The teaching update

Ok, as a request from some of the other DFers, I am giving a weekly update of how my current training is going for Fred Astaire Dance Studio to become an instructor. I find that it might be easier just to construct a new thread since some people wouldn't really like reading through all teh stuff for the other one, so yeah ^_^

End of Week 3 almost

Ok, this update is a little early, but only because I am a bit hyper and nervous about tomorrow. It will be our first test, we are testing out of the beginner material and moving onto the Social Foundation level. Everyone is very sure that I will pass easily, but I still get jitters over it.

I am now certain that many people think I will get the job, including fellow trainees. Already a few of them have approached me after class and while we are training on our own, mentioning the fact that I already do walk to everyone during class and watch them perform the move, help them with it and to perfect it. So pretty much I am acting like an instructor already, just not given the title.

At times I find that while dancing with beginners for so long, I tend to get horrible at following with a better dancer, like my old instructor, so at times he will take me during the class when its an odd number of students and I am not paired and dance with me a while doing stuff I already know but has not yet been taught, just to keep me in the swing of it.

I will probably give another update tomorrow as to how the test went, but for now I must go and train some more so I can be my best at the solo test because I am sure the freestyle will go well. Adieu everyone!

Larinda McRaven said:

thanks for the update and good luck with the test!

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Ditto.

Best of luck!

Good luck with the exam. Check in and let us know how it goes. What's involved? Demonstrating school figures for both parts (solo?) Leading and/or following another instructor? Any written theory exam?

Just curious.

I hope it's going well. 8)

Yoo!

Test was today of course, went quite well I think although there were a few rough spots. The test consisted of two portions, a solo portion where we all line up together and must do the requested move without a partner, one person counts the beats out. the second part is the freestyle portion, pretty much grab a partner and do the requested dance style, must use all the beginner moves we have learned so far. I got about an 80% on the solo portion, I am not a fan of solo, and about an 85% on the freestyle, so averaging at about 84% I received a high B for my grading ^_^ So happy its over with. I would have done better on freestyle, but the people I was partnered with for dancin didn't seem to catch my signals, even though I was practically jabbing them in the shoulderblade >< I think they were just too nervous though because normally it isn't that bad. Otherwise, it all went well, I passed, and the instructors were pleased with my expressive manner in dancing. Yay!

And thanks goes to everyone for your good lucks, means a lot to me ^_^ *hugs Sagitta, pygmalion, Larinda, and Medira*

Glad it went well! :banana:

One of my former teachers said that, when learning the solo parts/school figures, he tried to visualize his partner at all times -- helped him create the proper alignments, etc, more easily.

Yay! Keep us posted.

good job. to bad i wasnt there to see you guys take your test. i've been gone from the studio all week. can you guess who i am?

mr bixx said:

good job. to bad i wasnt there to see you guys take your test. i've been gone from the studio all week. can you guess who i am?

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A challenge!! A good challenge!

Congratulations! *hugshugs* I'm glad it went so well! Now you'll also know for next time what to expect going into it. The first one is always the hardest.

Keep it up!

So what's next on the teacher training agenda?

Congratulations

Congratulations Mitra! Pretty exciting stuff. It's interesting to hear how things progress. Keep up the great work.

mr. bixx......hm....weren't you the same guy that mentioned on the boards you had a nasty cold before going to vegas? if so, then i am fairly sure i know who you are ^_^ Although the real challenge is, can you guess who i am? Probably fairly easy though judging by my previous discussions, lol

That must be a pretty big training class. :roll: :wink:

Oh, hardly, only about 10 people now in the class, but mr bixx already knows who I am and I know who he is, funny little moment in dance class today involving that, had me laughing the rest of the day ^_^

But thank you everyone, I really hope this works out in the end, right now we are moving on again, although there is a written test coming up this Friday. Not sure how I will do on that really, but I can only hope for the best ^_^

What kinds of material is covered in the written test? 8)