I want to hire good quality teachers, but it is so hard to find them.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Later this year, I hope to open a second studio in Michigan. That’s right! What’s holding me up, you ask?
I can’t open a second studio until I have the teachers.
I haven’t found an easy way to find GOOD teachers locally. I CAN find talented dance teachers overseas, but then we face a variety of visa issues.
So what’s the secret? How do you find good quality dance teachers?
Well, first, it’s important to understand what makes a good quality teacher.
Someone who is a good communicator.
They have to be compassionate with students, understanding and goal-driven.
They have to be comfortable setting standards and being able to move a student toward a goal.
They must understand that everybody learns differently and be able to adjust their teaching style to work with the student vs. forcing a student to adjust to their teaching style.
Of course, they must have a passion for dance, love dancing, be able to dance, but I’m going out on a limb and say that it’s even more important that they be good communicators.
Ok, so now that you understand what we’re looking for, can you help me find the good ones?
The stellar teachers? The ones that are heads and shoulders above the rest?
I have a few. I want more.
My best dance teachers have come from a variety of avenues. No cookie cutter format or formula. (Marwan answered a Craig’s List ad. Talia and Jordan danced here to improve their ice dancing and then transitioned to ballroom when they retired. Yulia came from overseas. Donald came from a less stable studio. Aubrey answered an ad in the paper.)
And perhaps therein lies the answer.
In any industry, the best hires are not easily found. They are the needle in the haystack, the lucky find.
While I feel frustrated at the struggle to find good, quality teachers, I am glad to know they are few and far between – and when we hire them, that’s what elevates us above the competition.
Finding good talented teachers is one of the keys to our continued success and growth. So when we do find those superstars, we appreciate and cherish them. And we realize how rare they truly are.