Well, we all know this board doesn't get many posts but here's my attempt at getting something going, even if only for a little while. I guess I'm just super excited to be back to assistant teaching regularly (after two years of just random helping here and there before performances) and want to talk about it with other TA's.

You don't have to answer all the questions if you don't want to because there are quite a few of them (I don't know about you guys but I have to be in the right mood to fill out a long survey).

The old survey...

Name:
Do you go by any special name?
How do you get to the classes you assist?
Do you get a discount or any other form of pay?
What classes do you assist?
Have you ever been at the studio so long (on one particular day) that you need to bring food?
Have you ever had anything that you fear might cause your SO to not let you continue assisting?

And some new questions...

How did you become a TA?
Do you want to keep teaching when you're older?
What kind of responsibilities do you have as a TA?
Are you the only TA for the class(es) you assist with or are there others?
How long have you been assisting for?
What's your favorite part of the job?
What part do you struggle with?
Are there any cute/funny stories you'd like to share?
What tips do you have for other TA's?
Anything else you want to share?


My answers:

Name: I don't post my real name on the internet.

Do you go by any special name? Nope, just my real name. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if not everyone in the class even knew my name since I'm fairly new to them. They probably just know me as "that tall girl who spins on her head and used to have pink hair" or something like that. It's okay though, I don't know all of their names yet either .

How do you get to the classes you assist? I drive.

Do you get a discount or any other form of pay? Um, maybe? I know when I used to assist two years ago, I was supposed to get a discount but never did for whatever reason. Now, my teacher lets me take an adult class for free although that's been going on since before I started assisting again. So yeah, I don't really know. It doesn't matter though because I love it so much that I don't care if I'm not being paid for it.

What classes do you assist? Beginner hip hop. It's a huge class- probably around 20 kids- and they range in age from 4 to 10-ish.

Have you ever been at the studio so long (on one particular day) that you need to bring food? I eat dinner at the studio on Thursdays but that's just because I have an hour in between ballet and jazz around my normal dinner time and I don't have enough time to drive home and back in between classes.

Have you ever had anything that you fear might cause your SO to not let you continue assisting? Well, when I used to do it, I had to stop because the class got cut (not enough kids). When there were enough kids to bring it back, another girl got asked to be the TA instead of me. I'm pretty sure I was replaced because I really had no idea what was expected of me and was bad at it because of that. Luckily things have since changed.

How did you become a TA? The first time, my teacher just pulled me aside after class and said that she wanted to start training me to teach and asked me to help with the class before mine. The second time, I was at the studio early (I was supposed to be helping a new girl catch up on choreography but she never showed up) and my teacher asked me to lead warm ups for the class that was going on since she wasn't feeling well and the usual TA wasn't there. From there it gradually progressed back into regular assisting. I was unsure of my position until last week when she introduced me to the class as her assistant at the start of a new session. So yeah, I guess I'm a TA again .

Do you want to keep teaching when you're older? Definitely! I would like to give professional dancing a shot first but after that I would love to be a teacher.

What kind of responsibilities do you have as a TA? I lead warm ups a lot, I keep kids organized while they wait in line for mats (rolls, handstands, cartwheels, etc), sometimes they split up in groups to do mini-routines or learn breaking moves so I'm usually in charge of one of the groups, if kids aren't participating I take care of that so that my teacher doesn't have to stop class to deal with it, and I help judge freeze dance .

Are you the only TA for the class(es) you assist with or are there others? There are two of us- the girl that assisted the class before I did is still a TA also. Sometimes other girls from my class help out if they're there early. It's a big class so my teacher loves all the extra help.

How long have you been assisting for? I did for a little while two years ago. Between then and now I've just been doing random things like catching new girls up on choreography and stuff from time to time. It's been a few months since I've started assisting regularly again although it's only been official for a few days.

What's your favorite part of the job? I love teaching- I just love how excited students are when they get a move for the first time and things like that. I also think it's really great to be able to share my love of dance with others. Another thing I like is being able to be a positive role model in these kids' lives. Once a mother came up to me and told me that her daughter looked up to me and it was just an amazing feeling to hear that.

What part(s) do you struggle with? Discipline. Luckily the class is well behaved (unlike the class I used to teach) but I know that as soon as I have to deal with a misbehaving kid, it's going to be hard for me. Another thing is getting their attention when they're being loud. They like to play tag and run around before class starts (they're the first class of the day) and since I'm usually the one in charge of warm ups, it's my job to get them organized. One of these days (hopefully soon) I'll be able to do it without my teacher's help. Oh, and I learned last week that comforting crying children is also something I struggle with.

Are there any cute/funny stories you'd like to share? There were two really young new students last class so me and the other TA each got buddied up with one of them for freestyle circle so that they wouldn't have to go in alone. My girl was really shy so I was trying to get her to open up a little by asking her questions. At one point I asked her if she was having fun to which she replied, "Look! I can touch my hands together in my pocket." Then she lifted up her skirt to show me the shorts she had on underneath. It was so adorable! (And kind of funny since she hadn't been saying much and then all of a sudden she stopped being shy).

What tips do you have for other TA's? Make sure you know what your teacher's expectations of you are. Don't be afraid to be authoritative with the kids if they're not doing what they're supposed to (I should really take my own advice here). Most importantly, be sure that you're setting a good example at all times- these kids look up to you. Oh yeah, and don't forget to have fun of course!

Anything else you want to share? Naw, I'll shut up now .

I definitely want this section to be more active! But I keep forgetting it's here...that's probably a bad sign.

Do you go by any special name?
Nope! I prefer just my first name, since the alternative is "Miss Robin" and that's what my parents used to call me when I was little.

How do you get to the classes you assist?
I take the bus after school. Maybe once I actually get my act together and get my license I'll drive, but we don't have any free parking near my school. Which is unfortunate.

Do you get a discount or any other form of pay?
I get paid by check every month. Whether I use that to pay tuition or costume fees is up to me.

What classes do you assist?
Since I'm a senior this year I mostly assist with the older girl's classes (though I do have one rather young class), both in ballet and jazz. So ages 8-15 ish. Last year I also had one of the pre-ballet classes, ages 4-6.

Have you ever been at the studio so long (on one particular day) that you need to bring food?
My max this year is three hours in a row. I usually buy a croissant or a muffin beforehand and eat little bits between classes to keep my energy up.

Have you ever had anything that you fear might cause your SO to not let you continue assisting?
During a really stressful time last year I had a bad habit of forgetting pieces of my dance attire (tights, skirt, shorts, etc.). I never actually thought she would fire me, but it didn't help the stress.

How did you become a TA?
All TA's become so by request. I was first asked when I was 14, and started with two classes a week, jazz II and tap I.

Do you want to keep teaching when you're older?
I hope to do a bit of teaching in college (probably just TAing) but it's not my preferred career.

What kind of responsibilities do you have as a TA?
Teaching, obviously, along with helping to pick costumes and songs.

Are you the only TA for the class(es) you assist with or are there others?
I'm the only TA in my classes, but there are a couple of pre ballet classes with a million and a half kids which require two TA's. Luckily I don't have to deal with that!

How long have you been assisting for?
This is my fourth year.

What's your favorite part of the job?
I love getting to know the kids, investing time in them, and then seeing their potential be realized. It's ridiculously rewarding.

What part do you struggle with?
Making conversation with the little kids before their class officially starts. They just don't do very much besides go to school and dance and hang around at home. And I'm not the most talkative person in the world, so it's difficult to keep them occupied for the couple of minutes they're waiting at the barre.

Are there any cute/funny stories you'd like to share?
The older girls are significantly less adorable than the little ones, so I don't have any off the top of my head.

What tips do you have for other TA's?
I think the biggest thing to remember is to respect each child as an individual. It's hard when you have a class of 15 eight-year-olds, but each one of them has a very distinct personality, with their own strengths and weaknesses. But if you can really get to know each of them as an individual, you will find it very easy to earn their respect. The other big thing is that once kids reach a certain age, you have to start treating them as peers. Obviously you have to maintain a sense of authority, but they love it when you give them that respect.

Anything else you want to share?
I've said too much already...

I'm pretty excited about this section. I did't know it existed until now.

Name: Beth

Do you go by any special name? Just Beth, sometimes Miss Beth or Miss Elizabeth

How do you get to the classes you assist? My dad drives me

Do you get a discount or any other form of pay? I get paid. When I was doing more classes I also got another discount.

What classes do you assist? Advanced beginner and novice (irish dance)

Have you ever been at the studio so long (on one particular day) that you need to bring food? Not for teaching.

Have you ever had anything that you fear might cause your SO to not let you continue assisting? Nope, I love assisting that I make sure nothing gets in the way.

How did you become a TA? My teacher asked me to help out when she found out she was pregnant and now I'm staying on for a while.

Do you want to keep teaching when you're older? YES! I'm going to open my own school in a few years.

What kind of responsibilities do you have as a TA? Starting class,working the cd player, keeping the kids focused, tying shoes. The usual.

Are you the only TA for the class(es) you assist with or are there others? I'm the only assistant in the classes I help out with but there are others in the school.

How long have you been assisting for? At this particular school, since July. But I used to TA for a ballet class (back when I did ballet) about five years ago and I had another irish teaching job at a rec school for three years.

What's your favorite part of the job? I love dance and kids so put them together and BAM it's a good way to spend time.

What part do you struggle with? Patience. There will always be children who refuse to listen.

What tips do you have for other TA's? Stay in control of the class, be firm and don't let the kids walk all over you, but remember to still make it fun.

Name: Emily
Do you go by any special name? Miss Emily
How do you get to the classes you assist? I drive.
Do you get a discount or any other form of pay? Yes.
What classes do you assist? I assist two ballet classes, a jazz, and a tap.
Have you ever been at the studio so long (on one particular day) that you need to bring food?
Yes. Tuesdays I dance from 4-8:15.
Have you ever had anything that you fear might cause your SO to not let you continue assisting?
No, not that I know of.

And some new questions...

How did you become a TA?
I asked.
Do you want to keep teaching when you're older?
Absolutely.
What kind of responsibilities do you have as a TA?
You have to be mature, that's a big thing. You also have to be a motivator. Show the kids how fun dance can be.
Are you the only TA for the class(es) you assist with or are there others?
I'm the only one.
How long have you been assisting for?
Four years.
What's your favorite part of the job?
Interacting with the kids.
What part do you struggle with?
I don't really think I struggle with anything off the top of my head, I've been assisting for a while.
Are there any cute/funny stories you'd like to share?
haha well one of the girls asked me if I lived at the studio.
What tips do you have for other TA's?
Just have fun.

Name:Arielle
Do you go by any special name?Nope just my name!
Do you get a discount or any other form of pay? $7.50 an hour.
What classes do you assist? I help in acro classes for a extra spotter, but I teach on my own 2 duets, 1 mt class, and 1 hiphop class (competition) by request and a whole bunch of rec classes.
Have you ever been at the studio so long (on one particular day) that you need to bring food? Im there from 3:30 to 9:30 3 days a weeks so YES i bring food!
Have you ever had anything that you fear might cause your SO to not let you continue assisting? No, the owner of my studio trusts me so much i even have keys to the studio. I was the youngest teachers assistant and now i am the youngest student teacher because i work my butt off and dont make too many mistakes! haha

And some new questions...

How did you become a TA? Started at 11 because I asked and i was dancing there since 2. Worked my way up the ladder.
Do you want to keep teaching when you're older? DEFFINATELY!
What kind of responsibilities do you have as a TA? Teaching, working with parents/students., paperwork, cutting music, opening the studio etc...
Are you the only TA for the class(es) you assist with or are there others? Nope.
How long have you been assisting for?5 years
What's your favorite part of the job? Building relationships with the children and learning about the business for my future.
What part do you struggle with? Hard to balance school with dance.
Are there any cute/funny stories you'd like to share? Too many... Kids say the funniest things!
What tips do you have for other TA's? Hard work pays off!
Anything else you want to share?
Keep posting everyone... Its nice to talk to people going through all he same things!

Name: Maria
Do you go by any special name? Miss Maria!
How do you get to the classes you assist? I drive and if I dont have a car my parents bring me
Do you get a discount or any other form of pay? I used to get halfoff my tution but I dont currently take any classes.
What classes do you assist? 3-4 ballet/tap 5-8 tap/ballet/jazz
Have you ever been at the studio so long (on one particular day) that you need to bring food? In previous years I had to but not this year.
Have you ever had anything that you fear might cause your SO to not let you continue assisting? Im not on the competition team, which basically means your worth nothing at my studio, but the girl I teach with and I stick together.

And some new questions...

How did you become a TA? I was asked my senior year by the owner and every year after my teacher has kept me.
Do you want to keep teaching when you're older? O yes! I hope to next year start teaching on my own. Dance is what I love!
What kind of responsibilities do you have as a TA?
Are you the only TA for the class(es) you assist with or are there others? Yes mam!
How long have you been assisting for? This is my 4th year! Its flown by!
What's your favorite part of the job? I love working with kids (im in school to be a preschool teacher =)). I love being a role modela nd have them look up to me. I also love sharing my passion and love for dance with a whole new generation of dancers!
What part do you struggle with? Definitly discipline. Some of the girls dont always listen to me.
Are there any cute/funny stories you'd like to share? Ive had tons of funny comments made. But my new favorite happened last year. I took my sweat pants off, cause I was hot and I had shorts underneath. Well one of the littl girls decided to take her pants off too and she only had tights on. She then proceeded to waltz around the room like nothing happened. It was definitly a crack up!
What tips do you have for other TA's? Try to always be a positive role model, you are what these little girls look up to!
Anything else you want to share?