r/pilatesinstructors

Time for a bit of a heavier conversation starter today, but I think it's an important one.
I want to share my worst experience from a gym I used to teach at.

The people in charge of scheduling and managing the classes lied to me multiple times about different things. They always acted like they were in the right and like they were being so friendly about it, but behind the scenes it was a completely different story. I got lied to and sidelined more than once.

The real breaking point for me was watching how other instructors got treated, too. People got passed over, their classes got cancelled without anyone even telling them. That whole vibe was something I just couldn't accept anymore, and honestly none of us should have to.

At the end of the day, we are the heart and soul of the studio or the classes we teach. Without instructors, nothing runs. So we really don't have to put up with being lied to, gaslit, or treated as replaceable.

I want this thread to be a space where we share our stories with each other. What happened to you? What's a line you've drawn with a studio or gym, and what made you draw it?

Let's trade stories and tips here so we all leave with a clearer sense of what's a normal part of the job and what's actually a red flag worth walking away from.

Just wondering if I should consider anything before hosting free mat pilates classes for my apartment. I would need to get my own insurance, which is fine

For starters I think I'd host it in our gym, which has a good amount of free space (probably fits 15 people), and maybe I'd host it outside on nice days. I think people will be fine with the gym floor (bit spongey) and a towel, as we have limited mats

I am classically trained, and am a new instructor so fairly closely following my training even in regular classes (which is very infrequent - I just sub currently every month or so at my big box gym). I plan to do strictly classical with this group though, and keep it very beginner-friendly/all-levels, with the idea they can google the sequence when they're home and continue their practice on their own. I might even print off a small sheet with the exercises we do so they have a reference