Thread: Competitors (teachers) coming to your class...

This is something that is currently being debated in the teachers' group but I wanted to throw my own issue out to the general Bhuz forum.

One of my students approached me on Tuesday and said that she had been attending another class as well as mine and the teacher there wanted to know if I'd mind if she came along to my class to learn from me.

Apparently she's French Algerian and knows how to dance 'because it's her culture' but doesn't know how to teach.

I'm very flattered and said it would be fine for her to come along. But there's a bit of me that thinks should I be helping a competitor to be a better teacher and thereby more of a commercial threat?

I know I will let her come along (I'm not the sort of person to say no) but what do others think? What would you do?

Why not? The sign of a good teacher is one who seeks to improve her own skills so that she can become an even better teacher and pass that along to her students.

She's a student like anyone else - I don't think she means any harm. I can see why you'd want to hold your knowledge sacred, but the fact is - any of your students could go out and seek gigs, etc... and become a competitor too. Maybe not an equal playing field, but hey - maybe this teacher isn't either?

everyone is welcome in my classes . i have no right to come on bhuz and wine about the newbie teachers (there are soo many of them arrrgh), who have not had enoug training to teach, and then not offer them such training? where are they supposed to get it if not from the more advanced teachers?

artemisia

I can understand your reticence and a lot will depend on the other teacher's attitude. If she's there to work hard and learn then it'll be fine. It's a compliment to your quality as a teacher that she feels you are someone she could learn from. "It's part of her culture but she doesn't know how to teach" rings an alarm bell though.

If i was you, i will help her.
This happen to me before, and at the moment, she is one of my good friends (And she is a better teacher)
Be a good teacher, it's not the same be a good dancer.

I know at least 3 "professional dancers" that are trully amazing teachers, but as a dancer... well...different.

or just oposite, they can be a fantastic dancer, and not good teacher.
Happy when you can be both!!! ;)

Sunshine,

Perhaps instead of fighting the inevitable, maybe you teachers could turn this to marketing advantage!

How about running a short series "Teacher Workshops," wherein you impart your teaching wisdom for a slightly higher fee and in a more concentrated way at a higher dance level?

Think of it as a super-advanced workshop.

I think it's great that she was honest with you.

However, I think it's odd that she's going to you to learn to teach. Shouldn't she cease teaching then, if she can't teach? Perhaps before she comes to your class, you could talk to her about not stealing anything from you, like if you teach choreography. Put it nicer, of course. I would also consider asking her if she'd be willing to do private lesson with you focused on this woman learning how to teach. Like you pretend to be an absolute beginner and have the other teacher try to teach you. You then critique and tell her where she went wrong and what she was right on.

for belgium: working on it. but details will have to wait till i'm a bit more organised!

Originally Posted by danidance

Sunshine,

Perhaps instead of fighting the inevitable, maybe you teachers could turn this to marketing advantage!

How about running a short series "Teacher Workshops," wherein you impart your teaching wisdom for a slightly higher fee and in a more concentrated way at a higher dance level?

Think of it as a super-advanced workshop.

I wouldn't worry about it to much if I were you. I know I personally like to see how other teachers are teaching. Not that I want to steal from them but just for my own personal knowledge so I know what is out there. Especially, teachers who are new to the area and come from another part of the country. There are so many unique styles out there even for teaching. Some teachers do just drills, other do just choreography, some do improve, some do a combination of the three, and some I don't know what they are doing!

One thing I've learned is that my beginner class is much harder than most other teachers but is a cake walk compared to MY teacher's beginning class. But she teaches girls who want to become professionals, I teach girls who want to learn to dance but their main focus is fun and exercise. Therefore we have a different teaching philosophy.

Knowing how to dance and teaching it are two separate distinct animals. Although I still haven't quite figured out how someone can teach if they can't dance!

I'd be more concerned if she came to the class then tried to solicit your students to come to her class. I've seen that happen before!

i teach many teachers, it is an honor!
cz

Howabout suggesting a series of 'private' lessons, where YOU go to HER class, and see her teaching method etc. then you could work out how to help her, plus as someone else said, it would be to your commercial advantage which is always a bonus. Both your bank balance and your heart would be warm afterwards :-)

I would much rather someone come to something I'm teaching to learn HOW to teach rather than for them to continue doing what they're already doing....and doing it poorly. It might prevent an onset of wannabe bellys from emerging...if you know what I mean.

I would be very wary except for her honesty...she wants to learn from you and as for being able to dance because it's from her culture ..well that too remains to be seen from my experience. You could be teaching her how to dance..as a performer and not just as a bopper.On the other hand she could be just brilliant.
But as I said the important thing is her direct and honest approach via you student but it might be useful to chat with her first because her demands will be different to your average student.

Your greatest competition and threat is always yourself. Challenge yourself more than she could challenge you and you'll stay on top. Sink into a rut and you become your own worst threat as others pass you by.

~*Genisis*~

I have three beginning students who also take bellydance at their gym. The focus at the gym is to get the heart rate up. When my students started to shimmy during on of the classes, the bellydance gym instructor was amazed and wanted to know how they learned to do "that shimmy". The three students told her about me and now the instructor is going to enroll in my beginning class.

Am I concerned about loosing students to her? A little. But if you think about it, a dancer from another state can come in and draw from your students.

I have some students that I encourage to seek other instructors and they refuse. Other students do attend other classes while also attending mine, some go on to other classes and discontinue mine. I think it all depends on the student and who they are comfortable with.

Have a great day,
Cassiopeia

if her intentions are benign....i've had bad experiences with visitors. it was more like they were trying to punk me out than learn. my favorite was the one who passed out her business card in my class. personally i have NEVER gone to a local competitor & visited. i've RESPECTED their territory. if i take a class with somebody i am a STUDENT that day & do not talk about my class or hand out my promotionals. i have an open door policy but i have been burned by it. tina

Actually, this needs to be a business decision. If she wants to learn how to teach then like other models in bellydance that I've seen she will need to pay to learn. Not just an ordinary class fee. Other models charge anywhere from 500.00 to 1,000.00 dollars to be in their teacher certification program. I would set something up similar and charge appropriately. Also there needs to be an assessment of her current skills and knowledge before even allowing into a teacher training program. Some programs require three years experience before entering their program. Gypsy Caravan is one of them... Now they have created another certification program that is required as a student before even entering a teacher certification program and that double the price.....
But I would not help her just to be nice. This is also a business.....