Maria’s little dancers have experienced their share of tragedy lately. She shares her experiences and how she helped her young ones cope, plus some resources to help you help your students if or when tragedy strikes.
Teaching
Acknowledging the Person Before the Dancer
Sometimes as educators we get caught up in the act of teaching and forget the people we are mentoring. Unless the children you have in your studio have a reason to connect to your material, the extent of your reach will be limited and your influence fleeting. Heather provides insight to help you structure your class as a guided experience rather than a traditional lesson plan.
“And Remember To Smile!”
Do you now remind your students to smile as they enter their dance examinations or auditions? Angeline’s article challenges the practice of telling dance students to smile en route to an exam, noting that it may hinder instead of help many students. We ask you, what are some alternatives?
Become The Ultimate Trickster
One of my mentors once told me, “if you make em’ laugh, they will listen to you.” It’s so so true! In honor of Halloween, I thought I would post my secrets of being the ultimate trickster dance teacher and making my students laugh. Think magicians are the only ones who get to be tricksters […]
Dancer in Distress – Help Your Student Manage Chronic Illness or Long-Term Injury
There are practical and emotional considerations a teacher must make when their student is managing long-term injury, illnesses, or disease. It’s not an easy time for anyone but this thorough and thoughtful post by Angeline will help both you and your student cope.
From Questioning to Concert: Making Concert Dance Work
In the era of standardized assessment, there is a lot of talk about “teaching to the test”. While this generally refers to classroom teachers catering content and delivery to what may appear on those standardized tests, there is a fair amount of that happening in the dance classroom, too. What should be an exhilarating adventure […]
