Out of water

Despite my best efforts, I have yet to find a good substitute for my NJ gym.  I have tried to do more walking, jogging, biking, and this year I even teach aerobics 1-2 times a week to a group of students.  I love teaching and it gets me sweating once a week, but it still isn't the same.  So I continue to try to find ways to stay active.

A few weeks ago, a friend convinced me to try an aqua-kick class in a nearby town.  I packed up my swimsuit, towel, goggles, flip flops and swim cap and off we went.  We arrived but were turned away because we didn't have official doctor's letters declaring our good health.  

Last Friday we tried again.  This was a aqua-pilates class.  Our doctor's notes were sufficient, although I never actually had to see a doctor to get one.  My friend just told the doctor I taught aerobics and that was apparently enough evidence for the Italian doctor. 

 We went into the special pool--small, extra warm water, and shallow--and joined the 5 people walking in a slow circle around the pool. As we walked, we were supposed to raise our knees each time and sway our arms back and forth.  

The teacher stood in the center of the circle.  I couldn't see what anyone was doing, because they were underwater.  But somehow, the teacher knew I was doing everything wrong.  I got in trouble for looking at her to see what I was supposed to be doing instead of facing forward.  Then I got in trouble for not swaying my arms enough.  My arms didn't even reach the water.  Everyone else's were underwater, so how would you even know if they were swaying!  I also got in trouble for telling her I didn't understand something.  "I can see you don't understand, that's why I have to tell you AGAIN," she said, as kindly as one can say something like that.  We pretty much walked in a circle with various arm movements (swaying, circles forward, circles back, circles with one arm, circles with the other arm) for 45 minutes.  At least, that's what I did and I have no clue if that's what I was supposed to do.  While it kept me moving, this was no substitute for my gym classes.

I didn't expect to understand anything, and I didn't.  But I did think I could watch others and figure out what to do.  I couldn't.  I did expect to get some exercise.  That didn't really happen either.  What did happen was I again realized what the students who don't speak English as a first language feel like in my math class.  Why they so often look lost.  Why they don't laugh at my jokes, or respond when I ask questions.  They just don't understand.  Not the math, not the equations or the numbers, but the language.  They are trying with all their might to understand, but they don't.  I forget that, but Friday night I remembered exactly what it's like to be in their shoes.

So I didn't get much exercise on Friday, but I got a good story.  And some good reminders about what I can do, here, to be a better teacher between now and May.  So the night was not a waste.  And there is another aqua-kick class on Thursday.  I hear in that one, the teacher is outside the water and you get to watch to see what you should do.  So maybe, just maybe, I'll try again. . .