4335 Teacher survey
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 13:57:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: "joaquin" <joaquinenrobeas@excite.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Teacher survey
To: tango-l@mit.edu
To all you teachers out there in list land:
Who is in charge of your class levels? Do you consciously promote a student from beginner to intermediate? Do you let an outside student with some experience join an advanced class? Or do the students just show up/sign up for the class they think is appropriate? Are you afraid you'll lose a student ($$$) if you don't promote them when they think they're ready? Have you ever had to ask a student to stay in a lower level class?
Sometimes it seems like it's just a free-for-all. (Go to any level you like regardless of skill.) I'm not asking what the appropriate skills are or should be. For example , "You have to know how to execute ochos before you can progress to intermediate."
What I'm interested in , is whether you have a philosophy. I understand that if teaching dance is a full time career for you, then you have to make a profit, but students who have worked their way up the skill ladder over a period of time also have expectations about the skill level of their fellow classmates.
joaquin
ps: I'm a student.
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 12:44:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Trini y Sean \(PATangoS\)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Teacher survey
Hi Joaquin,
As a teacher, I keep in mind that someone could
pleasantly surprise me and I like to give them that
opportunity.
Generally, students will check with me before signing
up moving up a level. Usually, their own assessments
are correct, so we do not have a problem. Also,
assistants are there to help those with problems. And
I figure it's my job to give something for everyone to
work on. Sometimes I make attendance at our practica
a requirement for a student. It's really up to them
how hard they want to work at tango.
In four years, I have only turned 2 people away at
workshops, but only after I have made it perfectly
clear in promotion material about requirements and
after I have danced with them myself.
The "free-for-all" at lessons is something I do not
like myself. If you find that is problem with your
area, I suggest you take it up with your teacher or
just take privates.
Trini de Pittsburgh
--- joaquin <joaquinenrobeas@excite.com> wrote:
>
>
> To all you teachers out there in list land:
>
> Who is in charge of your class levels? Do you
> consciously promote a student from beginner to
> intermediate? Do you let an outside student with
> some experience join an advanced class? Or do the
> students just show up/sign up for the class they
> think is appropriate? Are you afraid you'll lose a
> student ($$$) if you don't promote them when they
> think they're ready? Have you ever had to ask a
> student to stay in a lower level class?
>
> Sometimes it seems like it's just a free-for-all.
> (Go to any level you like regardless of skill.) I'm
> not asking what the appropriate skills are or should
> be. For example , "You have to know how to execute
> ochos before you can progress to intermediate."
>
> What I'm interested in , is whether you have a
> philosophy. I understand that if teaching dance is
> a full time career for you, then you have to make a
> profit, but students who have worked their way up
> the skill ladder over a period of time also have
> expectations about the skill level of their fellow
> classmates.
>
> joaquin
>
> ps: I'm a student.
>
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance.
https://www.pitt.edu/~mcph/PATangoWeb.htm
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 15:57:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: "joaquin" <joaquinenrobeas@excite.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Teacher survey
To: jak@bailatango.com, tango-l@mit.edu
Jak,
Thanks for your candid response. Most of your solutions sound reasonably fair. I did search the archives regarding this question and didn't find a discussion. Perhaps I didn't look long enough.
Also, it's certainly not my intention to create a misunderstanding in any teacher/student relationships among list readers. I am just curious about the situation in other cities.
j.
--- On Tue 05/30, Jak Karako BailaTango.com < jak@bailatango.com > wrote:
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 15:23:20 -0400
Subject: [Tango-L] Teacher survey
Joaquin<br><br>That is a very good question, which I am sure it has been discussed before.<br><br>It is a delicate issue, for an inappropriate answer will cause the student to drop out.<br>I think (and I practice) that students should be promoted by the teacher to the appropriate level.<br>If a student shows up at a level that he/she doesn't belong then I reommend them an other class. Should they prefer to stay in that class, on the other hand, I will not change the level of the class to accomodate them. It is easy with couples, I just do not let them to rotate (change partners). For singles it is slightly harder to handle. I typically suggest that they take both of the classes (the current and one below) or encourage them to complement their lessons with private instructions.<br><br>I have observed many times when the teacher lowers the level of the class to acomodate these students, which amounts to punishing the better ones for being
good.
Jak
www.BailaTango.com/ny/
>
>To all you teachers out there in list land:
>
>Who is in charge of your class levels? Do you consciously promote a student
>from beginner to intermediate? Do you let an outside student with some
>experience join an advanced class? Or do the students just show up/sign up
>for the class they think is appropriate? Are you afraid you'll lose a student
>($$$) if you don't promote them when they think they're ready? Have you ever
>had to ask a student to stay in a lower level class?
>
>Sometimes it seems like it's just a free-for-all. (Go to any level you like
>regardless of skill.) I'm not asking what the appropriate skills are or
>should be. For example , "You have to know how to execute ochos before you
>can progress to intermediate."
>
>What I'm interested in , is whether you have a philosophy. I understand that
>if teaching dance is a full time
