What Teaching Means to Me

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What Teaching Means to Me

I've been planning on writing this blog post for a long time. But when I recently changed jobs, it gave me a clearer view of why I truly love teaching.

I'm a dance teacher. I've been dancing since the age of three (18 years) and dance means more to me than anything else, besides my family of course.

When I graduated high school, it was time for me to get a job that I could enjoy and count on, as well as provide for me throughout college. But I didn't know what I could possibly do. At the time, I worked for a chiropractor as an office assistant. When I was little, I wanted nothing more than to work in an office. I loved notebooks and files, I loved keeping everything organized and "answering the phones". But I realized that the fun I had pretending "office" as a child didn't translate into real life. So when I sat down with my mother to try and think of where I should apply for a new job, I had a real hard time.

I automatically ruled out McDonald's, the local retail outlets…well anything in retail really. I was starting to wonder if I was spoiling myself. Shouldn't I be working at McDonald's or a clothing store? Isn't that a rite of college-life? Working a terrible job that you hate?

Then my mom asked me, "What would your dream job be? If money was no object, if it wasn't about just "getting a job", what job would you want?"

I answered, "I want to be a dance teacher."

I immediately followed that up with, "But no one will hire me at 18 with only minimal teaching experience."

I was wrong.

After putting together my resume and emailing every dance studio within a reasonable distance, I got two responses. One for a studio one town over and another from a studio where I was currently taking a weekly ballet class. They both hired me.

That year I worked at two dance studios, teaching class, choreographing recital dances, picking out their costumes…basically everything I've always wanted to do. 

Growing up, me and my two best friends were all dancers. We would talk about opening a studio together when we got older, how much fun it would be to be able to make all the rules! As we grew older, we wizened up, but I think I always held on to that dream.

Teaching, for me, has become one of the biggest joys in my life. I look at my students and see myself- I want to be that teacher, the one that instills their love of dance into their students…the one that makes them eager to come to dance, to learn new things, improve and have fun. I had those teachers and even the ones I didn't like as much, I took away what I could.

I've taught all ages- from 3 years old up to adults. There's nothing like a child coming up to you a week after you've taught them a new step- they struggled with it last week, but they "worked on it all week…my teachers were yelling at me for dancing under my desk!" and when they show you how they've perfected it, you can't help but smile and congratulate them. I remember when I used to be that kid; I would be doing pirouettes in gym during volleyball (that's why no one wanted me on their team…and I can't tell you how many times I got hit in the head with the ball). I love knowing that it's not all me. Sure, I teach them the technical lingo and demonstrate the steps, but it's when they love it so much that they just can't stop- that's when I know I've truly done my job.

Recently I had to make a very tough decision. I decided to look for a new teaching job. I am now working at a different studio and I am very happy about my decision. But it was very tough telling my students that I was leaving…in almost four years I had become very attached to them. Some of them cried, which made me want to cry too, they asked where I was going (which, out of respect for my former boss I didn't tell them) and they gave me bone-crushing hugs.

It was very hard to say goodbye. My only hope for any student of mine is that they love dance as much as I do…regardless of their technique, it's the passion for dance that is the most important.

Teaching dance has taught me many things as well. But it's also opened my eyes to another discipline I would like to teach: yoga. 

I'm sure you remember me talking about my yoga trainings…currently I'm certified to teach beginner yoga, and at the new studio I'll be doing just that!

Sometimes its hard for me to believe that I actually have my dream job. Some people go through their whole lives with a job they hate just to put food on the table. I respect those people…they do whatever they have to do to support their families. It makes me even more grateful to have the job that I do, to be able to go to work and enjoy every second of it so much that I forget that I'm even working. It's truly a blessing that I never saw coming at eighteen and is still amazing me at twenty-one.