Children reluctant to join in the dance class: New students 2

When assembling the children prior to entering the dance space if a child is noticeably reluctant try asking whether he or she would like to help you lead the train.
A hand puppet or soft toy is useful in this situation as an intermediary. Introduce for example Dancing Bear (hand puppet) and perhaps say that it's the first time that Dancing Bear has come to the class and is feeling a bit shy (perhaps hide him a little behind your back).
Ask the children if they would wave to him so that he feels a little bit happier.
Then bring Dancing Bear slowly out from behind your back and make him wave to all the children. Pretend that he wants to tell you something. Mime 'listening' to him and say that he wants to thank the children for making friends with him. Also say that Dancing Bear would like to stand next to the 'reluctant' child to make a train into the dancing space if that's alright.

What to do when children who don't want to join in the dance class: New students

This is a question that is frequently asked of me by dance teachers new to teaching the early years age group. Possible methods of approach will vary according to the specific circumstance. For the next few posts I will attempt to offer practical help based on personal experience to the various situations that I have encountered during my teaching career. Let us take for example the situation when a young child of 3yrs is new to the class.

I am of the opinion that when teaching this age group it is far better for the teacher and the students if parents are not invited to sit in the studio or dance room. As I mentioned in an earlier post if the teacher meets the students outside the room as they are preparing to enter, this ensures that she can observe the children and familiarise herself with any obvious problems. By that I mean the child who may be shy or lacking in confidence or clinging to their parent or upset because they fell over in the car park or who haven't got their pink ballet shoes!

In fact with regard to ballet shoes it is my policy for the early years age group that all the children dance barefoot.

Dance teachers in the private dance sector may be approached by a protective parent who insists that their child is very shy and is not used to being left and therefore wishes to accompany them in the studio.

This situation could be largely avoided if it were made clear at registration that parents do not stay with the child in the dance class. A 'Showcase day' or 'Parent watching day' or 'Open House' can be offered as an invitation to all parents at the end of every term. Having said this there will undoubtedley be the odd occasion when a child on the day confronted with the new situation decides that she or he doesn't want to go into the studio without the parent. Or the parent thinks that the child doesn't want to go into the class without them! I have encountered parents who appear to consider that to have a clingy child in some way publically demonstrates how much their child loves them which consequently confirms their status as loving and good parents.

The first piece of advice therefore is that the teacher must know the parents. Knowing the parents and knowing the children and assessing their personality and relationship traits are key to the way in which a teacher responds to potential problems.

Proposal for a new qualification: Early Years Dance specialist

Before attempting to add this latest post I have spent some time investigating the courses and accreditation options available to those wishing to train to become practitioners or carers of early years. On investigation it seems that an accredited course or qualification for those wishing to teach dance to early years is absent. Even the availability of CPD courses are few in number and very general in content.
In the previous post I suggested that the teaching of dance to early years could be effectively taught by anyone with a competent level of physical demonstration together with knowledge of the stage of development of the specific age group. In addition they would also require an age appropriate dance programme on which they could reliably depend.
If such an accredited course was available I am convinced that there would be a take up by many young people (and not so young!) who are looking to work in the early years sector.
Imagine for example if a classroom assistant, a nursery assistant or a playworker also had
a specialism in early years dance. They would bring a new specialised skill to the workplace.
This would not only be of benefit to the centre of learning but more importantly to the children themselves.
Since creating the Lafour Prima Dance programme and running trial workshops in nursery schools I have become increasingly aware of the potential benefit that there would be to the takeup of this initiative.
I do have the expertise, the experience and an effective dance programme which has been trialled and tested. The workshops that I've run have been practical and for the purpose of accreditation would need to be 'academised'. It would be a very welcome project though and I would love the opportunity to develop such a course.
Admittedly it feels as though I am rather a lone voice on the subject but if this is an idea which resonates with anyone it would be interesting to hear your comments.

Dance teachers for different age groups

In the state sector it is rare that a teacher is qualified and employed to teach in Nursery, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, University and 3rd Age education. It is standard practice for most teachers in the education sector to pursue a career in one specific area. Not so dance teachers in the private sector. They are expected to teach all the age groups with equal confidence and competence. Surprisingly some of them actually manage to achieve this although I would suggest that if truth be told the majority are far more comfortable teaching one specific age or ability group. Teaching some classes can present a teacher with a weekly nightmare!It might be a class of adults, teenagers or the under fives or a combination of any of the three. Newly qualified teachers starting out in their careers who are at first simply trying to earn a living seldom have the luxury of choice in the matter. As feelance teachers they will often teach anywhere and to any age group.
It has been my privilege to travel around the UK and abroad teaching the Lafour Prima Dance syllabus. In my travels I have come across many people who do not possess the required physical demonstration and knowledge of dance technique to teach dance at an advanced technical level. They do however possess an acceptable standard of personal dance performance and a natural rapport with young children. These qualities in combination with a syllabus on which they can depend and a training programme which instructs and inspires almost guarantees that they become excellent communicators of dance to early years.

Teachers need to be effective communicators of their subject

The title contains an obvious statement and one which rings true in many an individuals' personal experience as student or teacher - or both.

As a student of dance, to be told by a teacher that a particular movement is not being performed correctly can be frustrating (even depressing) if the observation is not followed through with practical advice to enable the student to identify the problem and then work towards correction.
There are dance teachers who rely on their own proficient demonstration as a means of communicating knowledge of their subject to their students. In my experience this can only ever achieve limited success. The aim of the teacher is to assist students in the mastery of dance technique and artistic performance. The vital skill of identifying the faulty execution of a movement and then communicating methods of correction in such a way that students can understand is not always evident in the teaching practices of even the most 'qualified' dance teachers. There are teachers whose personal demonstration is of a highly commendable standard but who cannot understand or see for themselves why their students are unable to achieve a similar standard.
If teachers are either frustrated by the slow improvement or despairing of the no improvement in the students that they teach I would challenge them to look again at their own methods of communication.

• Why aren't the students making progress as expected?
• What don't they understand?
• What can be done to help them understand?

Dance Teacher Training and Qualifications

Deciding to train to become a dance teacher is the first step on what has become a complex and often confusing journey.
A plethora of colleges and universities offer courses of study to degree or diploma level. Degree status gained at universities and Further education colleges generally leads to employment in secondary schools and colleges in the public sector.

In the private dance sector students usually study to gain a teaching qualification from an awarding dance body or teaching society, enabling them to enter students for that organisation's examinations. The Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) currently has four registered and accredited dance awarding bodies.

The degree or diploma qualification gained in any of these 4 organisations is 'tied in' to the learning of the particular syllabus specific to the organisation offering the degree or diploma .

This is quite restrictive. Within the current system there seems to be little flexibility. In the private sector a teacher is locked in to the particular organisation which provided the training and accreditation. The current system also means that a teacher accredited by one Dance Organisation in the private sector would need to pay to register with another dance organisation.
There is also very little opportunity to move freely between the private and public sectors because of the different qualification requirements.

Would it not be clearer and simpler for there to be one qualification at degree or diploma level for all trainee dance teachers that would lead to a National Qualified Dance Teacher status ie A National qualification. This would demystify the confusing number of Dance Teaching qualifications currently available and provide parents with a recognisable qualification status when choosing a dance teacher and dance classes for their child.
Those with Qualified Dance Teacher status could then choose the syllabus or syllabi that they wish to teach rather than being locked in to one system over another. Surely this would allow teachers to teach more creatively and be free to think outside each Organisation's box.

Is it right that dance teachers are expected to teach all age groups?

One thought which I've been pondering is that a 'qualified' dance teacher in the private sector is expected to teach competently and effectively to all the age groups.In the academic sector there can be very few teachers qualified to teach their specialist subjects with equal skill and expertise to early years, primary, secondary,higher education, undergraduate and Third Age students.And yet this is the common expectation of most dance teachers in the private dance sector. In practice many dance teachers do have a preference with regard to the age group or standard of classes that they teach. In most cases this can be put down to where they feel the most comfortable, confident and effective as teachers.It might be teaching a particular age range or students who have gained a certain mastery of technique.
There is no option as far as I am aware in the private dance sector for a teacher in training to specialise in a specific category of dance training eg Early Years or Secondary. Would this be a welcome option and if it were possible how would it impact on dance teacher training, employment opportunities both in the private and academic sectors and consumer choice.