Valid point Dawn, good dancers are not necessarily good teachers - teaching is a different art. Good teachers are not necessarily good organisers though, so maybe ensuring students have an opportunity to get involved on an organisation level would help solve two problems - 1) those who are so desperate to organise they set up their own classes, when they might not be actually ready to teach but are ready to organise, can have an outlet for their enthusiasm 2) Good teachers who may not be very good at bringing in students to keep the classes going or organising events (or who might even just be too busy) can get some help.
Dawn <stardawn@...> wrote:
Dawn <stardawn@...> wrote:
1. I began teaching a class because my teacher and mentor believed i was ready. This was after two years of her trying to convince me to teach!
2. I trusted my teachers' judgment, studied physiology and safety in dance, and had a large repertoire of moves/routines etc.
3. I had danced for 4 years, had trained and assisted my teacher on workshops for two of those years and finally had in class training for the final year. I watched videos, attended different workshops to expose myself to different teaching methods, my teacher devoted a lot of time with me, answering questions and giving advice.
4. When i first began teaching, i was very nervous and it took about a year to fully integrate into the role. As i saw my students progressing, my confidence increased and i knew i must be doing a good job. I never felt that i should give up though, i have always enjoyed sharing the knowledge that i was given or earned.
We are currently experiencing problems within our local dance community with people attending a class for a few terms and then believing that they know enough to teach without even informing their teacher. This has happened to a friend of mine who is a well respected dance instructor. It saddens me because these people have not got sufficient experience with the dance to teach it safely to others. I guess this is on the increase now and we can only hope that quality will out, but in the meantime, it is the students who suffer from poor teachers.
I can only advise that if people want to teach, then they should be willing to discuss it with their teacher and respect her views on the subject.
Let me know if you need anymore info.
Dawn O'Brien
Nadiyah wrote:"Determining the Appropriate Time to Teach:"1. Why did you start teaching?2. Why did you feel that you were qualified to teach?3. How long had you danced prior to teaching? How often did you train within that time frame? What tools and references did you have to lean on through your learning progress?4. After six months of teaching, did you still feel you were qualified to teach? If not, what did you do to correct the situation?As with my previous surveys, the answers will be tallied and a sampling of the comments will be shared with all who responded and also, in one of the belly dancer magazines. To ensure validity and accuracy, please keep the answers as simple as possible and in align with the corresponding numbers. Please do not send resumes, but an overview of your background. If you'd like your answers to remain anonymous, please let me know. Feel free to forward this email to any bellydance instructor.Thank you for the consideration. Have a great day.Blessings,NadiyahNadiyah's presentsSpokane's 1st Annual Belly Dance Festival withAlexandra King, Aleili, & Zaina Hart - August 6-7, 2005Aisha Ali in Lecture & Workshops - October 15-16, 2005Visit www.Nadiyahs.com .
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