I'm soon to begin some freelance teaching and I went along to watch the classes i'll be taking over on Tuesday.
These include Under 6s, 6-11yr olds and over 12s Freestyle beginner classes.

My issue is that these classes, all of which have over 15 dancers, have the parents sat in the back end of the room, something I dont allow at my usual classes.

I just find that children concentrate more and classes generally run smoother and with less disruption when parents are outside.

Do you think i'm within my rights to ask my SO if its possible for the parents to remain outside when I take over these classes?
Or should I just accept that these are the schools rule and respect them?

Replies from studio owners would be especially good

Emma x

Ooh I like parents out. It's too distracting for the kids to have a parent sitting there watching their every move and yours. When we built our studio we put in viewing windows that have a shade that can be open or closed. This way if the kids are wild and you have to be a little stern you don't ;have a parent making comments, but also when they are having a good day you can open the shade and let the parents enjoy watching what they've learned. Hope that helps.

I think you can ask nicely the parents to sit outside. Start as you mean to go on. Have a talk to the parents stating your teaching standards for the girls and what you would like to accomplish for them. by doing this you can request that it is closed doors until end of term when you can surprise them with the girls progress. You might be surprised as they might not "want" to stay anyway but have always had as it was expected of them. Having my own children now i would love to drop and run! It will also make the girls more independent with thinking in class if the parents are not there which is a good key word when talking to the parents, besides you are paid so they can have an hour off.
good luck!

You have every right as a teacher to let your SO know how you want to run these classes, and whether or not you are comfortable with the parents in the studio while you teach. Personally, I would not want them in the studio every week except for parent watchdays. If parents have been allowed in to all the classes in this school, then it could be the SO's policy. She has the right to set the policy for her studio and if this is the case, you may not have a choice if you wish to teach there.

OOOOUUUUUUUTTTTT!!!!!!

I am an SO. I do not see ONE benefit of having parents sit in the room while you teach. I currently teach through the rec centers. I let them come in for the first class and then no more.

No "can I take pictures?", no "can I just video tape her today?", no "her grandmother's here...she flew in from Ireland...can she just watch for today"". Answer is a resounding NO. I say it kindly and let them know that I can't make exceptions. They have seen, first hand, the difference in their childrens behavior when they are in as opposed to when they are out.

Approach your SO. It might be tricky if they are allowed to watch some of the studios classes and not others, but it's worth a shot. It would make me nutty to have to teach each week with a gaggle of parents in the room.

I totally agree with you on parents remaining outside the classroom. However, I think you should discuss this with your SO first just so you are both on the same page. That way if she does have a policy of allowing parents in you don't step on any toes. Or if the parents complain about being asked to remain outside, she'll have your back.

yeah that's ridiculous. The rec program I teach at doesn't even allow the parents to take a peek inside the gym (i know, it sucks, the rec center I'm at is still getting their studios built, we have a lovely gym). In fact, we put up little sheets over the gym doors so the kids don't see the parents.

Are they allowed to stay and watch their little darlings at their regular school, no they are not ! The teachers get to teach without the distraction of parents gossiping in the backround so why can't we ?
I would let them watch the first lesson, just so they can see what you do and then have a parents watching day. If mums and dads are there in the room the children don't know who to look at.

Hey,

I don't mind either way to be honest! If a dancer wants to mess about they will, if they want to dance they will. Regardless of a parent being there

I haven't had problems with any parents being there before as all our parents are lovely and respect that we are the teachers so they don't get involved in lessons really

Happy dancing!

Keeley x x

^In what paradise do you live?

Hey Emma
What I like to do is, for my 3-5 yr class give the parents the choice to stay or go ( the class is an hour, they could have the shopping in the boot when they pick up their child ect ect.)I would ask them, if they thought their child was going to be ok during class then they could just even leave the room, they didnt need to go anywhere, but it just helps kids get more into 'the zone' without parents present (especially when they are constantly running over to their parents!!!)
My daughter is 4 yrs old and she does disco, which i teach, but she also loves her majorettes and ballet! For majorettes she seems to be fine without me (but a few weeks before medal tests and comps I just sit in and watch so I know what she is doing and I can help her rehearse) i dont think that teachers mind too much as most parents do the same thing. For things like that its different when the child is a bit older and can remember but kaci is so young she just doesnt have that attention span!
And for ballet this week is the only week that I have successfully left her. Her amazing teacher(Jill Kingdom RAD) has the same thoughts as me re this subject, a few months ago I left kaci for the first time and she was not happy!!!!! she cried throughout the lesson and when i came to collect her, her face was like a big red ballon!! So I was given the go ahead to stay as long as I wanted!! Hopefully that episode is over with now because I think she could do really well in ballet if she keeps enjoying it.
so Im giving you points here from both sides lololol!!
For older kids, parents are welcome for 1-2 weeks, then the kids really need to be able to focus.(Ive found most parents are happy to go in this age group anyway )
Older kids have no need for parents there really do they? They are quite used to it through school mostly (although you have to make the odd exception for some kids who are exceptionally shy, those with learning difficulties ect, otherwise they may never find a love to dance. Its a real shame when this happens)
Ok Im done
LOLOL
Ruth
xxx

bayadere93 wrote:

^In what paradise do you live?

Hysterical response!! hahahaha!

there is too much pressure/disruption with the parents in the room, both for the students and the teacher.

Parents and other siblings in the classroom are a nightmare. I've taught both ways and HATE talkers in my classroom. Parents cannot sit together and not talk. Add the siblings and OMG! fumbling, stumbling, out of the room to use the bathroom back in the room again. I will never teach with anyone other than students in my room again.

Forget it...parents out of the room. They are way way way too distracting and I have many kids that act worse when their parents are in the room. We have viewing windows at our studio, but our studio owner believe that if you are there watching your kid every single moment you do not see how much they improve like you do when you watch every so often.

I would definitely ask the SO about asking the parents to move outside because you shouldn't have to do that. You are there to teach and that is what the SO is paying you to do. You need their undivided attention and that rarely can be accomplished with parents in the room.

Where I taught for the last two years they had parent watching days once a term. My classes ran like clockwork, but I tell you, I had to tell the parents off for being noisy EVERY SINGLE TIME! And the thing is, you can't just let the parents in, you also have to let all the siblings in, too. So there's four times as many people watching as there are dancing. And the parents didn't control the siblings, so they would run through the classroom and I'd have to control them as well. I found that day way too stressful for me! I had to just grin and bear it though, because it was a published policy of the school. The only reason I didn't have a total meltdown was because I could show the parents that their children - my students - were better behaved than they were, which was only possible because of the way I conducted my classes the rest of the time when no parents were present.

Helen

i let my parents in one time for parents day and now they know why we kick them out

Thanks for the advice everybody...just a quick update
I taught the classes last night and the parents stayed in.
I can honestly say that i didnt even notice them there, they were chatting amongst themselves but respectful of where they were and kept noise levels to a mininum and wernt disruptive or anything at all.

It was only my 1st class so maybe they were all being nice to me and it will be back to chaos next week but i'm going to see what happens then go from there.

I'll keep you posted...thanks again

x

coastdancecenter wrote:

bayadere93 wrote:

^In what paradise do you live?

Hysterical response!! hahahaha!

I was thinking this while I read that...and then laughed at your response to the response!!

Hiya,

In the UK, we ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE ALONE with a pupil due to Child Protection Laws, despite CRB checks being compulsary.

So it's parents in for us.

Cassie x

No parents on a day to day basis in the room. They distract the children and it actually makes me feel very uncomfortable. We have viewing windows that are opened once in a while for the parents to watch, or we'll open the door. If the kids worked hard on their dance and they want to show their moms and dads I'll open the door and occassionally invite them in. We also have "watch days" basically once every 3 months where the parents get to come in and watch each class. Above that are participation days, where the parents must participate in class if they want to come in. Those usually go off well. I know some teachers that like the parents watching, and some teachers who don't mind parents in the room, but for me it just doesn't work.

I would ask but if she does not like it, ask if it can be only at the last five minutes when they do their combinations or occasionally. I think that they are a distraction. Do parents come to school with them, too?