Hello DDN,

I am usually fairly adept at getting a dancer to cooperate, but last night was crazy! I hope maybe it was just the time change that threw them off.

Anyways, I have 3 kids for an 1.5 hr. Ballet/jazz class. They are all around kindergarten and 1st grade. If they decide they don't like a step we are doing they will suddenly have an "injury" and loudly complain about it.I remind them if they are really hurt then they have to sit out of "free dance" at the end of class. Sometimes this works for me but sometimes it doesn't. Of course I realize they are faking and I always say "You're ok. Lets dance".

We talk about complaining too. How dance class is a "no complaining zone". The thing they most often complain of are music choice and/or "injuries". We talk about how when they are the teachers they can pick the music, but right now since I am the teacher I pick. They just totally threw me off and said "I hate this song, its stupid!". So we then talked about respectful langauge and how we don't use that word in dance class.

The only thing I haven't done is sent them out of the room. I have taken away stickers, free dance, done time outs.

Sigh. There are only 3 kids in this class, but every week things get progressively worse. I feel as if I am loosing control of the class. I even set up a prize box for them. At the last class of the month they get to pick 1 prize as long as they only got 3 "warnings" for the month. They know there are 4 weeks in November and they all got 2 warnings each yesterday.

I am just frusterated....any advice?

I have taken those kids, if I cannot get them to stop, to the parent. I also explain that if they keep doing it, when they are really hurt, no one will believe them.

I explain this to the parent and tell them that if they are really in pain, they should take them to a doctor and then I will let them return to class, only with a doctor's note.

Usually, the parent will handle it, but sometimes they don't and you have to tell them that they are only allowed one complaint, each week. If they complain, again, they are done with class, and then take them out.

Little ones, I always made parents stay, or someone for them, in the parents' place.

I'm the same. If it keeps happening I go talk to the parent and tell them they need to take them to the doctor and either get a doctors note or tell me the plan of action the doctor is planning.

I always approach it as, "Sally has been sitting complaining of foot pain for three weeks now and I'm very concerned about her continuing to dance on an injury. I think it would be best if you brought her to a doctor. Please let me know what they say".

Also, if they're in other classes that night (especially after yours) make sure they're sitting out in both. If not, BIG TROUBLE!

When I know they're faking I say, "You know what the best thing for a (insert injury here)is? It's to dance. Now let's go and show me (insert dance move here)."

Also, if they moan and groan about a step I tell them to suffer in silence. lol. That usually gets them to keep quiet!

I typically just use the "Oh, no thank you. We are not talking right now. I'm sorry you don't feel well but you need to do the best you can" lines. If they still don't cooperate, a "Now, please" usually fixes it. If that doesn't work, then I tell them that since they're too injured to dance then we will just stand in first position and rest for 1 minute. And by rest I mean, hands on hips, heads and bodies up tall, no talking. And if someone fidgets or talks I add 30 seconds. And by the time that minute (or 3) is over they're more than happy to try the step and move.

I ignore those complaints as much as possible. Like I didn't hear them. Because it is a way to get attention (not to do what they don't like), so if can't attrack my attention that way, they are already doing it before they could think of something else.

I once had a complaining class that drove me mad. No matter what, they just refused (just because they could say no and totally loved that).
I sat down and said: "Well, in that case I have to sit down too and we all don't dance today. Let's wait for the end of this class."
That was something they didn't expect. They were in shock. Me too, I was thinking like crazy, "How do I get out of this chair again and start class again?" They saved me, saying desperately: "But it was only a joke!"
"O, it was only a joke! Well, you really got me, I didn't notice that. Very good of you. Let's dance again. Nooooo, I now know that when you sit down it's only a joke. No more jokes, dance!"

Shock them. Do something they don't expect.
How about walking in with a bandage, saying you can't do all the steps because you're injured, you need their help, can anyone show a plie to the rest? Show them that a real injury is no fun, but effects you during the complete class? Let them be busy with your injury and forget to make up their own?

wow that seems to be a very long class time for them!
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I'd just take them outside to their mums ... 'sorry, but Suzie said she has an injury ... perhaps you should get her an icepack from the office & take her to the hospital' ... they will be back quick smart!

I find this more often with small classes. I couldn't image 1.5 hours with only 3 students. Time must stand still!

Music problem: I usually respond with. "if you think I'm here to play your favorite songs, you're in the wrong place. There's the door "

Complainers:
I tell my kids that moaning and groaning is the same as farting or burping. I don't want to hear it.
For this hurts and that hurts. I also call their bluff. Tell them Im going to have to call mom to take you to the hospital.

Sounds like it's going to be a long year and you're going to have to be creative to keep them engaged.

DestinationDnCr wrote:

I find this more often with small classes. I couldn't image 1.5 hours with only 3 students. Time must stand still!

Yes - is there anyway to change this to an hour or 45 minutes? You are basically giving a semi-private lesson. What happens when 1 or 2 are sick or don't come? 1.5 hour solo?! By the end of 1.5 hours of straight dance, I would lucky to find one of my kindergarten recreational students that didn't start getting whiny.

If not, then the above comments are all good advice to help with the whiners.

I second Lidwina's comments. I usually do it with high schoolers but I've left the room a few times. In fact, about a week ago I was choreographing a group number and the kids were exceptionally rowdy, so I said "Fine. If you guys just want to talk, you can stand here and talk til the end of rehearsal but you are not wasting my time." I picked up my stuff and actually left the building... You should've seen the looks on their faces. lol
But seriously, I second the getting parents/doctors involved if it's a constant complaint of injury. Unfortunately, one time they really will be injured and if you force them to dance you could get yourself in a LOT of trouble... Also, just to protect yourself, make sure you are keeping a written record of everytime they complain about injury. God forbid you have to back yourself up at a later date with a parent.

tappin_cait wrote:

DestinationDnCr wrote:

I find this more often with small classes. I couldn't image 1.5 hours with only 3 students. Time must stand still!

Yes - is there anyway to change this to an hour or 45 minutes? You are basically giving a semi-private lesson. What happens when 1 or 2 are sick or don't come? 1.5 hour solo?! By the end of 1.5 hours of straight dance, I would lucky to find one of my kindergarten recreational students that didn't start getting whiny.

If not, then the above comments are all good advice to help with the whiners.

I am assuming OP has no way to change class time, as it sounds like a fairly normal setup for kids that have graduated from a creative movement type class into separate classes. From what the OP shared it sounds like a 45 minute ballet class followed by a 45 minute jazz class. I would assume there is break in between to change shoes, get a drink, etc... I used to teach these types of 6-7 year olds all the time on Saturday mornings. Other kids took their ballet and jazz on different days, but most parents like to keep it on the same day. Some of them even had a tap class the same day too. It takes them a bit to get used to the format at first. They are used to coming in for an hour and getting it all done, but now their classes are longer. They were always whiny in the beginning but by the holidays they were completely fine (especially after I had announced their recital music and costume). The only thing that worked for me is sitting them out, or taking them out to their parents in the waiting room when they were disturbing my class. I only had 1 faker that I can specifically remember. She would complain about the dumbest things too "Miss Joy, I hurt this finger at school today so I can't do _____" It was hard to not look at her in astonishment and then explain that does not affect her dancing and she needed to either rejoin the group and stay quiet or we could go explain the problem to her mother. She then graduated to "My tummy hurts so I can't jump up and down" She just hated jumping so I would sometimes say things like Oh well then you can sit out for the rest of the class, but just remember there are jumps in our recital dance so if you don't practice them how are you going to do them in the recital? Anything serious she would come up with like a hurt ankle or back, I would promptly tell her that means no more dancing at all until it is fixed, so we should probably go tell mom about it so she could go home and rest. Yeah, making mom the bad guy is probably the easiest way out haha.

I'd start sitting them down right away when they start complaining about being hurt, and not letting them get back up again. The threat of being sat down doesn't seem to be working anymore, because they've probably figured out that you don't want to do it and will avoid it at all costs. So do it. Who cares if you only have three kids in class to begin with? I'd rather teach one child who is willing and eager to learn than three whom I have to corral and threaten.

Arak wrote:


I'd rather teach one child who is willing and eager to learn than three whom I have to corral and threaten.

I agree. I love teaching one or two kids who want to dance. It's a joy. I can have a class full of kids who love to dance, and that one, annoying one, will hurt my brain!

I find when my littlies fake injuries, it's because they're tired. Especially if they've just started going to school, it's a big day for them, with out adding 1.5 hours of dance on the end. I tend to just say "Just do your best" and carry on.

Why don't you try sending them out of the room? If there's only 3 in the class and one gets sent out, that's likely to shock the other two for a bit. It will work especially well if their parents are out waiting, because they'll ask why they're out of class and probably talk to them quite sternly.

I mainly work with age groups of 2-4 or 5-6 in B/T or B/T/J classes, and they seem to think that if they complain they will get more attention from me, my assistant, or from their mothers.

I try to establish in the beginning that the dance studio is a space for only dancers and show them our "Dancer's Only" sign at the door. I explain to them that during our class I can't let them leave or let their mommies come in. Of course, there's always one little girl that has a problem with these rules.

Magically, they all injured at some convenient point, like when they're changing shoes or when we're doing an exercise they don't like, and have to go see their mommy. The first complaint I'll typically ignore. They don't want to do the across the floor bit when they hold the parasol? I hand them the parasol anyway and tell them to go. They don't want to do shuffles at the barre because their foot hurts? I lead them to the barre and tell them that dancing will make them feel better.

If they keep complaining after that, I tell them to sit still on their spot on the floor and watch the class. If they're faking, they'll get upset when they see you focus all your attention on working with other children and ignore them and either they'll suddenly want to dance again, they'll try to disrupt the class to get you to pay attention to them or they'll cry.

If it's the first, I remind that they were injured and that if it really hurt then they should just keep sitting and resting. If it's the send or third I'll usually ignore them or send them into the lobby with their mothers.

I'll usually discuss what happened in class to the mother, or whoever happens to be there with the child. Typically they will deal with it.

Hope that helped

I have little Genevieve this year, age five, who is a "I need to see mommy," or "I need to tell mommy," issue. I do not give into it and mom does not, either.

The other day, she was crying as mom tried to get her in. She wanted her mom to come in. I took her hand and said that mommy's do not take this class and it's her time to go to her spot.

I did not push her to dance. She cried, I handed her a tissue and said, "You can cry, as long as I can't hear you. Blow your nose if it runs," and went about teaching the other 11 kids.

I gave her no attention, until she did a step. I said, "Good job, Genevive," and kept going.

She eventually stopped crying and got with the program.

Some weeks, she is okay, others, not so much, but it's getting better. She is seeing that mommy and teacher will not give into it.

It's important, because how will a teacher know when they are really hurt or ill? The student who cries, "wolf" will have issues throughout life, no matter the age.