I've taught different class sizes, different ages, and different styles, and have never had a class as bad as the 6-8 tap class with 6 girls that I have now.

2 are good listeners, and want to dance. The other 4 are all over the place, don't pay attention, will be talking, up at the mirror looking at their face, and I swear the one doesn't want to take dance at all.

I hate this class. And it's the first one of the night of other classes and I feel bad for my other classes because this first one just puts me in a bad mood.

I've tried yelling, redirection, ignoring bad behavior, praising good behavior, speaking soft for them to have to be quiet to have to hear, and everything in between.

I searched DDN's past threads (and there were a lot!) about behavior and discipline. Based on some posts, I think I'm going to do the following and wanted to get your input:

I'm going to make and post a posterboard of the rules. I don't want it overwhelming, so I've narrowed it down to:
1. Respect yourself, your classmates and your teacher
2. No screaming
3. No running or touching other people
4. Practice the steps or combination until you get it
5. Have fun without being loud

Do you think 6-8 year olds really know what "respect" means? Should I reword #1?

Are there others you would add? Take away? Reword?

I'm also going to use the "stoplight" system for each girl. Everyone starts are green. I tell them once and they go to yellow, tell them another time and they go to red. If I tell them one more time I will either send them out of the room or have them sit and let their parent know after class.

I was thinking that if you stay at green for 2 or 3 weeks in a row, you get a prize. Not sure what prize, though. They get stickers after class. If they are on red they will not get a sticker, but I want to reward those that are good.

Should I bring the parents in at the beginning of class and introduce the new system? Or should I write something up and give it to the parents at the beginning of class instead of having them come in. I want the parents to know so they can enforce the new policy.

One other thing - is it bad taste to let the parents of the 2 good girls that they are good? Should I write it on top of the paper I give them or tell them in person? I just don't want them to get in trouble from their parents when they're the good ones.

Whew!! Thanks for reading my long post!

Number 4 could backfire for you, at 6-8 they may think they are doing it perfectly and then think the "have it" and can run around the room.

Maybe something more like practice the steps if I am speaking to another student, or something more along those lines.

Have you tried threatening to bring their parents in or tell their parents that they've been acting up? When I have a class that's extremely out of line, I'll tell the "bad ones" that they can sit down for the rest of class and that we'll have a talk with mom/dad about why we're sitting instead of dancing. They usually straighten up after that. I've never had to make a "rules" chart.

Do you think 6-8 year olds really know what "respect" means? Should I reword #1?

Yes, kids this age know what "respect" means. I'd keep that one like it is.

Are there others you would add? Take away? Reword?

I agree with mm_dancer about #4. I would just scratch that one.

I personally think the stoplight system is complicated and just more work for you. But if you're going to keep it, I'd use something like a pizza party as an incentive. ("If we don't have any reds for the rest of the year" or "If we have no more than 3 reds for the rest of the year" then they'll get a pizza party.) It makes the whole group work together. Otherwise, the "bad" ones will just get mad that the "good" ones are getting prizes and they're not.

Should I bring the parents in at the beginning of class and introduce the new system?

Depends on how involved they are. If the parents know that this has been a problem class, yes. If the parents are unaware of how unruly this class has been all year, then why bother telling them?

One other thing - is it bad taste to let the parents of the 2 good girls that they are good?

I've let the parents of my "good" ones know that their kids are angels in my class. I usually sneak it in at the end of class. Like, I bring the parents in to watch their recital routine, and then I pull those parents aside afterward and say something like, "I just want you to know that Suzie has been so good for me this year. She's a really good helper when the others one get a little out of hand." I think it's a nice gesture.

I have a group of 5's this year with two out of 8 who are unruly, to the point of interfering with their classmates' learning. So we have rules, and we review them at the beginning of every class.

I'd combine (2) and (5) with something like:
"Use inside voices. Raise your hand and get the teacher's permission before you speak."

Also, I'd add:
"Stop, look and listen when your teacher is speaking."

As for the practicing, I'd remove that, too. At that age, I don't think it's going to happen, especially with so many who are acting up in class. I'd do two things related to this. If you are going to work with one student individually, tell the others your intent, and instruct them as to what is expected of them during that time. I usually have the others come over and watch, so they can learn from it, too (and to keep them from being on their own for too long).

I'd try also to break them into two groups and have them help each other with a step or series of steps; at first, keep it simple. You will be right there if needed, but it's a good way to check out class dynamics, leadership skills, etc., and to make learning their responsibility. There may be some surprises. If you can identify a leader among the four who go astray, try putting her with the two who behave, and see what happens with her (and see what happens with the other three without the negative leadership). Then you can bring them back together to show you how well they have done with their group learning. If ALL of them have achieved the given goal, I usually bring in a treat for them the following week to celebrate their accomplishment and teamwork.

I have a series of rules that are in the registration contract: no gum, be respectful, uniform including shoes and appropriate hairstyles, no cell phones/electronics the usual.

In class I go over my four big behavior rules with big goofy gestures that they practice to remember each one.

1) NO RUNNING
2) NO TALKING WHILE THE TEACHER IS TALKING
3) KEEP YOUR HANDS AND OTHER OBJECTS TO YOURSELF
4) LISTEN TO ALL DIRECTIONS BEFORE BEGINNING (they wait until I say you may begin,you may change shoes, your may get a drink, etc.)

I find that if I make a BIG DEAL about these at the beginning middle and end of each class for the first month I am good.

We have one class of 5-7 year-olds that make me want to stab myself in the eye because I feel it would hurt less then the stress of teaching these kids. They are all sweet and moderately talented, but they just get each other going. I just keep firmly with my rules and I time-out constant offenders. The next year the same kids will be wonderful...they just need help getting there

I like the "Stop, Look and Listen to your teacher" I'm going to use that one myself.

I agree with taps2much list. Those are basically my rules. I always add no hanging on the ballet barre as well.

I would also scrap #4.

I had this group of girls once (age 3's) that were violent with each other. They would actually hit or punch each other in ballet class. I attacked that situation immediately by getting the parents involved. If you have good parents that respect you as a teacher, they will pass that respect on to their kid. It turned out to be really funny because the girls who were hitting and punching each other, started to hug and kiss each other instead. That was distracting as well, but a heck of a lot better than the violence.

Are you the SO? If not be sure you let her/him know your ideas before you implement them. If you are, consider reworking the entire studio's discipline policies to prevent future problems and keep things consistent studio-wide. Before making changes let parents know the current problem, how you plan to change things and what outcome you expect. Again if you are not the SO she/he should handle that.

Why do they get stickers even if they miss behave? I would stop that and only give them to the two that pay attention and try their best.

I've found that when you have a group of kids misbehaving there is often a ring leader who gets everyone going. Identify which student is causing the most trouble and nip her in the bud, quickly. Whether you use the stop light system or 3 strikes your out rule you must do it immediately and consistently. Meaning if they reach red two minutes into class they must sit or leave the room. How long will they have to sit? 5 minutes? The rest of class? That needs to be clear to parents beforehand.

Expect things to be bad in the beginning. As they test you there will be lots of reds, upset kids and possible upset parents. If you stay consistent they will realize you mean business.

Good Luck!

DanceDean wrote:


1. Respect yourself, your classmates and your teacher
2. No screaming
3. No running or touching other people
4. Practice the steps or combination until you get it
5. Have fun without being loud

I have been there. I had TWO classes, back to back, with a few of the same kids who made the class a horror. I came to the conclusion that they did not have great role models at home. They were NOT bad but were not good listeners and had really poor attention spans.

First, I spoke to the parents about their attention span. I asked if this was ever approached by their child's school. If not, then I told them my issues with the child and what I needed them to do. I also asked that they limit the child's tv viewing by 75 percent. I do not feel that this is overstepping boundaries because I am a teacher, and it matters not what I teach.

I did explain that if they continued to be disruptive, they would be out of class. I had to choose my battles, too. Since part of the class was naughty kids (liked to talk, not pay attention, constantly moving around, etc.), and the rest did not pick up fast (they were both beginner classes) I had to step back on my expectations of what I could teach them.

I also found that, even though I needed to repeat a lot for all to get it, that I had to keep it interesting. I had to come up with fun ways to make them NOT want to miss what I was doing.

My first rules, in all of my class are...

No running and jumping, unless is it part of a dance or step.

No touching, anything. No people, no walls, no barres (these were tap and jazz classes. I did not use barres for them).

No noise, which included making noise with tap shoes when not tapping together, or when I asked them, no talking or yelling, clucking the tongue, humming or any other noise.

If you have a question, you MUST raise your hand. They were allowed 3 hand raises/questions per class. Yes, I had to limit it because the talkative kids would use any excuse to speak.

I would not add the practice part because with a group like that, do not do anything one at a time, if you can help it. If one does it, all do it.

Three strikes and you are out. First wrong thing, you are warned, second, you sit in the naughty chair, third, you are out of the class for the day.

That also applied to class. If you were tossed out three times, you were out of class.

I had to let the parents know of my rules. I was honest, as I asked them all to come in and observe class (via my tv monitor) for a few weeks. If they did not want to, they could not keep the child in the class. I was that firm on these classes.

I also made sure that I recorded these classes, in case anyone challenged me. I was very blessed, though, that ALL of the parents were on board. I found that most were stressed with their own child's behavior, outside of the class and were desperate to learn how to control them.

I sat down and explained that they were all fabulous but they had to show me, in class, how fabulous they were, at all times (I still do this with all of my classes). If I started to see some things that were not major, I said, "Mary, is that being fabulous?" They knew, too, because every non-fabulous activity was pointed out.

"Mary, if you do that again, you stop being fabulous and I will sit you in the naughty chair for 5 minutes. If you do it again, you must leave class."

I forgot to say that these were NOT small children, but ages 8-11. When they were bad, I treated them like a small child, which they HATED!!

It took a few weeks of kids being removed from class, but they ALL got it. No parent wanted their kids out of the classes and the kids did want to dance.

I don't believe in rewards for doing what you are supposed to be doing. I was always kind, never nasty, but firm and used the "voice" and the "look".

I would give silly breaks where I would say funny things to teach them a step or show them the wrong way and at the end of class, I would so a small, fun thing (crazy dance, freeze dance, etc.).

I would have contests with a sticker for a prize, and yes, 11 year old kids still like getting a sticker. I would do a certain combination or single steps and make them do it as a group (once again, never one at a time, until they had more self control). I would make them do it over and over. As someone did it wrong, they sat in their spot, legs crossed, hands on knees and you could not move, until one was left. If, after as many times as there were kids in class (10 times for 10 students), those left standing were praised and received their sticker.

I kept their dances simple, with only a few steps but in several formations. They had to pay attention to counts, spacing, shapes, etc., to do it well.

Every couple of weeks I brought in people from the waiting room (from all of the classes) to stand in front of the room to see either their dance or combination. Having that pressure on them to do well for others, really helped, too.

Parents told me that after watching the kids from the start, and after a couple of months, the transformation in those classes was astonishing.

When reprimanding, a child, I found to keep it short and sweet. If you say it over and over and over, with no consequence, they will keep doing it. Why? Because you are giving them attention and that is what they crave, good or bad.

I gave TONS of attention to the good ones. "Oh, Jeannie, you were standing still like a beautiful statue. You are so fabulous!"

"Joey (I had one boy), you always listen and do what you are told (and he did). You are SOOO fabulous!"

I find using that one word, "fabulous" or anyone you wish to use, is good. You are not labeling the bad kids bad, but they did not earn, "fabulous".

www.teach-nology.com . . . is a site that had some advice about teaching respect and it clearly relates to all instances, not just child/parent.

6 is a ver small number of kids in a class for that age group. Often smaller classes are not better when it comes to discipline. Larger classes feel more like school and teachers just automatically put certain sanctions in place to keep order down to even the way the kids line up. Small classes can feel more like they are at home and the kids feel more familiar so you get some of the same testing behaviors that parents get.

Also with such a small number the problems can feel more overwhelming because you have so few good kids to make the class feel worthwhile.

I agree that kids of this age do not necessarily know what respect means. Many kids are not taught about respect these days. It is like telling a kid to be good. What does it mean to be good? You need to be more specific.

The best reward is your praise and attention. Most kids realize that it is easier and faster to get attention for being bad than for being good. Make sure that is not the case in your classroom.

For rewards you could use glow sticks or silly bands or something along those lines that are really cheap. Kids don't care if things are cheap they treasure them because their teacher gave it to them.

I would be careful about how you reward though. All kids have different temprements. For some kids being good is easy because they have an easy temprements. Many kids have a naturally short attention span and less self control so it is harder for them. Make sure you aren't just rewarding kids for doing what comes naturally.

1. Respect yourself, your classmates and your teacher
2. No screaming
3. No running or touching other people
4. Practice the steps or combination until you get it
5. Have fun without being loud

I've found that telling young kids what TO do instead of what NOT to do tends to work better.
So, for #2, instead of No screaming, I would say, Use your inside voice at all times. And I might add, only speak when called upon, or when the teacher is not speaking.
For #3 I might say Walk, do not run, so I'm prefacing it with the directive. and Keep your hands to yourself.

I just wanted to follow up with my original posting.

I had the dreaded class last night and before I did my plan, I did check with the SO to "get her blessing."

We started class by sitting in a circle and I told them that I love to have fun in class, but lately, we've been having too much fun and many students aren't listening and it's been very difficult to learn the recital dance with everything going on but dancing.

I told them we were going to have some rules and that they were simple rules, things that they probably already knew. I asked them what they thought some rules in a good dance class should be. They named 3 out of the 4 and the 4th one they kind of got.

When they named the rule, I taped the rule that I printed out on neon colored paper to the mirror. I took the advice of making the rules of what to do, opposed to what not to do (generally). I also simplified them. They were:

1. Do not speak when Miss XXXX is speaking.
2. Use your "inside voice." No screaming.
3. Keep your hands to yourself. Do not touch others or hang on the barre.
4. Say "I'll try" instead of "I can't" or "I don't get it."

I also decided to keep the "stoplight" discipline method. I printed out a stoplight and they put their names on papers that I attached to paperclips that attach to the stoplight. I taped the stoplight to the mirror.

I also invited the parents in at the end of class and explained what we were doing with the rules and I also wrote out a little letter to the parents as a reminder of the rules, discipline and for them to reinforce the rules before they come into class.

Other than parent visitation, when they were little angels, it was THE BEST class! I did a few reminders, but never reminded the same girl twice about the same rule. It was very successful. Hopefully it just wasn't a novelty for them and that it will continue for all future classes.

Thanks everyone with their suggestions. It's because of those posts that I revamped what I was going to do and also why it was a success! Thanks again!

YIPEE!! I am so happy for you! There are so many ways of doing it but kids really DO want discipline. Kids who are disciplined feel loved, and you gave them love. I am sure that the parents appreciated it, too. Hugs!

I didn't read any other replies first, but I feel your pain on a pain in the arse class. The issue I have with using the stop light system is...what is the consequence for turning their card to yellow? Just that? Turning a card to different color is not going to help anything.

I don't put up with any crap in my classes. I state at the very beginning of class before warm ups that I expect them to be quiet and not talk or mess around when I'm talking and teaching. Secondly, they may not act like a wild monkey. Keep the rules short and simple. I then tell them, if you can't follow those rules, out you go to sit with your mom or dad. Consider this your warning.

Of course there are days where a student is a bit out of control, so depending on what it is, I might have the student sit out, while still in the studio, for about 5 - 10 minutes. And if they are crazy, then I make them go sit with their parent.

There really isn't a punishment for going on yellow. It's just their warning before getting in red. When they get on red they do not get a sticker or treat at the end of class, they sit for a few minutes and I will speak with their mom or dad at the end of class with the student there. So far, so good!

Oh, I forgot to add that I felt like Abby Lee Miller when I taped the signs to the mirror. It felt like I was doing her pyramid! LoL. I laughed to myself.