#37 and 38

Finish the first weekend of my 37th and 38th MC classes of the season. One more weekend and the season will be finished. I am sure that withdrawal will set in. This weekend two instructors came by the site just to hang out. They were already missing the teaching.

Nice teaching weekend

Half way there

Finished my fourth weekend teaching Motorcycles class Saturday/Sunday 7-7 in a row. Four more to go and the teaching season is over. Believe it or not, while a little tired, this is such a blast. My encourage this weekend came during the wrapup of the classes. During the sharing the last bit of information, one of the students interjected with "Jeff, I you are the man. You really know how to teach this stuff. I am going to tell everyone to take this class and try get you" I turned a little rosie in the cheeks and see thank you.

7 weekends to go

The motorcycle teaching season won't be around much longer. I teach morning and afternoon from 7-7 Sat and Sun for the next 7 weekends. Then the season will be over. It's been a heck of a long season but all for a purpose. I am so blessed to be able to earn extra money doing something so fun and important that has also helped me to make a dent in my consumer debt. In the end, I will have taught 38 twenty hour basic motorcycle classes this season. Come November, the Concours will be paided off as well.

Too many classes and generous students

In 9 days, I taught five twenty hour motorcycle classes. 7 of the days were conducted in what felt like boot melting heat. The last two days were in the 90's and happened to be on black asphalt. There was a moment of beginning to feel the effects of heat exhaustion. Lucky for me, it was at 1:00 p.m. when the morning class was ending and we spend the first hour of the 1:30 class inside. I needed that time to cool off and pump up the fluids. I did consume roughly 6 liters of water a day and 2-3 Gatorade's.

Now for the encouragement. For the Monday -Friday 6-10 p.m. classes, I was blown away by Dave, one of the students. 8 of 9 had passed the class and the class was a lot of fun to work with in spite of the heat. We sell shirts and hats to assist with the funding for an end of the year banquet. As we were wrapping up the class paperwork with the students, Dave wrote a $20 check for a long sleeve t-shirt. Dave asked me to step outside with him for just a moment. Once outside he pulls out $160 and I immediately thought, time to give the speech my pay is plenty. However he quickly send there are 8 students in the class and give them all a long sleeve t-shirt courtesy of him. His only request is that I let him leave a few minutes before the others so that he didn't get all kinds of thank you's. We went back in the trailer and Dave left a few moments later. The fellow students were wowed by Dave's generosity as I told them they all get a shirt courtesy of Dave. In these tough times, such acts of generosity will leave an impression on the riders and myself.

Two days later at the end of the morning weekend class, Kevin, another student comments on our tools. We replaced a clutch lever that morning. He asked if he could donate a small tool box to make repairs a little easier. No problem we said. A half hour later he shows up with a 260 piece Craftsman Mechanics tool set in a self contained toolbox with drawers still wrapped in the box. It was more meaningful to him that picking up some t-shirts.

So there it is, lots of generosity that I have to believe is a slight indication to the quality of our instruction. Even though I have taught over 20 classes so far this season (many to go still) I remind myself at the beginning of each class that this is often there first experience ever with a motorcycle. And what an honor it is that I get to be a part of it. Just as important, when remembering that it is such a blast to do what we do in facilitating people to ride a motorcycle for the first time!

Jeffry

Cuff links and all

I enjoy the variety of people taking the motorcycle classes with me. I had a first this last weekend. A rider with cuff links. Theo did great in the class and was a pleasure to work with. He did it with style.

Yes I did ride to work

Okay I didn't ride to the full time job. However, I did ride the Concours to the part time job teaching motorcycle classes. I guess that I not only Road to Work but I only got to Ride for Work (riding the demonstrations for the class). I am a lucky man.