6 Things Great Dance Teachers Do in Every Class
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Part of a dance teacher’s job is to help students to love and appreciate the art of dance.[/caption]
A dance teacher has a very important job –instructing and teaching the next generation of dancers!
Superb dancers often have their dance teachers to thank. After all, without excellent teaching, it would be difficult for a dancer to master the techniques necessary to advance.
If you’re a dance teacher who’s looking to create an environment that cultivates exceptional dancers, you’ll want to make sure you’re providing your students with everything they need to thrive and grow. Here are six things that great dance teachers do in every class. Which ones do you do?
1. Exercise Patience
Patience is a difficult quality for anyone to exercise, and dance teachers are no exception. Much of a dance teacher’s career is spent teaching the same steps over and over, and practicing the same moves again and again to help students develop a skill. Teaching requires a great deal of patience and also involves recognizing that everyone learns differently, and at a different pace. Great teachers won’t get frustrated with different learners, instead they’ll try to meet the students where they’re at and work with them to bring them up to speed.
2. Exhibit Professionalism
Following on from patience, dance teachers also need to be professional –even when the going gets tough! Their dance classes should run on time and finish on time. Dance teachers are also able to answer every question –even the tedious ones, with a smile.
3. Encourage Students
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” –Mark Van Doren
A great dance teacher should provide encouragement to their students. While it can be tricky to balance out encouragement with correction, being able to provide both honest critiques and genuine praise can help a student to excel. Gently suggest ways for your students to improve, and be sure to encourage them as they progress. Your students will thank you when they find that their routines are improving.
4. Show Respect
An excellent dance teacher will be sensitive to students, and their individual needs. Being a teacher isn’t about reminding the students that you’re more advanced than they are; instead it’s about being able to meet your students at their level, and helping them to improve.
5. Make the Complex Simple
“The average teacher explains complexity; the gifted teacher reveals simplicity.” — Robert Brault
A great teacher is able to translate even difficult dance moves, in a way that makes sense to each of the students. This is no small task –but a great teacher is willing to communicate concepts in different ways until everyone understands them. Taking the time to reach out to each student –even the ones who may require more explaining is something that excellent teachers are willing to do.
6. Inspire Others
Finally, you may not realize it, but as a dance teacher –you inspire others every time you teach. Your students are looking to you as their role model –and your routine is what they aspire to. Don’t forget that you’re an inspiration –keep up the good work!
Great dance teachers are easy to spot –they love dance, and enjoy sharing their love of dance with others. If you’re passionate about dancing, and have the role of teaching –one of the most important things that you can do is to convey what you love about dance to your students. By showing them the beauty of dance, you’ll give them a reason to be inspired too.
“The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself.” — Edward Bulwer-Lytton
What else do great teachers do in every class? Share with us in the comments!
Image: UCI UC Irvine
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