Today was the first time I went to class this week. I was working a lot this week, and that always seems to make me more tired. (Gee, I wonder why! ) So, there was a 4:30 class for bodon belts (my current belt level) that I went to, and then I followed it up with "my" helping class of new white belts at 5:15. The classes in my school are 45 minutes long. When I started here, I thought that was impossibly short for a class and how could anyone possibly learn anything in that time. Since then, I've gotten used to it. The shorter class allows me to put a higher concentration and effort into everything. I'm usually very tired by the end of class and ready for it to be done. Funny how we adapt, eh? I'm working on learning the form for first degree black belt, Kum-Gah (or something like that). It involves more balance and being able to spin your body around. (Things I'm not very good at... ) I'm finding it very challenging and it's really keeping my attention. During the white belt "basics" class, my job is an assistant instructor. There is a main instructor for the class, and usually 3 or 4 assistants. The main instructor gives the overall directions and sets the pace of the class. The assistants walk around and offer individual help, keep the kids in lines so they don't kick eachother, problem-solve, and teach the forms when we break up into smaller groups. We also hold target paddles for kicking practice, which happens almost every class. I volunteered to be an assistant instructor. There's a specific "Leadership Team" set up through the school that I'm part of. In a lot of schools, once you reach a higher rank it's expected that you'll help out. Sometimes a lot. In my previous tkd school, I was teaching more than I was getting to be a student, and I grew to resent that because I felt I was being taken advantage of. (Since I was paying a lot of money for the priviledge of working there...) In this school, if I wanted to ONLY be a student, I could do that. I happen to like teaching, and having one specific class per week that I'm responsible to makes it more meaningful for me. I can choose what classes I want to attend during the week as a student, knowing that I'll be the student (not teacher) during those times, and I practice my teaching during my assigned class. I think it works very well. I'm also planning to go to class tomorrow at noon. That's an "all belts" class, and is usually one that is intensive on the physical exercises rather than on specific techniques and drills. Noon classes usually have me sweating buckets the whole time. It's fun, but it's haaaaarrrrd work!