If you have taught dance for a while, chances are good that you have run across a difficult student or two in your time. If you are new, you may be caught a bit off-guard by some of the things that can happen in the classroom.

Having some strategies in place to deal with things such as outbursts, resistance to certain exercises or too much talking is key. Some tricks you learn as you go, but there are also resources out there that can help you anticipate these issues and be ready with a response. Here are a few good ones that you can draw from:

+ If you have a “bully” in your class, check out Dance Advantage’s post on that topic and stop things before they get out of hand.

+ This sheet isn’t designed specifically for dance class, but it has good tips on how to cope with behaviors like shyness, complaining and talking in class.

+ Having rules and reminding students of what those rules are can help cut down on bad classroom behavior. The rules will vary based on the age of the students, as well as the philosopy of the teacher, but it is a good idea to have some in place.