New Dance Teachers, Let the Season Begin
New Students, New Teachers, New World
This is the time of year where you’re introducing students to the concept of dance class. They don’t know the etiquette or rules or what’s even supposed to be happening. This is the time where you set the tone of class and to establish yourself as the head of that class.
For younger kids, a big empty room with mirrors and barres can be intimidating…or it’s like their own personal playground. Make sure you know which kid is which so you can get on those troublemakers right off the bat.
It’s your job to explain who you are, how class works, and what is expected of the students. That means you’re the boss and you lead the class how you want. They don’t have to know why, they just have to listen to you because you know what’s best for them. Safety and respect go hand-in-hand which means everyone respects the space they’re in: no hanging on the barres, no kicking the walls, doing what the teacher says, giving each other space to move, and being aware of the surroundings. The students have to learn to trust you.
Class Expectations
Make the start of your class a routine. Do you want to be greeted by your students? What do they call you? Do you want them to come into class to put their shoes on or outside? Do you want them to bring in their water bottles? Do you start class taking attendance or with a weekly question? Do you start with a warmup right away? The students should expect the same thing every single week. Teach them your rules and expectations and then remind them at the beginning of class for the first few weeks. Repeat when new students sign up late.
You’re setting the foundation for how these kids interact with you. If you’re a new teacher, it’s very VERY important that you don’t give in to your students’ every request or question. You’ll quickly become a doormat and you’ll be walked all over. You need to have the confidence to say no without explanation, to not answer questions the kids can figure out the answers to on their own, and to set expectations high so you can adjust as needed later.
Some questions I do not answer directly are:
“When does class end” / “when are we done” / “when can I go home” / “what time is it?”
Depending on the kid, I’ll say, “we have a million hours left, you have to spend the night here” or simply, “I don’t answer that question”. Sometimes, they don’t want to be there and that’s okay, but they’re there now so they have to follow through.
“Can you play ________song?"
My response is that I’m not a DJ. Only on very special occasions will I put on the song they want and only when they haven’t asked me to.
“Can we do nothing” / “do we have to?”
“No” and “Yep” are appropriate here.
“Is it like this” / “am I doing it right?”
I repeatedly have to tell students who ask this to try a couple times before asking me or to ask more specific questions. Eventually, they’ll catch themselves. It’s hard to get rid of the need for instant gratification. It’s really a habit they have to break.
Some questions I’ll always allow are:
“Can I go to the bathroom?”
I’ll always say yes unless we're almost done with something and I’ll ask them if they can hold on a minute.
“Can I get some water?”
Same thing. Usually a yes, but if we’re in the middle of an exercise, I’ll ask them to wait.
Personally, I’m not big on “may I…” or “please”. I don’t need a please when they’re asking the question with a respectful tone and is implied. I am, however, really big on a “thank you”, “see you next week”, “bye” or a bow at the end of class. The students need to acknowledge the end of class and thank the teacher somehow.
For all students, I suggest they be totally ready for class before they set foot in the studio. They can bring in their things, set them down in a designated spot. For little kids, they should sit down in the center. As I ask them questions or greet them, I’m taking attendance. Personally, I allow some controlled chaos, but you might get overwhelmed with the amount of talking coming at you if your class is particularly excitable.
Once we have a short chat, we warmup or play a game then warmup. The rest of class follows a familiar structure for the kids. We do a focused center exercise, we go across the floor, we play a game, we go back to center for another exercise or choreography. Choreo should never be the main objective in class. They need to learn and practice and upkeep their technique.
Come up with a hand signal, call and response, or use a bell when you need the class’ attention. One I used for my mini tap team was I would say, “Lazerrr!!” and they’d respond, “FOCUS!”. I’ve also employed the quiet camel hand signal, but that’s not as effective in my experience.
Knowing your Students
I think the key to connecting with students is meeting them where they’re at developmentally and setting high expectations for their age.
5-7 love fun and games, usually chaotic. Love learning new things, but they want to be good right away.
8-10 can be quite literal and love rules and challenges. They also want to be good at everything right away,
11-13 are more conscious of themselves, insecure, watch out for perfectionism, but they’re still kids.
14-16 are looking for independence, they can be insecure, watch out for comparisons, they want to have fun and make a name for themselves, but they’re still kids.
17-18 are practically adults, they work really hard, confidence is usually back, but they’re still kids.
What I mean when I say, “they’re still kids” is that they don’t know everything, they’re going to make mistakes, and you can still teach them. They will hide injuries from you so you need to be able to tell them when to sit out if you see any sign of pain. They don’t want to sit out. You have to make them.
Some adults are very scared of middle schoolers and teenagers, but most of the time these kids are the most insecure people. That’s why they’re mean or take on a posture of superiority. They got a lot going on at home, in their bodies, with each other. It’s a whirlwind of feelings and needs and when they don’t feel secure, they can get pretty nasty and lash out before they feel hurt themselves. It’s a way to control the situation as much as they are able to. Totally normal, but they need to be taught how to navigate those feelings (which isn’t your job, by the way).
Kids can also be very protective of their other teachers. Maybe you’re subbing a class and a teen challenges you in some way, either by calling out the differences between you and their teacher or trying to sit out and not participate. They’re just not used to you and you might have to explain that this is you teaching, not their usual teacher, but you’re still in charge. Not everything is going to be the same between teachers because we all come from different backgrounds.
As a teacher, you have to be solid. You have to be the example of confidence and show that you’re not personally insulted by anything they say. They push buttons to see if you’ll reject them. That’s not just for tweens and teens either. Any kid can push you for a number of reasons. Either to see how much they can get away with, to see if you’ll reject them, to see if they can get a rise out of you, to see if they can be passive aggressive with you. Don’t let a kid even think they can manipulate you. As teachers, we must be more stubborn than our students.
In any case, you need to hold them responsible for the things they say and do. They’re not allowed to say something out of pocket and then everyone moves on. Teachable moments are everywhere and sometimes that means upsetting your students. If the teachable moment applies to the entire class, do it for the entire class. If it’s for a single kid, do it in private.
What I’m trying to tell you is…
Be confident
Read the room
Don’t take anything personally
Be decisive
Teach!
If you’re not feeling confident when in the studio, I suggest creating lesson plans as detailed as you need them. Just be prepared to adjust on the fly. You’ll learn! Make your playlists, too. Set songs to specific exercises. When in doubt, get back to basics and really nitpick technique.
Don’t be wishy-washy. When you make a decision, stick to it and only change once if you need to change. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be solid. You can even acknowledge that it’s not what you originally wanted, but you’re continuing with it anyway. This helps teach the kids that you don’t need to be perfect.
