As the dance season starts to wind down, we believe this is the best time to reflect on your students growth and evaluate where they currently are, where they want to go and what their potential is. One of the keys in the evaluation process is to look at how they apply their corrections and how eager they are to get to the next level. As teachers it is our responsibility to connect with each student to see what can be done to help them advance. Even if they are not moving to the next level, it is important to show that they are advancing in their overall progress and that staying in a certain level for another year doesn't mean that they will be repeating all that they have already learned. Learning something is very different from being able to apply it. Here are some key points to focus on while you are evaluating each student.
1. Keep your focus on the studentdont let parents get in the way! This is always a tricky situation. Most parents want to push their child to the more advanced level of a class before the dancer is ready to do so. It is important to show each parent the reasons why the level you are recommending is best for their childs progress. I have had other parents say that they don't care about their child getting any better, they just want them to have fun! This one really gets me. It is sad that some people equate getting better with not being fun. I will talk to the parent and give them the analogy of the child who plays the piano and all they ever learn is Chopsticks. How long do you think that young musician would stay with it? Not very. They would be bored to tears and quit. Dance is the same way. Students need to learn and grow. If they do, you will keep them as your students for a very long time. People need to advance, if only in their minds! The key is getting parents to understand this.
2. Get students beyond the making mistakes mentality. Sometimes students can be harder on themselves than the teacher is. We do not allow our students to use any phrase that begins with I cant. If they say it they are certainly thinking it. We like to tell them that, You have two choicesyou can say I can or I can't, either way you are right! I have seen many a student who just gets so bogged down and disappointed in their progress that they forget to see how far they have come! The key is to identify each dancers strengths and weaknesses and work from there. Being receptive to your corrections is the biggest asset any student can possess. Students who are given the same corrections over and over again may need a sit down to explore how to help them better process the correction.
3. Get students beyond the know-it-all attitude. When a student has a know-it-all attitude, it is disruptive for the entire class and beyond. Students with this mindset rarely progress and usually end up being more trouble than anything else. We have seen students of all levels fall into this unfortunate mindset, and usually believe that most of these students are being feed poisonous ideas from parents or friends. This is one of the toughest problems to have with a student. Try sitting down with the parents and student to see if you can identify where the problem lies.
4. Build a strong relationship of trust. When your students believe in you, you will develop a strong bond of trust with that student. If your students trust you they will believe and accept your assessment of their progress and focus on what they need to do to improve. By the same token though, you dont want to become too friendly with your students. If they view you as a friend, hearing your assessment may cause hurt feelings. Be friendly but not a friend, this is especially important advice for young teachers who may be just a few years older than their students. Every year we encourage our faculty to help us evaluate each student. Just as we tell our teachers, keep in mind that whether a student is a recreational or a serious dancer, every one of them wants to know that they are noticed and that you care about their progress. If you can convey that, you will have students who will follow you to the ends of the earth!
