How to pick a new teacher

Knitting Jo · 06-10-2008, 04:38 AM

I have just decided to return to BD after a 2 year break and have moved interstate since then ( from Western Australia to Australian Capital Territory) so I can't just go back to my old teacher, Shaheena, which is a real pity!
So when scouting for a new teacher what should I look out for?
I am definitely more interested in "traditional" type things ie egyptian than the modern fusion styles like ATS.
How can you tell a good teacher from a bad one? Is it ok to ask to sit in on a class?
What type of questions would be good?

Mouse · 06-10-2008, 05:13 AM

Shaheena is a wonderful dancer.. you had a great teacher there! Have you tried emailing Shaheena and asking her if there is someone she can recommend? I know that there are usually a few interstate instructors that come over for events and festivals such as the WAMED etc so many of them do keep in touch with each other.

You should be able to trial a class to see if the teacher & style are to your liking

good luck finding a new teacher

jenc · 06-10-2008, 06:24 AM

For many of us it would be great to have a choice!! Just remember that if you find a dancer you like, they may not be any good at teaching!! Anyone shuld let you try a class though.

Aisha Azar · 06-10-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knitting Jo

I have just decided to return to BD after a 2 year break and have moved interstate since then ( from Western Australia to Australian Capital Territory) so I can't just go back to my old teacher, Shaheena, which is a real pity!
So when scouting for a new teacher what should I look out for?
I am definitely more interested in "traditional" type things ie egyptian than the modern fusion styles like ATS.
How can you tell a good teacher from a bad one? Is it ok to ask to sit in on a class?
What type of questions would be good?

Dear Jo,
You have already made the first step, in choosing the kind of dance that you are most interested in. These are some ways to tell if the teacher has an aptitude for her work, and how good a teacher she will be. I teach teachers to teach.

* Ask if you can sit and observe a class so that you can watch the interaction between the teacher and the students. Do not participate, just observe. This should be fine with any instructor worth her salt.

* Does she come to class prepared to teach or is she leaving it up to chance that she will have something to offer the class? Does she seem to have a lesson plan? Is the lesson cohesive and does it seem to have an intelligent continuity. In other words, if she is teaching a form of movement, does she continue to work with that form and does she give info on what music it might work with, different ways of fitting it into other movements, the basic feeling that it might evoke, etc. Is it more than just a "move"?

* Is she aware of the class as individual human beings or are they just a lump of people called "the class". Does she give individual instruction and attention?

* Does she use praise and criticism? Does she take the time to acknowledge when the student is doing something well as much as she is correcting?

* Does she appear to know HOW to teach movement? Does she break movement down so that students can get a feeling for the mechanics that make their bodies work? (This is something that you often do not find among the entertainers from countries of origin who teach belly dance, but they are not teachers for the most part, and we go to them often, for other things than mechanics. A good teacher knows and understands movement and how to impart it to others.)

* Does she watch herself in the mirror too much, as opposed to seeing the students there? Does she make the class about the dance and the students, or about how fabulous SHE is?

* Is she enthusiastic and does she have a passion for teaching, or is it just about the $$?

Anyway, this is a good place to start in searching out a teacher. Best wishes for finding someone wonderful!
Regards,
A'isha

maylynn · 06-10-2008, 05:20 PM

Dear A'isha,
That is a fantastic list of what students should look for in a teacher. I get that question quite often from my former students in Canada, and I'm going to share it with all of them, and anyone else who asks me about classes!
Best regards,
Maylynn

Aisha Azar · 06-10-2008, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maylynn

Dear A'isha,
That is a fantastic list of what students should look for in a teacher. I get that question quite often from my former students in Canada, and I'm going to share it with all of them, and anyone else who asks me about classes!
Best regards,
Maylynn

DearMaylynn,
Thank you. I bet some of the other members have additions to the list that would be helpful as well.

I LOVE teaching dance. I love performing also, but if I could only do one or the other for the rest of my life, I would choose teaching. There is nothing more wonderful to me than to see the light dawn in a person's eyes when some concept of dance takes on a depth of meaning for them.

In another part of the forum, I just had a conversation with a woman from Newfoundland, where I used to live for awhile when I was a little kid. I have
occasionally crossed the border to teach up there. Vancouver BC is where I would live if I thought my husband would go there, too. I love that city. One time when I went up, I finally got to meet Jalilah Zamora in person and we had the nicest time. What a Sweetheart she is!!

Regards,
A'isha

Knitting Jo · 06-11-2008, 01:55 AM

Ah sweet! Thanks for all the great advice.
Before I left Perth Angie said that the level of sophistication in Canberra is not quite what it is in Perth.
I have seen some local performers at festivals, and the 3 schools I have seen perform seem more focused on having fun than the strict technique or detailed costuming that I am used to. The tribal groups here are awesome, but that's not really my thing.
Off to look up some teachers now.......

06-10-2008, 04:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
Knitting Jo Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Canberra Posts: 22	How to pick a new teacher I have just decided to return to BD after a 2 year break and have moved interstate since then ( from Western Australia to Australian Capital Territory) so I can't just go back to my old teacher, Shaheena, which is a real pity! So when scouting for a new teacher what should I look out for? I am definitely more interested in "traditional" type things ie egyptian than the modern fusion styles like ATS. How can you tell a good teacher from a bad one? Is it ok to ask to sit in on a class? What type of questions would be good?

06-10-2008, 05:20 PM	#5 (permalink)
maylynn Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London Posts: 232	Dear A'isha, That is a fantastic list of what students should look for in a teacher. I get that question quite often from my former students in Canada, and I'm going to share it with all of them, and anyone else who asks me about classes! Best regards, Maylynn __________________ http://www.urbanamazon.co.uk

06-10-2008, 05:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
Mouse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 514	Shaheena is a wonderful dancer.. you had a great teacher there! Have you tried emailing Shaheena and asking her if there is someone she can recommend? I know that there are usually a few interstate instructors that come over for events and festivals such as the WAMED etc so many of them do keep in touch with each other. You should be able to trial a class to see if the teacher & style are to your liking good luck finding a new teacher

06-10-2008, 06:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
jenc V.I.P. Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colchester UK Posts: 1,023	For many of us it would be great to have a choice!! Just remember that if you find a dancer you like, they may not be any good at teaching!! Anyone shuld let you try a class though.

06-11-2008, 01:55 AM	#7 (permalink)
Knitting Jo Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Canberra Posts: 22	Ah sweet! Thanks for all the great advice. Before I left Perth Angie said that the level of sophistication in Canberra is not quite what it is in Perth. I have seen some local performers at festivals, and the 3 schools I have seen perform seem more focused on having fun than the strict technique or detailed costuming that I am used to. The tribal groups here are awesome, but that's not really my thing. Off to look up some teachers now.......