Hi Everyone,
Well it has been a long time since I have written a blog to be honest – but I wanted to share with you my recent feelings regarding the ” Art Of Teaching”!
The more and more I travel and teach – the more and more I have become convinced, that a huge part of teaching any subject in the arts today is about ” Unlocking The Treasure Chest “!
The ” Treasure Chest” that lives within each and every one of our students.
” Unlocking The Treasure Chest” that is becoming more and more tightly wound and secured by education as we know it today!
” Unlocking The Treasure Chest” that is hampered at every turn by a lack of time, that comes from being over committed to an endless stream of activities.
” Unlocking The Treasure Chest” that many children are now unaware even exists within them.
” Unlocking The Treasure Chest” that most children are dying to explore and get to know!
” Unlocking The Treasure Chest” that brings so much JOY, self love, self confidence, self expression and self fulfilment – once the child is convinced that they do have a key to it, that they can unlock it and that it is worth their time and energy to do so.
And this – in my opinion – is what we are aiming to do as teachers of dance.
But it takes time!!!!
Just like anything – whether it be a good meal, or a well planned holiday – anything worth having takes time to achieve.
And this is where my tap programme has really evolved in the past 10 years.
I now see it as so much more than ” just teaching tap dance” – but rather using good quality tap dance as a vehicle to unlock this creative potentiality and JOY that is lying dormant and unawakened in so many of our students.
This confidence to present their own ideas within the framework of the set program.
This willingness to spend time on something to reach their full potential.
This understanding that all good things take time…. and that effort = reward.
These are all ideas and paradigms that I am trying to nurture and foster through Tapatak Oz and it is these things I would invite you to think about fostering in your own dance schools too.
As I have been travelling around Australia both teaching seminars and examining the Tapatak Oz syllabus programme, I have been struck by the “busyness” of the current dance school, its calendar and the anxiety and stress felt by so many of our young people as they are thrust into this chaotic world.
A world where they are expected to achieve great things – without being given adequate time to do so.
A world where they are constantly told to focus on the result or the trophy or the instagram post or the prize – as opposed to the journey and knowledge that will take them there and bring them so much JOY along the way.
A world where everything appears instant and the idea of working to achieve an aim or perfect a technique is becoming lost.
Is it any wonder then that teaching itself is becoming more challenging?
So my aim today is to bring you back to these few questions?
Why did you start teaching dance?
What lights you up in the classroom?
What truly brings you JOY as a teacher?
Because I truly believe your answer will be: it is ” Unlocking The Treasure Chest” within your students.
And whilst there are oodles of seminars out there today teaching you ” how to make money” – ” how to market ” – ” how to use social media ” etc etc I truly believe that for most of you – that is not your focus and true love.
I would venture to suggest that making money is not your calling in life!
I would venture to suggest that for most of you the true love and aim of your dance school is to share your passion for creativity, dance and the arts with the next generation!
So – within this frantic, chaotic, over scheduled world we live in – I invite you to start thinking about where your studio is headed in 2019.
Yes, of course – we all want to make money! But how about ” re-framing” that as a by product of teaching the next generation a passion, joy and love for themselves through the arts!
So perhaps you may just like to change your focus to slowing down a little, taking time, unlocking those treasure chests and getting back to the true JOY of TEACHING!!
Because for me:
This change in attitude.
This setting of a new vision for my teaching.
This reshaping of the fundamental principles that underly my tap program ad how I teach it, has totally reinvigorated my vision for the future of Tapatak Oz!
So – if you like the idea of a tap programme that aims to nurture the soul as well as the tap technique. You might like to join us an the Tapatak Oz Train!
Just jump online and grab your syllabus in it’s instantly downloadable format: www.tapatak-oz.com
Then join our VIP Facebook page for updates and ideas and off you go!
In my mind:
Tap Dancing is the vehicle!
Tap dancing is the skill to be learned and refined through a quality framework!
But JOY, creativity, self motivation and a strong courageous sense of self is our aim!
We are truly aiming to ” Unlock Those Treasure Chests”!!!
One little soul at a time.
– Christine –