I've been in the dance world since I was three years old and have been assisting or teaching the majority of it. I love teaching and dancing, but when it comes to teaching, you learn a lot about yourself. A teacher is a teacher no matter what genre you teach whether if you teach in traditional school or an art studio. When dealing with a lot of people, you will have thoughts on certain things that occur. Being a dance teacher makes life more interesting and you learn to deal with creative and diva centered people. Here are some thoughts that I've heard from my fellow dance teachers.
1. This is going to be a great year, I'm so ready to start the year again.
It's a great start to the year.
Photo by John Fornander on Unsplash
Just like in regular school, some teachers get excited to meet their new students and see old faces. When you start your dance teaching career, you tend to be more hopeful. As you gain more and more experience, you tend to start dreading the start of the year because you have that one student that makes your life hell. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy teaching and love children. It's just that all teachers have that one kid every year that makes them want to pull their hair out by the end of the year.
2. If Susie Q cries for her mom again, I'm going to pull my hair out.
Child dancing
Photo by John Fornander on Unsplash
It's not that we are heartless people who won't help a crying child, but if a child cries every class for mommy or daddy then you need to find a new hobby for your child or wait until they are ready. Crying disrupts classes and the child doesn't learn anything because they aren't paying attention. That is a waste of money on a lot of ends, so do us all a favor and wait until your child is ready.
3. What the hell is that child wearing?
Dancer
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When your child shows up to Ballet class in clothes other than pink tights, black leotard, and a bun, then you aren't teaching your child discipline. I'm all for children being creative, but there should be structure when it comes to learning things. As your child ages, that's when they can start wearing extra things that we often see in dance movies and shows. I'm not one of those people that agrees with some of the costumes that children are wearing for dance competitions. I understand that as they become adults that they can make their own choices on what they wear but to put a child in a tiny two-piece costume with a suggestive song, that makes me cringe as a teacher.
4. If this kid starts complaining about her hurt self, I'm going to scream.
hurt knees
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We all have that kid that complains every class. This shows what separates passion and hobby in the dance world. I wouldn't want a child that is truly hurt to hurt the place even more. As a teacher, you begin to see who is faking it and who is truly hurt. That kid that is always complaining truly seeks attention that sometimes isn't had at home. If a parent puts a child into dance to make sure they have time for other things, that's is disheartening and has happened. I always expect my students to try their best and sometimes their best ends up in injury. That is where a teacher would teach them what muscles to use and when to use them.
5. If I hear this song one more time, I will seriously cut the music cord.
Ballet Barre
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We all get tired of things. When you eat that dish too many times. It becomes less fun and exciting the more you do something. The same goes for when a dance teacher wants to use a song for a recital or competition dance. My mom, who is a dance teacher, always says to use a song that you don't know so when you get tired of it that it's not a big deal. So if your favorite song is "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars, don't use it as a competition or recital number. Save your favorite songs for a gym session or a car ride to make it fun.
There are a lot more thoughts that run through a dance teachers head. All kinds of teachers have a lot of similarities in thought processes because we all have that end goal to teach a child or adult how to do something. You learn more about teaching while teaching than learning the processes because different minds learn different ways. Dance can be dangerous due to the different tricks involved, but for the most part, it's fun. Being a dance teacher has its perks especially if you love children. To see them light up when they understand a step makes your night or afternoon. It truly is a wonderful experience, but there are those few negative thoughts that run through every dance teacher's head.
