The problem with raising autodidacts...
The wee one does a great dance class on Saturdays at a local children's arts centre. It is tap and ballet and the teacher is great and it is really quite informal, yet the wee one has learned loads and gets a lot out of it. It is not a typical dance school scenario with progression and discipline and exams and grades, it is just good fun and they put on a show. WE LOVE IT!
However, she and a couple of the other home ed friends who are in the class have mentioned wanting to do more. Cue me - who is going to sort it all out. As if....
I looked into a few dance schools and talked to some other parents and googled a lot and gave a local teacher a ring to talk about options. She was lovely on the phone. She already taught a few home edders, she has other classes, or private options, and she sounded like she really knew her stuff and had plenty of experience. Plus she was patient with me as I went back and forth between the other two mothers and to sort out a personal assessment lesson with our three dancers. In my mind, it was all going to work out beautifully.
Then we talked to the kids.
One wants exams. One wants just ballet. One wants Jazz dancing too. One wants musical theatre tap. One wants American rhythmic tap. One wants more complicated stuff but not necessarily exams.
Then came the realisation that the older sibling of one of the dancers is at another dance school. Apparently in the world of dance that is a big no-no! Dance mistresses upset, children having to change dance schools, you have got to be kidding me!? We have entered a mine field and we haven't even started classes yet!
And it doesn't escape my notice that though the autodidacts are asserting their differing expectations, they are not the ones acting like children.
However, she and a couple of the other home ed friends who are in the class have mentioned wanting to do more. Cue me - who is going to sort it all out. As if....
I looked into a few dance schools and talked to some other parents and googled a lot and gave a local teacher a ring to talk about options. She was lovely on the phone. She already taught a few home edders, she has other classes, or private options, and she sounded like she really knew her stuff and had plenty of experience. Plus she was patient with me as I went back and forth between the other two mothers and to sort out a personal assessment lesson with our three dancers. In my mind, it was all going to work out beautifully.
Then we talked to the kids.
One wants exams. One wants just ballet. One wants Jazz dancing too. One wants musical theatre tap. One wants American rhythmic tap. One wants more complicated stuff but not necessarily exams.
Then came the realisation that the older sibling of one of the dancers is at another dance school. Apparently in the world of dance that is a big no-no! Dance mistresses upset, children having to change dance schools, you have got to be kidding me!? We have entered a mine field and we haven't even started classes yet!
And it doesn't escape my notice that though the autodidacts are asserting their differing expectations, they are not the ones acting like children.
Comments
Post a Comment