If you are feeling burnt out and wonder if your dance students are able to tell…guess what? They already know.
Chances are good that by the time you are feeling fried, you have been teaching on auto-pilot for a while already. Students are the first to notice. What is the best remedy? It’s different for everyone, but here are some simple things you can try to shake off the blahs:
+ Take a class. Mine some ideas from another teacher. It’s ok. You’ll put your own stamp on them. It’s good to get new perspectives and we can all learn from each other. This is a great way to find new things to do in class.
+ Take a break. Get a substitute and go to the movies for the day. Sometimes just clearing your head is all that is needed to refresh yourself. This can be especially true if you teach multiple classes. It’s hard to give your all when you are constantly going.
+ Take suggestions. Sometimes I ask students to choose the exercises that we will work on in the center. This helps you get a feel for what they like and it also changes up the atmosphere a bit. Great for when you feel you are in a rut.
+ Take someone with. Bring a friend to watch class or ask a fellow instructor to sit in and give you some pointers. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m at my best when I have an audience. Plus, you may get some good feedback on what you could do better.
+ Try a new approach. It’s easy to get into the habit of doing the same combinations over and over again. Change it up. Feeling stuck for ideas? Check out Inside Ballet Technique for some new combinations. It’s a great resource.
Great post! Sometimes it’s hard to know if you are burnt out, lately I have been trying to take cues from the students… you are absolutely right about them being the first ones to tell you. Thank you for the tips!
It really is hard! Hope something in these tips will help you the next time! Thanks for the comment Maria.