teacher – Page 2

Teaching Tip: Using An Assistant

November 30, 2009 by 4dancers

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… [Read more…]

Dance Class: Substituting For Another Teacher

November 23, 2009 by 4dancers

If you have ever had to substitute for another dance teacher you know how hard it can be. People don’t like change, and dancers become especially accustomed to having a particular routine. Recently I had to have a young lady step in to teach for me because I was traveling and it made me think about how challenging it is to be a sub.

Teaching for someone else can be a very difficult task, but there are ways to make it easier. Here are a few things that have worked for me:

+ Do your own thing. Don’t try to be like the person who was teaching the class, instead, do what you are comfortable with. You will feel more confident and things will go more smoothly. The students will adapt.

+ Ignore those odd stares you’ll get the first class or two. Some students will not like the change–especially at first. This has nothing to do with you. The other teacher has had time to develop a rapport with the students and you are new. Expect a few ruffled feathers and don’t take it personally… [Read more…]

Getting The Most Out Of Dance Class

October 25, 2009 by 4dancers

1-26-2009 11;56;44 AM Taking class is a big part of every dancer’s life. Here are some tips for getting the most out of every hour you spend in the studio:

+ Listen to all the corrections. Just because the teacher didn’t direct a correction to you specifically doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from it.

+ Don’t get mirror-dependent. It can be easy to rely on the mirror too much for your dancing. Practice not looking too.

+ Change things up. Don’t stand at the same place at the barre every time (I know it’s hard!). Go in the first group if you usually wait until last. Do things differently and challenge yourself–it will pay off in the long run.

+ Warm up properly. Don’t get to class and expect plies to do the trick for you. Go early. Warm up well. You’ll be glad you did and your body will thank you. Plus, this is just a good habit to get into… [Read more…]

Teaching Tip: Delivering Corrections

August 24, 2009 by 4dancers

teach When you give a student a correction in class you expect them to change their dancing based on your input. But what if a student continues to need the same correction over and over again? It may be that they just aren’t listening, but it could also be your delivery.

If you aren’t getting results with a correction, try phrasing it in a different way. Perhaps use more detail, or try a metaphor and see if that works. Since each student is an individual, what makes sense to one may totally confuse another. [Read more…]

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