I usually get along with most of my classes pretty easily. But occasionally there is a class where it just feels *hard.* I remember the last group that I felt this way with---one kid craved attention and learned very quickly how to push my buttons to get it (she was very smart). Another one would spend the whole class in the bathroom if I didn't keep a close watch and I didn't have an assistant to keep track of her. Keeping my calm and dividing my attention so that every student felt seen (and also stayed in the room) took a huge amount of energy. Plus, there was also a dancer in that class with an unusual amount of natural ability and I constantly felt guilty that I wasn't able to give her the class that she deserved.
Let me be clear: this didn't make me a bad teacher and it didn't mean those students were bad dancers or bad kids. And if you have experienced something similar, you aren't a bad teacher and they aren't bad kids either. Sometimes, the chemistry just needs extra attention to flourish.
As teachers, our approach to these situations profoundly impacts how students will remember their year with us. Here are a few things I've learned (many from that class) about how to redirect challenging classes toward success while staying true to your teaching values:
Start With Your Own Joy
My boss during that year taught me a very important truth: a class can only have as much fun as their teacher is having. Students will never exceed your energy level or enthusiasm. If you're in a similar situation right now, I know you're probably not having much fun. But here's what helped me shift things:
Ballet has more traditions than it needs. Give yourself permission to experiment.
Try different music---I had been using the same set music for Level 1 for years. The combinations fit the music, the playlist was ready to go, and since I had every unit (as well as the progressions between them) memorized, sticking with that plan freed up a lot of brain space in my head. But it was also all classical music and taking the time to adjust the class so that I could use all Disney songs made a difference. Bonus: whenever my attention-craving student started talking, I said, "let's sing along to this song!" which helped me stay in control of the classroom but also gave her the opportunity to interact that she neededCreate themed days that secretly target skills (our superhero port de bras class was surprisingly effective, plus we got to wear capes!)
Share ballet history that connects to their exercises (context can transform resistance into curiosity)
Adapt variations to their level---even my bathroom-escaping student stayed engaged when she got to try pieces from Act 3 of Sleeping Beauty. She especially loved being the wolf dancing with Little Red Riding Hood
Leverage Your Unique Strengths
Sometimes the best solution is having an honest conversation with your studio owner about class assignments. Once students discover how to push your buttons, that pattern can be challenging to break. A fresh start with a different teacher might benefit everyone. (We weren't able to switch teachers entirely for that group, but my boss did arrange for me to swap classes with a different teacher once a month so that the kids and I all had a break from each other.)
On the weeks when switching wasn't an option, I focused on what made me a good teacher and stressed less about the other stuff. I'm really good at storytelling so we did a lot of "Let's make up a story together. How can we tell this story with just our arms? How can we tell this story with lots of jumps?" and things like that to fit in the vocabulary they needed to learn that year. What makes you great? Are you a brilliant choreographer? Let this class dive deeper into composition than you usually would. Talented musician? Transform the studio into a percussion playground, using floors and barres to develop razor-sharp musicality.
It's better to have an unusual year where the kids have fun and want to continue learning next year (with a different teacher) than to stick to what you usually do and end the year with everyone feeling sour.
Find Your Connection Points
Look beyond the studio walls to discover what you love about these dancers. Maybe it's their passionate debates about the latest Marvel movie before class, or their creative (if distracting) stories about makeup-wearing farm animals. (I swear, some of my gray hair is a direct result of the number of times I had to grit my teeth and ignore "cows wear lipstick!" every 6 minutes for an hour every Tuesday.) If you can find common ground (yes, Ms. Marvel is amazing!) it can help the class gel better but if not, well . . . sometimes I would look at a kid and remember how much their grandma loved them. Then I would do my very best to borrow that grandma-level love for the hour. It helped.
Learn From Your Students
That challenging class taught me things no teacher training program ever could. For instance, our lipstick-obsessed friend helped me develop Olympic-level patience. The bathroom escape artist taught me the importance of making transitions interesting and varied. And that naturally gifted student? It turns out that she loved class and developed her talent beautifully. From her I learned to have a little compassion for myself. Of course I always want to be improving as a teacher, but she taught me that I can give value to my students without being perfect.
Keep Age-Appropriate Expectations
Some days, I had to remind myself: they were only seven. Seven! Yes, one could pick up choreography instantly while another asked for the bathroom pass every ten minutes. But they were all just kids who wanted to feel successful and have fun. When I stopped expecting them to act like tiny versions of students I'd already worked with and met them where they were, things got better.
What didn't work? Trying to make them be different kids. No behavior charts, no elaborate reward systems, no attempts to squash their unique personalities. Instead, I focused on finding ways to make class fun for all of us. The positive changes came naturally after that.
Remember, this phase won't last forever. Years from now, you might even find yourself missing the quirky moments. (Although, seriously, I don't miss the lipstick cow part. At all.) And who knows? Your challenging class might end up teaching you exactly what you needed to learn.
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