The 5 Mistakes Most New Movement Teachers Make(And what actually builds a long, sustainable career)

When you qualify as a Pilates or yoga teacher, there’s a moment of quiet pride.
You’ve done the training. You’ve passed the exams. You’re officially “ready.”

And yet, for many new teachers, the first year can feel surprisingly disorientating.

You might be fully booked one month and panicking the next.
You might be teaching constantly but earning very little.
You might find yourself with less - or no - time to actually practise your craft.
You might even start questioning whether you made the right decision at all.

After more than fifteen years in sales before retraining as a movement teacher - and now years into teaching Pilates, yoga, breathwork, and clinical rehabilitation - I see the same patterns repeat again and again.

Here are the five most common mistakes I see most new teachers make.
Not because they’re careless - but because no one teaches you this part.

1. Trying to Teach Everything to Everyone

Many new teachers believe versatility is the key to success, so they say yes to everything.

Early morning mat.
Late evening reformer.
HIIT one day, restorative the next.
Pregnancy clients, athletes, anxious beginners — all taught with the same voice, the same cues, the same energy.

Different class plans for every session.

The result?
A scattered nervous system — and a scattered brand.

Clients don’t remember you for being available.
They remember you for being specific.

You don’t need to niche aggressively - but you do need a point of gravity.
A feeling. A tone. A promise.

Depth builds loyalty far faster than breadth.

2. Undercharging (and Calling It “Experience”)

This one is uncomfortable - but important.

When teachers consistently undercharge, the impact goes far beyond the individual.

Low rates quietly reset expectations. Not just for one teacher, but for everyone working alongside them.

Studios begin to see skilled teaching as interchangeable.
Rates stagnate.
Experience is undervalued.
And longevity becomes harder to sustain.

This isn’t about blame.

Many teachers undercharge because they don’t yet know what’s reasonable, or they feel pressure to be “grateful” for work.

But the reality is this.

When skilled teachers accept unsustainable rates, it allows studios to normalise undervaluing teaching as a profession. And once that standard is set, it is very difficult to undo.

Teaching Pilates is not casual labour.
It requires training, responsibility, presence, preparation, and care.

Charging appropriately:

• protects your own nervous system

• signals the value of the work

• supports fellow teachers

• and helps raise the baseline for the profession as a whole

Fair pay is not selfish.
It’s professional.

You have spent thousands of pounds on training.
Do not apologise for being paid accordingly.

3. Teaching from the Script, Not the Room

In the early days, it’s normal to cling to plans.
To memorise sequences.
To teach what you think you should teach.

But the most impactful teachers aren’t performing - they’re listening.

Reading the room.

They notice breath patterns, nervous energy, subtle fatigue, emotional tone.

Clients don’t return because the choreography was clever.
They return because they felt seen.

Technique matters.
But presence matters more.

4. Ignoring the Business Side (Then Resenting It)

Here’s the truth many teacher trainings avoid.

Once you qualify, you’re not just a teacher.
You’re a business owner.
You’re a sales professional.
You’re a marketer.

You are a brand.

Marketing, pricing, boundaries, and communication aren’t sell-outs.
They’re what make your work sustainable.

Ignoring the business side of teaching doesn’t make you purer.
It makes you exhausted.

Get an accountant.
Or use something like Xero or QuickBooks.
But make sure you know your numbers.

Know what you earn.
Know what you spend.
Know what you need to charge to support your life, your training, and your nervous system.

Numbers don’t lie.

I spent years in sales before entering the wellness world, and I can say this with certainty.
Selling ethically is simply helping people say yes to something that supports their health.

You can be values-led and financially literate.
The two are not in conflict.

5. Class-Planning from Instagram

Social media is an incredible source of inspiration and entertainment.
But it is not a syllabus.

One of the most common mistakes new teachers make is building classes from what they’ve just watched online — stitching together visually impressive movements without understanding why they’re there.

There is a fundamental difference between dance-led choreography designed for visual impact and simple, effective Pilates or yoga movements that build strength, range of motion, and control.

Simple does not mean boring.
In fact, simplicity is often where the deepest work happens.

Clients don’t get stronger because an exercise was novel.
They get stronger because the nervous system recognises a pattern, refines it, and learns to control it.

To get good at any skill - whether it’s a teaser, a squat, or spinal articulation - you have to do it again and again.
You have to put in the hours.
You have to allow repetition to do its quiet work.

This is the work.

If everything in your class is different every week, clients may feel entertained - but they won’t be progressing.

Progress comes from revisiting fundamentals, layering awareness, refining execution, and allowing mastery to emerge over time.

As teachers, our job isn’t to perform.
It’s to help people move better in their bodies -today, and for years to come.

A Final Thought

Teaching movement isn’t just about anatomy or choreography.
It’s about nervous systems - including your own.

The most respected teachers I know didn’t rush.
They listened.
They charged appropriately.
They stayed curious.

And they built careers that could hold them - not drain them.

If you’re at the beginning, trust this:

You don’t need to do more.
You need to do less — with intention.

If you’re early in your teaching career and want guidance navigating pay, boundaries, class design, and longevity, I offer private mentoring for movement teachers.

Details and applications are available as part of my Excellence Rituals professional development channel.

Feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear from you.