Grow Your School, Pt. 2
Streamline and Grow Your Ballet Program
Today's post is a continuation of our last post on ways to streamline and grow your ballet program, and, in turn, your school.
TEACH YOUR OLDER STUDENTS HOW TO TEACH
Having a good teaching assistant (or two!) can be invaluable. They won't just allow you to enroll more students in your classes (space provided). A teaching assistant with a good eye for technique can help teachers with corrections. They can help classes run smoothly by encouraging students to wait in line for their turn, be line leaders and demonstrators when needed, keep props organized, and help with items like roll call and stickers. They can also help keep a student with behavior problems better focused.
Take Action:
A teacher can be an invaluable mentor to a teaching assistant. I can remember assisting a teacher who would explain why she did certain exercises, why she structured class the way she did that day, and things to watch out for to help students in terms of technique and inspiration. That teacher was one of my most valuable resources when I started teaching classes on my own.
But as a studio owner, don't rely solely on your teachers to teach your assistants. Some will be better mentors than others. Your assistants will learn a lot by experience, but you can give them an edge by teaching them. If your school is large enough, with enough older students interested in being assistants, have a pedagogy class that meets as little as once a month. Older students are given the opportunity to be teaching assistants and they attend a ballet pedagogy class each month to supplement their experience.
KEEP YOUR TEACHERS LEARNING
As with any profession, really great teachers never stop learning. Give your teachers ample opportunity to improve their craft and you'll be rewarded. Your teaching staff will be more loyal. They'll want to be better teachers. Your students will benefit as well.
Take Action:
In the summer, before classes begin, hold an informal workshop for your teachers. You can include teaching assistants too. Get everyone on the same page. Go through the curriculum you want them to follow. Give them lesson planning tools and handouts that may be helpful. Remember you can learn from them and they can learn from each other too.
TEACH YOUR PARENTS TOO
Let's face it, parents can be a valuable resource. They write reviews for you online, give you testimonials, and talk to other parents about their child's experience at your school. Parents can be amazing references and advertising sources--BUT only if their child is HAPPY at your school and they see VALUE in what their child is learning. We've already touched a bit on the importance of children having fun in ballet class. Let's focus on how to show parents the VALUE in their child’s ballet class.
Take Action:
You should have an email list and put out a regular newsletter. It may be released monthly, quarterly, or even bi-annually. Make sure you include a write-up that highlights the benefits students are receiving throughout ballet.
Parent observation times are golden. You don't need to have these often to reap their benefits. When parents see their child progress in class, they feel pride and want to tell other parents. When they hear their child’s teacher tell them the what and HOW their child is learning, they trust their child's teacher is knowledgeable, with the expertise needed to teach their child.
Handouts can also be valuable. Coloring and activity sheets don't just inspire young students. They also allow parents to see the concepts students are learning in class.
Happy Dancing!
Ashley Hartford
Founder + Owner, Once Upon a Ballet
Want to know more about me?
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At Once Upon a Ballet, we want to help you teach dance in a way that sparks your students’ imaginations, keeps their attention, and has them leaving class excited for what’s next.
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Our complete curriculums for toddler and preschool dance and children’s ballet give you a full year of lesson plans for each age group. Our lesson plans are rooted in child development and teach dance through imagination and play. We strongly emphasize correct, age-appropriate ballet techniques for young children, as well as building self-esteem, creativity, problem-solving, and classroom skills.
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