Coaching: variety is the spice of life...

[Rugby]

Until the old guard dies off we will be held hostage to their greed and paranoid self-centered attitude.  They don't give a damn about the quality of the teachers just the quantity.  Outside of the main cities there is just nobody that is anywhere even half decent to teach.  I would say the better teachers in the mass majority of cases may be able to compete in Bronze but that's about it.  Since they don't copmpete they can't be stopped from teaching but then again to the old guard they would rather have a bunch of bronze level (and this is being kind) Pros, and I say Pros loosely, teach over high level competitiors.  This is one of the huge problems up here.  95% of the people dancing have nobody of any quality to teach them and for sure no opportunity to be exposed to competing or lessons that are anything more than a bunch of steps. 

[elisedance]

Until the old guard dies off we will be held hostage to their greed and paranoid self-centered attitude.  They don't give a damn about the quality of the teachers just the quantity.  Outside of the main cities there is just nobody that is anywhere even half decent to teach.  I would say the better teachers in the mass majority of cases may be able to compete in Bronze but that's about it.  Since they don't copmpete they can't be stopped from teaching but then again to the old guard they would rather have a bunch of bronze level (and this is being kind) Pros, and I say Pros loosely, teach over high level competitiors.  This is one of the huge problems up here.  95% of the people dancing have nobody of any quality to teach them and for sure no opportunity to be exposed to competing or lessons that are anything more than a bunch of steps. 

.. well put...

[QPO]

that is a shame.....every place has its problem....but at least we can teach if we want too. I wish I had found someone with quality at the beginning.......

[elisedance]

that is a shame.....every place has its problem....but at least we can teach if we want too. I wish I had found someone with quality at the beginning.......

But its all a learning curve - if you had you probably would not have recognized it.  At the beginning we all focus on steps - not dancing and so are lulled in by the least qualified teachers.

[Beachbum]

Here only national championship finalists are allowed to teach - and I think its just in the Amateur catagory.  The pros see it as a threat to their income.  I think they are short sightted - ams teaching just brings more students into the pool...

Counterpoint:  There is an am competitor who teaches newbie classes here.  She is a terrible teacher.  Both DP and I have taught things other than dance at elementary school through university levels and DP has a masters in adult ed, so we're pretty sure we have a good handle on what constitutes good teaching.  Anyway, I question whether this teacher is ultimately doing more harm than good, like driving off newbies who get frustrated, etc.

[elisedance]

Here only national championship finalists are allowed to teach - and I think its just in the Amateur catagory.  The pros see it as a threat to their income.  I think they are short sightted - ams teaching just brings more students into the pool...

Counterpoint:  There is an am competitor who teaches newbie classes here.  She is a terrible teacher.  Both DP and I have taught things other than dance at elementary school through university levels and DP has a masters in adult ed, so we're pretty sure we have a good handle on what constitutes good teaching.  Anyway, I question whether this teacher is ultimately doing more harm than good, like driving off newbies who get frustrated, etc.

...but whether they are good or bad probably has little at all to do with whether they are pro or am- in particular because pros do not have to get teaching certificates to teach either (not that that makes a good teacher but I would argue it makes a few less bad ones ).