Before I had children, my studio centered on the needs of the classes. Whatever worked best for the classes took first place. If we needed an extra rehearsal and the only time to do it was 9:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night, by golly, we got it done.
Then I had my first of five kids and my focus became survival. Whatever it took to survive, that’s what I did. Classes with coffee? Yes. Email at 2 a.m.? I was up anyway. It was all about just keeping things going.
Then my children became involved in their own activities and I got a new perspective on the studio—that of the parent who wanted to do everything they could to support their child, but didn’t know how. I was the soccer parent who didn’t know about the goalie camp. I was the snowboard mom who didn’t buy the right equipment. And, worse of all, I was the dance team mom who was late to a performance because I didn’t know the arrival protocol.
Once I became an “activity mom,” I vowed to make it easier for our studio parents to understand dance training, progress and policy by offering parent-teacher conferences. These annual one-on-one meetings for dancers in our Graded Technique program (4th grade and up) have become a huge hit.
Want to know more about the wonders parent teacher conference for dancers have had for students, parents and teachers alike?
1. Communication
As a studio owner, you probably feel as if you are constantly bombarded by questions from
parents. The questions can come at you from all directions: email, Facebook, text, the studio
hallway and the grocery store aisle. Having a published time where parents can meet with
teachers face-to-face will eliminate much messaging and worry on the part of parents. Most
parents are truly just eager to do the right thing and help their children as much as they can.
Parent-teacher conferences gives them a structured platform to do it.
2. Clarity
Nothing is more mysterious to parents (and even some students) than how progress is made
in dance. “When will I be ready for pointe shoes?” “What do I need to do to get from Ballet 2
to Ballet 3?” “Why didn’t I make company?” What is obvious to you as a lifetime participant in
dance may not be so obvious to a first-time dance parent. Nothing creates more clarity than
personalized explanation.
3. Appreciation
Another beautiful side effect of the parent teacher conferences has been appreciation. The
appreciation we have seen grow out of these meetings is a two way street. Families usually
walk away with a greater appreciation for the teacher’s knowledge base and studio policy
and a better understanding of where the student is in his or her development. On the other
hand, the teacher gains a better understanding of the motivations and goals of the family.
Win-win.
4. Accountability
We strongly encourage students to attend conferences (in their dance clothes) with their
parents. Having the students in attendance allows teachers to demonstrate key corrections,
such as placement or turn out, right in front of the parent. It’s also a time to discuss any
problem areas that may be cropping up such as attendance or attitude. Parents are much
more likely to help hold students accountable if they know specifically what they need to be
working on.
5. Community
Parent-teacher conferences are a big deal. Families look forward to them for weeks advance
and make their plans around attending. Yes, I pay all of our teachers to attend for hours on
end, but the sense of community and commitment between the family and studio that comes
out of the event is priceless.
Nothing says you value someone like spending uninterrupted time talking to them. Parent-teacher
conferences are one of the best investments I make each year. Give it a try before your dance
season is over.
