It is less than a week away until dance classes start. During the time that I’m not at my other job or trying to enjoy my last few days of freedom, you can find me at my computer putting together lesson plans and searching for music. One of the things I begin to think about is teaching in general. Most years I think about what worked last year, what didn’t, what I experienced from other teachers over the summer, and what material I may have read over the past few months. I put all that together and create what I think will equal out to be my best teaching yet.
For recreational classes one of the biggest tools I use is putting myself in the place of the child. I teach multiple ages. For the older kids, it’s not too hard to imagine what they want out of a class. If they are in high school and in dance class, they’re there because they want to be. So teaching a full out class is easy. Middle school is a little more difficult. These are important years because usually this is the time that they begin to branch out to school activities, and many times, they leave dance behind. You want to make the class mature so that they feel like the older kids, but at the same time, they need to be nurtured like their younger counterparts.
Elementary school age is probably the easiest for me to teach. I am 28 years old, but I swear I’m a 10 year old at heart. I love being silly, even if I do have to hold a sense of authority within the classroom. Often times I come up with fun imagery. For example- this past summer I had my little ones imagine that they had diamond necklaces around their necks so that they would “show it off”. This pulled them up, and showed off their collar bones. Some of the kids became so attached to the idea that in the last few days of their dance camp, they were bringing in various sparkly necklaces to make the imagery come to life. It was a fun way for both them and me to see the excitement of something working.
I love seeing the world through the eyes of a child. As we all grow older we think about the seriousness of dance, and the maturity needed for it, and the complicated world of technique and choreography. Often times, I find it wonderful to just step back from it all and watch as the children dance. It’s a reminder that dancing isn’t just about the technique. It’s not about the steps. It’s the love and passion that the kids have for it. It’s a good reminder about life, too. Adults like to think about the steps- what is the next step in my life? What do I have to do to get from point a to point b? Where will point b take me? We don’t step back often enough to look at the sunset on our way home from work, or watch as our friends and family grow into people we enjoy even more on a daily basis. We become competitive and narrow-minded. Children don’t think that way.
Children live their lives in the moment. They go to dance classes to learn, and they are learning something that they enjoy. They have fun doing something that is enriching their minds, bodies, and souls. They are becoming well-rounded people. To watch children grow is amazing enough, but to watch them blossom as the result of dance classes is something that I am honored to do. It is wonderful for me to know that my career is letting me go back to being a child. I learn as much from them as they learn from me, and that is one of the most amazing aspects of being a teacher.
For just a second today, I ask that you stop and watch a young child in the street. Watch their curiosity, their happiness. Watch how they don’t think much about what they are doing, but how much fun they are having while doing it. Watch the smiles on their faces, and then try to remember what it was like when you were that young. Put yourself in the shoes of that child, and prepare to be amazed at what will come of it.
