLS: CLASS COVER PROTOCOL By establishing and following a clear class cover process, you can minimise the problems that come with instructor cancellations and last-minute no-shows. WORDS: LEISL KLAEBE f you teach group exercise, or manage those who do, the question of what happens when the regular instructor can’t show up to class will be a familiar one. Without an established process in place to address such eventualities, it can also prove to be a continual headache. Let’s look at the 101’s of group ex cover procedures – as well as some basic team manners in relation to covering classes. I The GFM’s role If you’re the GFM, you want your timetable to run like a well-oiled machine. This doesn’t mean that you should be frantically running around behind the scenes to sort out everyone’s problems: rather, you should be empowering your team to take responsibility for themselves. Build a culture of ownership As the GFM, you need to ensure that everyone on your instructor team knows that if their name is on a class, they are responsible for teaching or covering that class – not you, not anybody else. Reiterate this regularly and make sure all new team members are aware of this. Build a culture among your team in which their class is gold. Discourage covers and encourage instructors to own their class and their timeslot and be consistent with it. They are not just the instructor that happens to deliver that class: it is their class. Members will come back to a class regularly when they feel the instructor cares enough to turn up for them every week. Occasionally though, whether due to planned holidays or unforeseen circumstances, even the most diligent instructors will require cover. Let Facebook do the hard yards Set up a closed Instructor Facebook group for your club’s instructors and relevant staff. Create a protocol whereby this is the primary method for finding covers. All team members should be a part of this group and check it regularly. When a member of your team posts in the Instructor Facebook group requesting a cover, ask them to tag people who are qualified to teach that program or who have covered the class in the past. Provide a contact list Provide an instructor contact list with teaching qualifications, phone numbers and email contacts. Email this to your team and pin it to the Instructor Facebook group so it’s readily available. Keep this updated so all information is current and new members of your team are included. Follow a process By establishing a process, and making it known to all team members, you will reduce the problems and confusion that come with instructor cancellations and last-minute no- shows. The following steps form the basis of a very effective cover process. 1. All covers must be confirmed in advance with the GFM in writing. 2. The instructor that is getting their class covered must also confirm with their NETWORK WINTER 2017 | 43