We are always being asked the question, 'Where can I find good teachers?'
Honestly it is not an easy job and tends to being very time consuming and sometimes frustrating. I learned a long time ago that it is a better idea to always be looking for teachers than to wait until you actually need them.
As with most studios, there are moments when we desperately need to find a teacher either because we simply cannot do everything or we do not feel totally secure in a particular style of dance. Perhaps a teacher just gets up and leaves for some reason or they become sick or pregnant or you find it necessary to let them go. Whatever the reason is, it is always better to have someone waiting in the wings than to have to put on a crazed search.
FINDING CANDIDATES
To start off with search, I suggest posting your requirements on www.dance.net.com. I have found that I get the best results from this particular website. Generally the teachers who apply for my job posting from this site are more professional and experienced. We have been more successful by placing the ads under the 'teaching jobs' section and also going to the 'teachers for hire' section where teachers who are looking for work put their posting up. You can then just email them if you feel they might be a possibility. I do also use Craig’s list, but have found that the majority of teachers that apply from there are very young and with little experience. There is a fee for advertising on dance.net—perhaps $20 to $25 for a month, but it is well worth it as it targets the right people. I receive dozens of job applications.
If your studio is within commuting distance to a large city, I would also recommend faxing any of the large studio conglomerates with your ad for teachers. They will put it on their teacher bulletin board and you could very possibly receive CVs from teachers working there.
From time to time a teacher has just called or walked through our door at the right time too! So there really not just one way to find the right teachers for your studio.
Once I have looked through all the email responses and have narrowed it down to what I feel are the most likely candidates, I will call them personally. I like to do that myself because very often you can get a good sense of what a person is like by talking to them. After that, if I like what I hear, I ask them either to come up and teach a class for me or if that is out of the question for whatever reason then I will ask them to come to my studio for an interview. I will also ask them to bring any extra information that they have about their qualifications or experience, as well as a DVD of their choreography.
THE INTERVIEW
I try to schedule all teacher interviews on the same day with small intervals between them. First of all it is easier for me to be available for one block of time and also it is not a bad idea for the teacher to understand that they are not the only ones being interviewed. If they teach a class as part of the process, I like to watch it not only to see how much knowledge they have, but also to make sure that they have a really positive way of passing that knowledge on to the students.
I show them the studio and always explain to them that we work as a team and that it is very important to us that the teachers have a similar energy level and that, even though we are going in different directions, our goals are in line with each other.
The next question that I always ask prospective teachers is for them to tell me what they want to get out of teaching at our studio and also for themselves. Listen carefully to the answer to this one because, although most dance teachers are extremely committed to bringing out the best in their students, there are some who are really only interested in the paycheck and not in the well being of either the children or your studio. You really want people on board who are going to be wonderful, caring teachers and who are totally supportive of your studio and mission.
I also like to ask a teacher about their lesson plans. If they don’t have any, that will be a sure sign that they are not prepared for their classes. I emphasize the importance of being early for their first class and above all being reliable. Even if they are the most talented teacher in the world, if they are unreliable it is the kiss of death for your business. You cannot run your studio successfully if you are on tenterhooks because you never know whether they will show up on time or perhaps not at all, leaving you floundering around trying to cover classes.
It is important to find out what the teacher is looking for as far as payment. I usually ask them because I want to hear from them what their salary expectations are. If they give me an outrageous figure and I really like the teacher I will try to come to an agreement that will keep them happy, but be within our budget. I always try to be fair, but on the other hand if we are not able to stay in business we will not be hiring anyone. Usually a younger, less experienced teacher will start at a lower scale and be able to build it up with longevity.
Generally I will tell the teacher at the end of the interview or class that I will get back to them within the week. I don’t like to leave them hanging for too long. One other question that I ask is whether or not they are available for subbing because sometimes if you can use them in that way to start off, it can give you a really good idea of how they fit in at your studio.
HIRING
You probably need to be ready to go through a few interviews before you make your decision, however sometimes you just know that a particular teacher is the right one for your studio and you will hire them on the spot. Remember though that if you hire carefully, firings will be kept to a minimum.
Once you have decided on a particular teacher or teachers you need to get them signed to a contract as soon as possible because, if they are good, you can be sure someone else will scoop them up! Along with the contract we send them a Teacher Manual that explains clearly to them how we run the studio; this way the experience for the students and parents is similar no matter who is teaching.
We do not interfere in their classes, but if there is a problem child or an issue that arises we like it to be handled the same way by every teacher. We like our teachers to only have to teach and choreograph, and not have to worry about how we run the studio. Our Teacher Manual also takes the guesswork out of everything for the teacher that doesn’t involve dance.
There is no absolute 100-percent foolproof method to hiring teachers, but I have found over the years that this system works well. Most importantly, I look for teachers all year round, so that I constantly have a file of qualified professionals to choose from, all of whom had an interest of teaching at our studio.
