Hi, Tessa here. Since 2002, I've been writing advice articles for West Coast Swing from my perspective as a WCS Champion and 30 years as a professional teacher and coach. My mission is to help teachers #teachWCSsmarter and dancers #trainWCSsmarter, which we do thoroughly in our Swing Literacy training programs.
But these articles are my way of contributing some free, bite-sized education to the community to help inspire and motivate with practical, actionable advice for your teaching
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I highly encourage everyone to leverage these free resources by sharing them in your community groups and with friends you know who could use them. Enjoy!
In Day 1 of the Elasticity Challenge, we included the “I Dream of Jeannie” drill. (Now would be a good time to go watch it if you have not gotten caught up yet). Here’s a way to extend this potent drill to a memorable and bonding group game:One of the foreign concepts that students need
Oooh… I have to pick just three? 😉Normally, I would need to first mention the mistake of “teaching patterns and footwork before fundamental movement skills”, but today I’ll stay focused on the first few drills from the Elasticity Challenge. They might seem obvious at first, but let’s explore them in the context of this week.1.
Whether you are a starving student or just fund-conscious, here are some practical tips for making your moolah stretch as much as your connection should… (LOL see what I did there? )
Did your community lose a dance venue? Maybe they closed permanently, had to sell the building, or they just no longer are letting you use the space? Or are you outgrowing the venue you’re in or you’re looking to expand into different neighbourhoods? Either way, sounds like it’s time to go on the hunt for a new dance
We invite you to enjoy these rare but super-effective teaching tools from our massive collection:GamificationTrained Feedback podsThe Missing W’sGood teachers are collectors, tinkerers, and experimenters. They hunt and gather for nuggets of tips and advice to scuttle home to their students in the hopes that it will entertain them and help them improve.We know, because
Since dancing tends to slow down during the summer and winter holidays, it can be stressful wondering how you’re going to pay the bills before classes start up again. You also may fear losing the momentum and enthusiasm that you worked so hard to foster in your community during the regular season.So how can a
Teaching Snack #8Your struggleSometimes students resist when you try to introduce them to a method, process, or technique that they are not used to. Sometimes this resistance is disrespectful. It can be hard to stand up for yourself under pressure and take charge of your business, your method, and your reputation. An interesting thing happened at
Teaching Snack #7Your StruggleYou’re teaching new material, and the students are focused, motivated, and capable, but you find that they are confused and learning slower than you would like.One critical piece of the puzzleWe help students every day who are lost and confused. We help them step back and focus on the skills they need
Do your students pester you with questions? Do you you wish they would ask more questions?Do you wish you could always find the right answer to give them?Do they distract each other and then ask about something you just said?How a teacher handles students’ questions proves their credibility, their maturity, their empathy, and their trustworthiness. All
Teaching Snack #6Your struggleYou try your best to encourage your students, but you still wish they would practice more, show up to class more consistently, and focus on applying what they learned to their dance so they could grow.My storySee my little creeping ivy plant in the title image? He gets plenty of water and
You get lots of people in the door for their first class. Yay! But getting them to come back? That’s another story…You managed to attract people to come to your intro class, or maybe even sign up for a Beginner series. But the enthusiasm of the first class died out quickly, as students started to
Teaching Snack #5 Your struggle You get people in the door for their first class. Yay! But the enthusiasm of the first class dies out quickly, as students bow their heads, staring at the feet, trying to remember if their foot is supposed to cross in front or behind, cursing themselves when they “get it wrong”. You