When you ask most dance teachers why they like to teach and what they get out of it, you will most likely hear in their response the word passion. As teachers, it is a key element that we all possess. I also know that life, a heavy work load and classes that drain the battery can zap us of that vital element if we are not careful to protect it. I have always felt that we, as dance teachers, really are very lucky to be able each day to do something that we love to do. It is easy to take it for granted but I have met many very successful people that would trade places with me in a second when they hear what I do day in and day out. That is pretty special and sometimes with the grind of teaching over a long season we can forget how special that is. The summer is a great time to help rekindle that passion for teaching. September will be here before we know it and if you have not taken steps to find that inner joy you will not feel emotionally ready to tackle a new season. Here are a few things to focus on.
Think about how you feel when you find that special piece of music that just gets your creative juices flowing. Find some music and lock yourself in the studio. Don't come out until you have created something. It doesn't have to be steps, it can be an idea for a number or production or anything else you come up with. Don't force it. Find the joy you get out of it, and then build from there.
Use any and all mediums to help inspire you. The fact that you are a member of Dance Teacher Web is proof that you are willing to learn and grow. Go back in the archives of the choreography, how to section and articles to get inspiration and motivation. Look into taking some teacher classes or whatever helps to reinvigorate you.
Get your mind off dance all together. Sometimes just by going somewhere else you can find an inspiration to create and it could be the total purge your system needs. This is critical if you are also running your own studio. Get out, get away and you will be amazed how many great ideas will come to you. These ideas are the fuel for your passion and desire to get things going for the next season.
Catch a show. Try to see some live theater event near you. If you can go to New York for a little trip then you will really have a lot to choose from. If you cannot get away and the live theater near you is not up to par, get videos of some old and maybe new dance movies. The Fred Astaire and Gene Kelley movies are full of great dances. Here is a challenge, have a stay at home movie day. Watch three or four of these and you will come out with a bag full of ideas and inspiration.
Write down your goals for next season. As business owners, we have our business goals all laid out for the coming year. The same must be done for your artistic and teaching goals. Like the business ones these are very personal to you. It is all about what you want, like and hope to achieve. Like your business, dream big! If you have something you have been dying to try out, now is the time.
Ok, now you have a plan in place to help you keep that passion to teach at a boiling point. Even if you find that you are ready to start the new season, now is the time to devote to yourself. You never know when these energy zappers will appear ready to erode away your passion to teach! I have known a number of great teachers who basically just wanted to quit because they felt like what they were doing didn't matter anymore. They felt that their efforts were not being recognized or appreciated. They also felt that they had lost their passion to teach. If we aren't passionate about teaching then we just have a lousy job with no meaning at all and that is a tragedy. Once you have spent some time soul searching and preparing yourself mentally and physically for the fall you will go into the season feeling relaxed and full of energy!
