Building an Impeccable Dance Teacher Reputation for a Lifetime
As a dance teacher the one thing you have that can make or break you is your reputation. How you conduct yourself with your boss and with your students, parents and fellow faculty members says a lot about you.
Here is a key factor in your growth as a dance teacher: If you are not conducting yourself properly, then you jeopardize your worth to your employer and your very employment.
So, what tips can I share with you that can make or break your reputation?
If you want to excel in all that you do, follow the "Three B's" rule to improve your position and increase your value at any studio where you teach.
Be on time
Be professional
Be prepared
Sound's easy enough! Yet there are teachers who, for whatever reason, do not follow these simple rules for advancement.
During our years of teaching teachers at training programs, we have been asked many times by them, what is it that increases teachers’ value to their employers and how can they create demand for themselves? We have always given them the "Three B's" rule. Of course, you need to have knowledge and understand how to deliver that knowledge to your students, but without the Three B's, the rest really doesn’t matter.
1. Always—and I mean always—BE ON TIME! Even better, always be at least fifteen minutes early. Out of all the studio owners I have spoken with, this was their biggest pet peeve! Being late is the one factor that will drive your boss crazy. It doesn’t matter if you are the best teacher on the planet. If you can’t be on time, no one will want to hire you for anything, and will not be willing to recommend you to anyone either. In the dance school business, classes must start and end on time. Our clients are way too busy, running around shopping, picking up other kids and working. If a child’s class is always starting late or finishing late, this will be an irritant. If you are always late, this will signal to your employer that you are not serious, that you can’t be counted on and that you are unreliable—not the kind of reputation you need to have following you around. If you have been late in the past, make it your business to change or you will never achieve the kind of success you truly desire.
2. Being Professional has many facets. First you must dress the part. Looking well groomed and ready to teach the class in the right look is very important. Being professional also means not befriending your students, their parents or complaining to other faculty or staff about your boss. If you have an issue that needs to be addressed, talk to the person who can rectify the problem not commiserate with you. A professional is also open to ideas and constructive advice on how to do it better. A professional is eager and willing to study and take classes and seminars to enhance their own knowledge. A true professional that is not hung up on themselves and will always put their students first, ahead of their own ego. Being a true professional also means not trying to take the students of the studio you are teaching at if you decide to open your own business. Remember what goes around comes around. I can assure you being professional and adhering to these tips will make you stand out in a crowd.
3. Always Be Prepared. Again, something you think would be a no brainer but I have seen first hand how teachers will teach a class with no plan in mind. Coming up with new and exciting content is not easy and may take you some time each week, but it will be a BIG key to successful classes. Think of it this way. If you were a surgeon, would you walk into surgery without any thought as to what procedure you were going to follow? Of course not! Make a plan each week, and proceed with the plan. Make it flexible so you can change direction if needed, but I recommend that you never go into a class not knowing what you are going to do. That is one of the big reasons we created Dance Teacher Web. To give you instant access to videos, lesson plans and teaching tips to keep you current and creative. A well-thought-out class plan will make your classes a big hit at any studio you teach at!
Follow these simple rules and you have will ALWAYS be a shining star in the dance teaching industry!
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