Students of all levels and varying degrees of interest have one common goal: The desire to improve! If, at all levels, you can show that they have increased their knowledge, skills level and their overall ability to express themselves, they will come back to your classes over and over again.

Did you have a year in which you had a high drop-out rate? If yes this simple little technique can help reverse that trend. You can be the most knowledgeable teacher out there, but if you do not give your students the sense that they are improving and that you are aware of this improvement, your success will be limited. Everyone needs to show improvement and every student does. The level and amount of improvement will vary, but as the teacher you need to point it out and then remind each one of how far they have come.

What is the science behind this belief?

Wallace Wattles did several studies and has written books on the subject. In The Science of Getting Rich, published 100 years ago he writes:

'A desire for increase is inherent in all nature; it is the fundamental impulse of the universe. All human activities are based on the desire for increase; people are seeking more clothes, better shelter, more luxury, more beauty, more knowledge, more pleasure—increase in something, more life! Every living thing is under this necessity for continuous advancement; where increase of life ceases, dissolution and death set in.'

I am not suggesting giving false praise or manipulating people to get them to do what you want them to do. The key is to understand what people’s innermost want is and to find a way to give it to them.

Many times students get lost in a class because they are shy or not very adept at picking things up. These are the ones that you will need to make a conscientious effort to connect with. You will need to remind them where they started and how far they have come. Yet even the best, most outgoing students will need to be reminded and nurtured as well.

Become The Teacher Students Gravitate To

This is an important key to finding your strengthes and weaknesses so you can be the best you can. When you find out what makes you tick, it is easier to give and be focused not on your wants and needs, but those of your students.

Here are some tips to help you become a student magnet:

Be friendly! In all communication you want to convey a sense of friendliness and that you care. Happy people are fun to be around and your students will be happier, too! Not the friendly type? It is all in how you think. You have control over what you think about. You become what you think. Remember the song, 'Don’t Worry, Be Happy'? Go ahead and sing it, and enjoy yourself!

Get inside your students’ minds. Ever notice there are some students who are not very good, but who feel great about themselves and their progress? The same is true with students who have a high level of ability and progress, but who suffer from low self-esteem. The question is, how you can help the students with low self-esteem feel better about themselves? It is all in their perception. One way to connect with these dancers is to take out videos of past years to show them how far they have come. Have them demonstrate a technical step in class and then point out that they were unable to execute this step not that long ago. Get feedback from the students that they can share with the class on how they have improved.

Be inclusive. Finds ways to get an entire class involved in a project that will help them bond with others in the class. It can be an improv session in class, or sit them done in small groups to draw a diagram of the knee and identify all the ligaments, tendons and bones. Parents love it because it shows that you are teaching not just dance steps, but also how the body works. It is again focusing on increase.

Before you know it the new season will be here. The plans you make now will go a long way toward helping you have a great year. Plan ways that you can connect with your class that are a bit different and how you can show them where they are now in their development and how far they have come. This is a great way to get your year off to a running start.

When you can convince a group of students that they are getting better, the ripple effect will be a powerful force. Best of all, it will be because of you!