The way teachers approach sharing their knowledge of dance with their students varies from person to person. Teaching styles are inherited from previous teachers, social expectations, and individual personalities, but no matter what style your teaching approach embodies, as a teacher you are a leader.
Dance experience obviously gives you credibility in your studio, but leadership skills are what make great dancers even better teachers.
Organization
Keeping track of multiple dance teams, studio events, and your own dance career means you have a lot to juggle. Regardless of your organization tactics, being able to keep all of those balls in the air is essential to keeping your classes moving forward.
Make sure that you are planning purposefully so that you and your students get the most out of every class. When you lead your class in a way that is scaffolded (every lesson supports the next), and intentional you’ll be more successful overall.
Compassion
Having compassion for yourself and others is important because even though you need to keep moving forward with lesson plans and working through choreography, you need to recognize the needs and limitations of yourself and your students.
Pay attention to the ways your students (and yourself) are working day by day. Don’t be afraid to take into account different processes or even the need to switch things up.
Good Listener
Even though you are a teacher, that doesn’t mean you aren’t still learning. Be willing to learn constantly and acknowledge when you have room to improve as much as your students do.
Keep your mind open and take everyone’s opinions into account. You want your students to be able to take advice and criticism thoughtfully and effectively. You should do the same.
Adaptable
Working with so many different people can be difficult. Especially with young students, drama outside the studio can become an issue inside it. Great teachers don’t let issues (drama or otherwise) impact their ability to teach their students.
Use your resources to make sure that your students and yourself are comfortable in the studio and that your environment is happy, healthy, and productive.