For those who teach...

[EMOYENO]

I have been very curious lately as to how, of the teachers I know, actually became teachers.
There are those who have the actual talent to teach, which is a very rare talent (my opinion) and there are those who love to dance and just teach because (for many reasons) they have a good amount of followers, make money, and so forth.

I mean I've seen terrible terrible teachers who are clearly in it for the money, have no interest in you what so ever and are just there to take your money. Of course if you're a teacher you NEED to make money, duuhh.. that's why there are so many colleges and universities.. for the same reason.

But there is a level of sincerity to teaching a certain passion, a spark that you recognize when you talk to a salsa instructor. You see that glow, that interest in making his/her student a good dancer.

Just curious...

• What it takes to be a Salsa Instructor?
• How do you go to that level?

 

[MacMoto]

This thread may be of interest to you:
http://salsaforums.com/threads/qualified-to-teach.18982/

 

[MacMoto]

And this one:
http://salsaforums.com/threads/what-theyre-a-teacher.5470/

 

[terence]

I
Just curious...

• What it takes to be a Salsa Instructor?
• How do you go to that level?

Teaching isnt a Job, its an avocation . If it were really about money, I would have quit many moons ago .

 

[azzey]

Just curious...

• What it takes to be a Salsa Instructor?
• How do you go to that level?

One of the main things is an interest and investment in learning how to teach. Then committing significant time to building your experience in that area. Like anything you need to train for it. Long term commitment in how to apply the knowledge that you have and extend it.

 

[sagitta]

Teaching isnt a Job, its an avocation . If it were really about money, I would have quit many moons ago .

That is so very true.

For me teaching is making a difference. Take this ballroom class which I am doing with someone else at the university. When dancing with a new person upon rotation I try to help him/her in some way so that they get something. Yesterday we were working on connection in west coast swing (WCS). In WCS there is this elasticity in connection, with compression when not moving and a lighter connection upon release. Not easy to get but almost all my partners understood it better before moving on.