Having a teaching assistant can be a great way to ease your class load a bit. Those who could benefit from having a student demonstrate for class include:
+ Older teachers or those with an injury. Instead of doing the movements yourself, you can utilize the student to communicate the movements for you. This is much easier on the body. I do it when I can, but if I keep teaching for much longer, I will need to rely on it more often!
+ Teachers with a heavy class load. A teaching assistant can ease the burden and help keep you from getting fried.
+ Studio owners who have a talented student who is in need. Using a gifted student as a demonstrator means they will get more class time and practice. This can be a good situation for a studio owner that wants to help out a family that cannot afford to pay for multiple classes.
Naturally there are others who can benefit from this type of situation, but the ones above stand out as reasons that I have seen it done. There are a few things you may want to keep in mind if you decide to go this route…
If you want to do this, be sure to spell out a set of clear expectations for the student who will be assisting you. This includes the length of time that you are going to have them demonstrate, how many classes you will use them in, and any behavioral issues that you may want to address. Make a plan to re-evaluate the situation periodically to be sure that it is working well for everyone involved. You will also want to determine if you will have a dress code for the student when they demonstrate for class.
My very first teacher used me as an assistant, and it was a great experience for me to get a little bit more work in on my technique. It also made me feel important–and special. I think it’s a great thing to do if you are able to make it work for your particular situation. If anyone has had an experience with this type of setup, I’d love to hear from you…
I was actually an assistant to my old instructor for about seven years. I think it’s a great tool for both the teacher and the assistant. It allowed me to learn and grow at a somewhat faster pace and also gave me experience with teaching.
Since my instructor taught so many classes it was nice for her to know that if she skipped something or forgot a step that she had me there to rely on.
I think it’s a great tool especially for larger classes. It helps the students to have another body to follow.
Yes! I didn’t really mention that it gives you experience w/ teaching, did I? But it does! Excellent point. Thanks!
i was an assistant to someone else in their dance ministry, it was a wonderful experience to teach those 20 willing young ladies!
great article…
Thanks so much for the comment! Nice to know you had a good experience with being an assistant too!