Dear meggjoy: How about not letting Mom watch? I never let anybody watch unless it is the very first time the child has been in dance and needs the security of a relative nearby the first week. MAYBE the second week. But if a child can't be in class without a parent, they shouldn't be in class - they can wait until the following year (or take a Mommy-toddler class). Having people watch is a distraction to teacher and students alike, and inhibits developing the teacher/student relationship. If your studio has windows or glass doors, how about putting up curtains or blinds? You are the teacher and ought to have the final say (after the studio owner, of course) about parents hanging around. Good luck!

So i was just hired at a new dance studio in my town. They have just started a new program for 3 year olds and it recieved an amazing response. I was hired on to teach one of the two classes that are being held for that group. Now i didnt think it would be a huge issue as i have taught ages 3-23 years old for quite a few years. Now when i arrived at class for the first day...i came to find that there were 35 students in my class alone...i was the only teacher and was given no warning. It was a very very stressful class i am sure you can all imagine teaching dance to boys and girls who are 3 years old is not easy with 10 of them let alone 35. When i looked at the pay i was recievingfor the job i was suppose to do, i started to question the studio's practices. I started talking to dance teachers who teach in other towns and they thought this was crazy and i came to find out a few teachers quit that studio prior to my hiring. Im interested to see feedback from people to see if i am just making this a huge deal or if this actually is a problem. Thanks!

Wow! I give you so much credit but that is definetly too many li-ttle dancers for one dance class.
I am guessing that you do not even have a assistant dance teacher
for this dance class. I am not sure that it would be helping sin-ce there are so many little dancers.
That class should definetly be created into two or three differe-nt little dance classes. I really would be speaking to the dance studio owner at this pointe. It sounds like she is pretty diffic-ult to communicate. I hope that she listens to you because somet-hing needs to be done with this dance class.

Not only is that frustrating, it is completely inappropriate and possibley illegal. In any other daycare or school setting, it varies from state to state, but the student teacher ratio for that age should not exceed 10 to 1. How could one person possibly manage 35 3 year olds? I would not put my daughter in class with that many kids. Someone is going to end up getting hurt, or kids will quit because they won't get enough attention. I am sorry you have to go through that!

Twinkletoes - tell your boss you have to seperate those classes into 3 or you'll be gone!! I was stressing over my teacher having to put up with 12 little ones in a class with an assistant. That's just crazy to have so many kids and is a potential liability - I would tell them that. I can't imagine what a nightmare that would be - in fact impossible to actually 'teach' more like managing for 1/2 hour. I hope you are getting $100.00 per hour for that!

The thing is she has split up the classs! There is no one else to teach...i have no assistant but i am not sure even having two teachers would help much. I wish i was being paid 100$! Divide that by 4 and you are a little over what i am making!
Does anyone have an suggestions as to what i can do with THAT many kids!? Thanks

Dear TwinkleToes18,
Tell the studio owner that she has to split up this dance class into three different dance classes. It would be so much easier on you to teach three dance classes than teach one big dance class of 35 kids. One class can have 12 kids, Another class can have 11 kids, and then the Other class can have 12 kids. Tell her that you are willing to teach the three dance classes. Teaching Dance to 35 3 to 5 year olds at once; I can not picture it. I don't know if it is possible but I would guess that it would be a bit stressful on us. I hope I helped you out. Please let us know how things go.

~missdancediva~

if she doesnt have anyone else to teach then thats not your problem. she needs to come in herself and teach some classes then. I know it may seem cold but you dont deserve this and your not making enough, I would leave now if I were you.

It sounds like the SO doesn't have much experience working with little kids - so am I right in thinking that you have 35 kids in each class? You are teaching around 90 kids in different classes? Then it sounds like she has successfully lured them in - but they won't stay with those numbers - parents will clue in that this is a rip off. Educate your boss and explain that as this program has great financial potential it needs to be treated better than this and that classes need to be divided by no more than 12 students or you'll be gone - hopefully you can find better work in your area than this. Good luck.

No, she has 35 kids in ONE class that she teaches. It was suggested that she divide THAT class up into 3 separate classes. She does not have 90 students. I don't know where you got that from.


I agree, 35 kids - WAY too many. I'd say the SO can divide them, or you quit. I wouldn't ever teach that many in once settting.

Wow, you go girl! I hear you on a lot of things. You need to stand up for yourself or else people will always take advantage of you.

I thought she meant one class at first but then later she said 'she has split up the class', so I got confused.

Thanks everyone for the support! This SO will not split the class. She doesnt have the "time, studio space or teaching staff to be able to do it". I have a good mind in quitting but i dont want these kids to be left with no teacher and also there are bills to be paid. So i will stick with it. I may just bring in a friend of mine to help me out and split the already little pay with her. This SO does not know what she is doing. I went to sub a jazz tap combo class for her a couple weeks ago and the kids did not even know what a step ball-change was and they have been doing jazz for a 1-2 years already...something is not sitting right here...

I a 23 year part owner, director, teacher of a dance studio. The biggest problem for me is , I do all of the administrative work by myself, answer all the phone calls, do all of the billing, handle all of the problems and teach over half of the weekly classes. So on top of all of the usual teaching problems I have to deal with director problems as well and I have little to no help. I also have competition coming up in 2 months and am yet to have a rehearsal with full attendance. They will wonder why they don't get the platimun, I can tell you its not my choreography its the lack of commitment!

Twinkletoes,
You are doing the kids a greater injustice by putting up with that many kids in a class. If you don't stick up for those kids,then who will? I have taught for many SO that believed in quantity over quality. This is never the wayt o go! I think that you should look more into the legal ramifications of what your SO is doing. You could be held liable!I understand completly what you mean, but someone has to have a voice for those kids! Keep us informed.

DUDE! 35 kids in one class! THAT'S JUST PLAIN OUT CRAZY!!!!

What you said is true and i will take it all into account. What i learned today is that this is part of a program linked to a daycare in my area and all the parents have signed consent forms. So nothing can be done as the parents signed...These kids dont care about learning to dance...its just another "activity" for them to do during the day. Blah...i want to move to a big city!!
Thank you for all your support everyone!

I think your points to #9 & #10 are key. I always try to tell myself, I can never make everybody happy, and the stronger and more consistent I am in my policies and regulations, the more people take the studio seriously. I do not grant favors, do not conduct bargain trades, or make exceptions. I would really suggest starting your new year with a parent meeting and lay down the law. Let them know you will no longer be granting rides to students because your schedule is not conducive to running those errands. Put rules in place that will make YOUR life easier. Some parents will not like it, some may even leave, but in the long run, in the future YOU will be happier which will make you a better coach. Your venting points are so valid and need to be addressed, or you will quit one day because you just don't remember what makes you happy.

ARGHHHH !!!!
Am I a babysitter? because I didnt think I was but apparently I am, because if every students friend is just allowed to come to class for fun (even if there are already 16 kids in it) Then I am babysitting! And to the owners grand daughter : YOUR NOT MY BOSS! dont roll your damn eyes at me when I tell you what to do with my classes if Im gone. Oh and maybe you should actually learn hgow to dance and teach, because then you would understand what I am telling you and how to instruct it. If I tell you NOT tyo work on their recital dances, but I leave you different combos to do, Then just do them! Are you to stupid to comprehend that??? I swear to god I am at my breaking point, I want to quit. I know that I can't but I drag myself there everyday wishing that I was going somewhere else. I want to cry:( I want to start my studio so badly, but I have to either wait until July and go to France for 2 weeks in April (my sister is there , I havent seen her in 9 months) I really think that if I would quit, I would forget france and just get started. They are lucky I am nice enough to stay.

I cannot afford to attend DEA training this summer:( I can pay for the tuition but not to stay in the city for a week. oh well...maybe next year.

Arggh! I am so ticked off right now!

So I open up the paper today and what do I see, but an ad for the studio I work at. The ad is for registration this Saturday, last chance for all classes before recital.

Wait a second, what? Registation day in mid February? Recital is in May. I have classes full of kids who have been working their butts off since September, and most of my recital routines are half done. And the parents board I am working for wants to have another registration, and add more kids who have never danced before to my classes? I don't think so. They didn't even talk to me about this, I just opened the paper to find it staring right at me!!!! Was I just going to show up for class next week and find 10 new kids there? Oh I am so ticked off right now. I'm still waiting to hear back from the director, I'll let you know what happens...

Kaydence

I never want to sub again!

Last night I subbed for a teacher at the studio I work for, and it was the worst teaching experience of my life. I never knew I could be so tired from just two classes!

First I had hip hop, where girls came in wearing pajama pants, jewelry, hair was hanging in the face, three of them didn't have dance shoes...they were wearing socks. When I asked them where the dance shoes were they looked at me like I was the meanest person in the world. They were crazy and pushing and shoving each other. I know part of it has to do with the fact that I was a sub, but still! The dance was the sloppiest thing I had ever seen in my life, and it wasn't exactly a difficult routine. When there was a pause in the middle of the dance until the next part, they yelled because I didn't know where exactly it was in the song that they started next!

The next class, I walk in and already there are about 10 to 12 four and five year olds just running around the classroom in their tap shoes. It was complete chaos! And the parents were sitting right outside while the children ran rampid in the room! To top that off, these parents who have no life stood there for the entire hour with their noses pressed up against the observation window and every two seconds the class would turn around and wave mom or dad.

I think I can be a pretty tough teacher, but these classes were out of control! NEVER AGAIN!

Dear Parents...

Please do not ask your child to phone you when class is over ever week. Class ends at the same time every week and I want to go home. I don't want to babysit your child for another 20 minutes just because you can't keep track of your child's schedule.

Haha, Missgolightly, I totally know what your saying. It's funny - some parents want there kids to hang out with us all day and others freak out when they are two minutes late to pick up their kids (one time!).

Unfortunately, my mom was one that was always the last to pick me up, so my heart goes out to them..

As for 35 3 year olds in one class - that SO is crazy! I know it sucks to let the kids down, but she is expecting WAY too much from you. It's irresponsible. I would withdrawl my child from a studio that did that! We have a max of 12 3yr olds in our classes, with an assistant. How can they learn anything or be under any kind of control?

I agree 100%! This is not a daycare service. I'm not getting paid to eat pizza with your child or watch tv. I did that when I was 12. Yes, dance is supposed to be fun but part of it ia also about learning, being creative and dicipline. Call a babysitter if you don't have time to spend with your child.