I strive to be a good teacher....and maybe my first problem is that sentence. What does it mean to be a good teacher? What do those words mean to me? I am sure that many people would define being a good teacher quite differently. I think one of the most exciting things about teaching is that you are working with people. And people are unique- there is no one fits all formula. And in my crazy mind every class should go smoothly, without hiccups, or surprises. Every child is unique. Every class is going to be different. Just because it worked once, doesn't mean it'll work again. Someone please ingrain those words into my head. No matter how much I learn about child development, teaching methods, positive languages, ect, it will all fail me. Because we are human.
So here are some ways I was human this week: I know all of my student's names. I strive to call my students by name as much as possible in a positive way. I have well over 100 students this semester, and sometimes the wrong names comes out. Not because I don't know the right name, but because of what I like to call word vomit. My brain thinks one thing, my mouth says another. Normally this happens on a rare occasion, but this week, it has happened a lot. And this can really hurt a students feelings. You don't know my name? So the only solution I could come up with was to say, "Silly me, I seem to have forgotten even my own name! Is it Suzie Q? Jenny? Bobby?" At which point the whole class goes, "No, it's Miss Rebekah!!!" (These are three to five year old students). At the end of the class, I am sure to pull aside the poor student I have called incorrectly and apologize. I would love any suggestions on how to better handle that situation!!! The next thing I got a lot of this week with my younger ones is "when are we going to do real dancing?" At which point I feel my heart rate increase, my palms get sweaty, and I tell myself to take deep breaths. First off, let's define real dancing. Second, let's talk about developmentally appropriate times to introduce that definition of "real dancing." I can handle this question from parents who are eager for pointe shoes, pirouettes, and arabesques. It's much harder coming from kids. Does this mean they are not enjoying my class? Where are they getting these ideas of "real dancing?" Ballerina Barbie? Other dance classes? How on earth do I handle this? And to be honest, I don't have the answers, and will be asking quite a few experienced teachers how to talk to kids about "real dancing." Side note: For the dancers out there, I have a four year old who is doing changements in her other dance class at school. I almost die when I see her knees torque into a very scary third/fifth position. And she wanted to know why we weren't doing those in my class. So this week I was reminded that I am human. I say the wrong things. I make mistakes, but my goal is to learn from them. To grow. To remind myself that this is a journey, not a means to an end.
4 Comments
Lauren Cohen
4/5/2013 09:55:10 am
I'll email you some ideas for "real" dancing. What age group is this exactly? I always have some things that younger students can do that is "real" dancing but is still age appropriate. My younger students want to do things they see older girls doing..... And there are actually some that they can begin to approximate safely. These things are a very small part of a combination and class, but make them feel sooooooo grown up. The other trick I learned is to have combinations that they "outgrow". Younger students love to know that they have mastered something and are moving on to more mature stuff......
Reply
Rebekah Chappell
4/5/2013 10:07:50 am
Thanks Lauren! I love the idea of outgrowing exercises and moving on to "big girl" movements. The age group I consistently heard from this week was Pre-K. Most of them are four, almost five years old. I haven't been using ballet vocabulary consistently with those classes as they are creative movement classes, and I try to teach through age appropriate images. So we do flamingo rather than parallel passe. They seem to think that dance=ballet, and somehow skipping and galloping isn't dance. I'm not even sure where to begin in that conversation.
Reply
4/5/2013 12:35:52 pm
Why don't you ask them to tell you/show what "real dancing" mean to them? You might be surprised or enlightened by what they perceive vs. what you think. Also, try using a few small examples such as, "did you know that a gallop is really a chasse?" and then show them the step they already do with another simple step and tell them the names come later. As for the changement girl, perhaps a statement regarding wanting to focus on something else they're not doing in their other class. After all - dancers have to be well rounded and try different things!
Reply
Rebekah Chappell
4/5/2013 01:45:23 pm
Thanks for the great ideas Diane! I did ask them to show me what "real dancing" was, and I also told them that it was their dance class, and to let me know what they wanted to do in class. After talking it seemed like the biggest thing they were missing was turning. So I will spend some time teaching spotting! I do like the idea of explaining what steps become, and giving examples on how we can get there together little by little. I've been trying really hard to listen to my students both verbally and through their body language, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised when they tell me the truth! lol
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorThis is a way for me to share and process the light bulb aha! moments in my life. Archives
August 2014
Categories |