Thursday, February 12, 2009

Dance Lessons - Professional Teachers vs Part Time Teachers

By Sarah Wilkiamson

When considering a dance school, the teaching standard of the instructors plays a big part in the equation. Many schools will hire very young trainers that are either still studying themselves, or just passing time while they look for a job in a different field. This is where a parent can help decide which school is the better choice.

The disadvantage of high school graduates are:

These teachers are inexperienced: They will lack the necessary skills and experience that a professional teacher will have.

They are often just doing it part time for the money rather than dedicating themselves to their dance and pupils. If they are also studying something else (say their real interest is in accounting or law) then their minds are hardly going to be on the students who are looking for guidance.

High school graduates lack maturity: They may not know how to deal with young pupils, because they lack experience with young children. They will not have the dedication needed to teach young children.

Professional teachers have several advantages over their less experienced counterparts:

They are very knowledgeable and have spent years dedicating their lives to the art of dance. This will mean that they can use that experience to pass on a wealth of knowledge to the young students that trust them. They are a specially trained professional.

It is important that young students get to know their teachers and not have a different face every couple of weeks. With professional teachers they are settled in their position and are usually not planning to move on quickly. This allows a young student to develop a bond and trust with their teacher. It also allows them to feel secure and not have to help new teachers get to know what level they are at with their schooling.

They are specially trained to teach young children: Dance is a very personal thing and needs an intuitive teacher to bring out the best in a child. Professional teachers are trained to have this quality and draw out a child's creativity.

They are dedicated to their pupils: professional teachers have gone through a fairly rigorous training and do not do these dance courses unless they are really dedicated. Because they love dancing they are keen to pass on this love to others. That is why they are very committed to their pupils, especially their young students. This enables their pupils to learn faster and better.

It takes a special person to understand and train your children in dance. Dancing comes naturally to young children but the discipline of the dance routines do not. You need someone who knows how to encourage dance discipline with a balance of fun. Professional teachers are trained and have the natural ability to do this. They also need to know how to persuade young children to practice the dance skills. This is another reason to hire professional teachers, even if it means paying a little more.

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