Yoga for Children is Key to Social Emotional Learning
Updated: September 27, 2024
By Robyn Parets, Founder of Pretzel Kids
You may have heard that yoga in schools can help students relax, get fit and regulate their emotions. It also helps improve social emotional learning (SEL).
What exactly is social emotional learning (SEL)? It’s a way of learning that helps students comprehend their emotions, foster a healthy identity, and express empathy. These behaviors can then help students make positive decisions and build healthy relationships with others, according to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
Yoga, combined with meditation and mindfulness techniques, helps children of all ages deal with stress and enhance their physical and mental wellness. Better yet, yoga fits in well with an SEL curriculum, either during the school day or as part of an after-school program.
To this end, it’s no surprise that yoga and mindfulness programs and instructors are in high demand right now. And, if you’re wondering how to hire a yoga teacher for your school or afterschool program, you’ve come to the right place!
Here are our top 3 tips to launch a yoga program in your school or facility:
1. Reach Out to a Trusted Kids Yoga Company to Place a Teacher in Your School
If you ask us, this is the fastest and easiest solution. Since you’re not a yoga expert and have little to no time to hire a yoga teacher for kids, why not leave this to the experts? For example, with one call to Pretzel Kids, you’re on your way to bringing Pretzel Kids yoga classes into your school.
Here’s how it works:
- Schedule a call to let us know what day or time works best for your school, along with any other specifics.
- We will then place one of our vetted and trained instructors at your school.
- We provide you with registration and parent forms (if needed or requested by you).
- We invoice you for the classes.
- Voila! That’s it. Our teacher shows up and leads a fun, interactive yoga class. You relax and know your students are in good hands!
2. Implement a Proven Yoga and SEL Program at Your School
While hiring a yoga teacher might be the easiest way to implement classes right away, there are other options, especially if your budget is limited.
If you have a staff member who is available and interested in teaching yoga for kids, you might want to consider purchasing an online kids yoga teacher teaching training course and digital subscription.
While many yoga companies offer online training and digital tools (like videos and printables), not all of these programs are created equal. And, while saving money might be a key priority, the cheapest course out there isn’t usually the highest quality program. (So, beware and look for value and support above price alone.)
Here are top questions to ask yourself when seeking to train a staff member and implement an in-house children’s yoga and SEL program at your school or location:
- Is the yoga training course run by a trusted company that has experience running children’s yoga classes in schools?
- Does the kids yoga company also offer support and digital tools to help your students learn yoga and mindfulness skills?
- Does the training company specifically teach your staff member(s) how to teach yoga in schools?
- Does the children’s yoga company offer ongoing training opportunities, coaching, and lesson plans to use in your classes?
- Does the company help you inform parents and others about your school’s program via a web platform, branded marketing materials, and parent resources?
While you can start by doing a Google search for children’s yoga teacher training programs, this might lead you down a rabbit hole. Instead, why not contact Pretzel Kids as we check all the boxes above with a program you and your students will love (and yes, we offer the best ongoing support in the children’s yoga space!)
3. Hire a Yoga Teacher for Children with One Easy Search
If you prefer to interview and hire a kids yoga instructor directly, you could post the job on hiring sites. But that takes time, effort and money.
Instead, why not go right to Pretzel Kids and click Find a Yoga Teacher Near Me? If there’s a teacher in your area, you can then send them a message directly and start the hiring process.
To learn more about how Pretzel Kids can help you and your students, let’s talk!
About Robyn
Robyn Parets is the founder and CEO of Pretzel Kids.
