We can all agree, giving corrections and assessment to your students can be a delicate thing. Long gone are the days when dance teachers used to just call you out by your name and tell you bluntly what you were doing wrong in the middle of class. Funny, how my generation seemed to love that kind of attention. Any attention from the teacher was good attention whether it was a compliment or feedback. It meant and was understood that the teacher noticed you and was taking an interest in you, your talent and your progress.
Sometimes nowadays, critique is not quite received the same way. Perhaps it’s due in part to the inundation of assessment that kids deal with in school or the incessant way in which they can be “judged” in everyday life. Unfortunately, with this palpable sensitivity, it’s hard to know where the boundaries are and how to juggle that with being an effective and invested teacher.
But my question is, “when did correction become a bad thing?” When did it come to mean you weren’t good enough, or the teacher “hates” you? When and how did that mindset come to be? And, why do we tend to associate negativity with critique, when given with the sole intention to help one progress? There is misunderstanding that needs to be resolved. It’s essential for teachers to always remember their intention for giving critique and to be as transparent with their students as they can. This helps to ensure comprehension. It’s time students understand that correction is par for the course. If they had no room for improvement then why bother coming to class? Even the most decorated professionals get corrected. The difference is how we give and take those corrections and what we do with them. It also has a great deal to do with the tone, delivery and the manner in which you make those corrections. Positive reinforcement is essential, but being direct and to the point can be beneficial as well. It’s a balancing act. Remember how you perceived your teachers. As a result, be aware of that and remember every student is different and may need varying approaches in order to understand the lesson you are trying to teach them.
But remember, as a teacher, your job is not only to give correction, but enable your dancers to understand that these tokens of love come from a place of good intention and experience. Reminding your students that receiving corrections from faculty should be looked as a gift, not as a sign of failure. This is the first step to ensuring your dancers have the most positive experience in the studio. To take it one step further, you may want to encourage the behavior and etiquette norm of having your dancers say “thank you” to a teacher after receiving a correction or answer to a question. It’s a good habit to instill and creates a constant reminder for them that they are being recognized. That someone is taking such a vested interest in their future. It is your responsibility to remind them that you are there for them; to teach, help, guide, support, mentor and yes…..correct them from time to time. Explain that each correction is a new bit of knowledge being offered to them that they can take with them to build upon their training and education. The more they know, the more they will succeed and that is a gift nobody will ever be able to take from them!
Good Luck!
See you in the studio,
Jess
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