Student motivation

[Jane]

How can a teacher motivate students to do more than just come in for a fun social class once a week? How can students be encouraged to be serious about learning this dance? Is this the teacher's job or the student's?

Is it a "lead a horse to water" thing?

 

[Jujube]

In the class I'm currently taking, I notice that attendance is most populous and consistent when we are working on a choreography. I also notice that attendance drops off when we consistently go over the same moves, with nothing new brought to the table.

 

[Jane]

Is it because you are afraid you will miss something and fall behind, or is it because you are motivated to learn something new? :think:

 

[Mosaic]

I think either the student truly is dedicated or she/he is only there for fun, and most who come for fun won't really change. I think it is the student who has to feel the pull to understand and seek further knowlege, It won't hurt to try to add more understanding and maybe one or 2 will feel the urge to become more involved.

In one of my classes 4 of us a dedicated and never miss unless ill or some other extenuating circumstances and it has to be something that makes it absolutely impossible to attend that class. 3 others come and go, they never dance at performances, always there is an excuse, we don't worry about them anymore. Then there are those who come for 2 or 3 classes then just disappear.

I am the only one in this class who seeks to understand the dance inside out and to get a real grip on the music, but the other girls are very dedicated but sadly ( I think) don't feel any need to understand historically the dance or music.

The same goes for my other class, 2 of us are totally dedicated the several others don't attend regularly, so much so the class this year is about the 2 of us, and our teacher continues to run it because we have been with her for several years and she has a beginners class where everyone else is directed too. If someone came along and proved to be dedicated and has similar experience to us she would see if they wanted to join our class otherwise we kind of have a private class This teachers studio is in her own home and she just loves to teach us so we are very lucky. This teacher, my class colleague and self all went to Egypt together so we have that extra tie as well.
~Mosaic

 

[Jujube]

Is it because you are afraid you will miss something and fall behind, or is it because you are motivated to learn something new? :think:

I think the better attendance is due to both. (Though I am one that very rarely misses class and also takes private lessons.) After we do our hafla performance, attendance will bottom out for a two or three weeks, and when we start the next choreo, it will go back up. Maybe it motivates people to have a goal or end-product in mind.

 

[Aniseteph]

I think our attendance has gone up since our teacher went over to short courses paid in advance rather than drop in. Things used to drop off through the year and the intermediates class was always on the verge of not having enough people to run. Now people are motivated to turn up because they've paid, and there's less repetition because a) people turn up, and b) there's the focus to finish the course in however many weeks. It has really helped keep things moving, IMO.

The short courses keep things fresh, the levels have had a mix up because these were open to improvers and intermediates, so everything feels more sociable, if that makes sense.

But I think there is a fair amount of "lead a horse to water"... - I think you just have to keep feeding your student base with beginners to gradually build up numbers of dedicated and more advanced students.

 

[Gia al Qamar]

In my case, I find that my own enthusiasm for my work is what keeps students engaged. Going over 'core elements' can feel tedious to a student who may think that she (he) can do it all in her (his) sleep.
When I demonstrate a hip circle, for example, to a group of new students in an established class, I will challenge the more intermediate students to add new arm movements to the circle, to try it layered with another movement, or to balance something on their heads...in other words, keep it fresh and interesting for each student!
On the other hand...you come to realize that some students are having an affair with Middle Eastern Dance and others have truly fallen in love. Those who are in love wouldn't miss a class if their lives depended on it...the others are a bit more casual and can be expected to be less devoted...

 

[Chani]

As a student I would say encouragement to progress and take the dance seroiusly for beginner students is good but if you push some who aren't confident you might loose them as students altogether. If I had been required to perform early on I probably would have dropped out. I think you can expect more though from the higher level students than beginners but even at that level sometimes there are other factors such as family commitments that prevent a dancer being as devoted as they might otherwise be. I like a school that has a separate performance class for dedicated dancers and technique class for those wanting to drop in and not have to perform.

 

[Nebetmiw]

My first lesons I remeber well. Our teacher during each class gave us new moves but also talked history with us. One thing I thought was truley great she showed a short video of top egyptian dances. This was so inspiring and motivating. I think some students actually that were there just to exersices changed their mnd about the dance and became more serious. Maybe something other teachers should do more of in beginner classes/

 

[Pleasant dancer]

I think our attendance has gone up since our teacher went over to short courses paid in advance rather than drop in. Things used to drop off through the year and the intermediates class was always on the verge of not having enough people to run. Now people are motivated to turn up because they've paid, and there's less repetition because a) people turn up, and b) there's the focus to finish the course in however many weeks. It has really helped keep things moving, IMO.

The short courses keep things fresh, the levels have had a mix up because these were open to improvers and intermediates, so everything feels more sociable, if that makes sense.

But I think there is a fair amount of "lead a horse to water"... - I think you just have to keep feeding your student base with beginners to gradually build up numbers of dedicated and more advanced students.

I tend to agree about the paying up front, although it can be very difficult for some in these hard times. Does help motivation, though.

But I think your last point about feeding the student base with beginners is very true. The ones who stay over 1 year are usually those who are hooked and tend to stay, even if they have to leave class for personal reasons for a while - they come back eventually.

I think if a teacher really loves the job of teaching and is passionate about the dance itself - that is the real inspiration for many.

 

[Jane]

Interesting thoughts everyone!

At my new school, I have one venue with multiple levels where you pre-pay in eight week units. At my other venue it's a mixed level with a $10 drop in fee option. It will be interesting to see who shows up more often where.

I think I'm a pretty devoted dancer and teacher and it takes very little for me to be enthused. I try my best to bring that to my students. I want to teach students who are hungry for the dance. I would have moved heaven and earth to dance when I was a student. How can I motivate people to love this as much as I do? Does it have to come from somewhere inside of them? If it's not there, is there really anything a teacher can do?

I've tried most of the things everyone has suggested. Movies, costume nights, sent YouTube clips, choreography, student haflas, and arranged recitals. I tell them about shows, workshops and other teachers with hardly any takers. Serious and devoted students are so few and far between. Has it always been this way? Is it me or them? I think I'm having some sort of teacher confidence crisis... FML

 

[Aniseteph]

I absolutely don't think it's you. Some people just aren't that into belly dance (I know, how weird is that? :lol.

I've been with the same teacher for several years now, and it's just about built up to the stage where there are usually enough students to have an intermediate level class (roughly 2 years experience). Quite a few are regulars but don't want the challenge of more advanced classes. You could count the ones who are keen enough to go to other belly dance events on the fingers of one hand.

 

[Jane]

I absolutely don't think it's you. Some people just aren't that into belly dance (I know, how weird is that? :lol

Thanks for saying so! I have terrible moments of self doubt thinking that I'm not doing enough for my students.

And yes; it is weird! I can't wrap my mind around it!

 

[adiemus]

Motivation is a combination of importance and confidence. Importance is something that you as a teacher can influence a little - perhaps by helping your students identify why they started bellydance, writing these reasons down and putting them up on a wall, or maybe asking them each week or so to say why they started dancing - could be weight loss, could be the music, could be increasing confidence, could be to perform - whatever. Research shows that if you repeat the underlying reasons for doing something, it keeps you focused.
The second part, confidence, is something that can also be influenced by you as a teacher. Measuring their performance against how they were at the beginning of the classes; identifying something they can aim towards, breaking down each dance or movement so they can see progress each week, showing them how what they're doing in this session builds towards something bigger, reminding them that other things they do in life need practice (think of learning to drive! or learning to type!), getting a student from a more experienced class come and talk to them about how he or she has worked on getting better...

In the end, though, motivation is something personal to the individual, and it's up to them to really identify why they're dancing, what they want from it, and how they develop confidence.
ps the fact that you're asking this question of yourself shows you're doing more than enough!!

 

[amy.an8]

I just read an interesting book about motivation called Drive by Daniel Pink.
In it he argues that motivation comes from feelings of competence, autonomy, and belonging.

So that means students need to feel competent, which teachers usually do help us feel, by pointing out what we are doing correctly, etc.

And we need to feel like we belong to a group. My teacher arranges recitals and the experience of preparing for a performance (she does all the choreography for us, obviously) helps us feel like a group even though there are new people all the time. How else can a teacher help us feel like we belong - in the class, with each other, in belly dancing?

And we need to feel autonomy. I think I get that from this forum - many ideas about how to study, perform, learn music, etc that will work for me. Yes, I will follow the teacher but I see here so many ideas about learning and making sure that it works for me. How can a teacher help us feel like we "own" our own practice, like we have some autonomy? Is that a good thing early on or is it an important part of motivation?

I went to a teacher who taught a few steps then had us improvise to the music using those steps - I felt lost and overwhelmed rather than like I had autonomy.

So what do you all think - are competence, belonging, and autonomy helpful for motivation in a belly dance context?

 

[Roshanna]

So what do you all think - are competence, belonging, and autonomy helpful for motivation in a belly dance context?

To me, yes, that totally makes sense.
Only now, after almost 2 years of classes, am I reaching a point where being asked to improvise in class doesn't make me feel totally lost and incompetent (even though I like to improvise when I'm dancing at home).

I'm not sure if this is kind of included in the other three, but I think that feeling that you are able to improve/progress is also important, and being able to set definite realistic aims or things to work on, then feel a sense of achievement once you've reached them.

In response to the thread as a whole: As a student, when I was a new beginner, I did like having a choreography to work on in class as it meant that I had something that looked like proper 'bellydancing' to show for all the effort put in, and I didn't have the confidence or skill to improvise. It was also nice to have a class performance at a hafla to work towards. However, now I often find classes with choreographies quite frustrating or boring, since I have a reasonably good memory for such things, pick up floor patterns etc quite easily, and turn up to all classes. So I feel that I end up paying to drill stuff I could just have done at home for the sake of people who are slower to learn or less dedicated, and that it doesn't help me to progress as a dancer.

Another thing that I find great for motivation is our student troupe. Since we have had quite a few gigs lately, I have got to know and make friends with the other dancers (I'm pretty shy, so previously hadn't really spoken to anyone at classes), and we all encourage each other to do ridiculous amounts of bellydancing .

It does frustrate me slightly that even out of the somewhat more dedicated students, most seem to see dance as an enjoyable hobby which they want to keep doing, but don't have any burning desire to pursue to a higher level. I think that a teacher can make the difference between somebody continuing dancing or dropping out, but I'm not sure a teacher can instil the kind of obsessive geekiness about bellydance that differentiates really dedicated students from the ones who just drift.

 

[Roshanna]

I've tried most of the things everyone has suggested. Movies, costume nights, sent YouTube clips, choreography, student haflas, and arranged recitals. I tell them about shows, workshops and other teachers with hardly any takers. Serious and devoted students are so few and far between. Has it always been this way? Is it me or them? I think I'm having some sort of teacher confidence crisis... FML

It sounds like you are doing really good things if you were my teacher I'd definitely come to all this stuff!

(I posted once from a student perspective, now I'm posting again as a person involved in running a dance society)

Maybe you're already doing this, but we've found in the past that workshops and other events have absolutely bombed if they are between terms or only arranged/advertised at short notice, and for more than a couple of people to turn up it really does take quite a bit of promotional effort - email at least a month in advance, reminder emails nearer the time, facebook event, flyers handed out in classes...

I've also come to the conclusion that the easiest way to increase the number of devoted students is to draw in as many new beginners as possible, and wait for some of them to become obsessed :lol:. That, and have lots of opportunities for your students to socialise with each other outside of class (haflas tend not to be so good or this because people often bring non-dancer friends and then end up having to 'look after' them).

 

[Azrael]

I've tried most of the things everyone has suggested. Movies, costume nights, sent YouTube clips, choreography, student haflas, and arranged recitals. I tell them about shows, workshops and other teachers with hardly any takers. Serious and devoted students are so few and far between. Has it always been this way? Is it me or them? I think I'm having some sort of teacher confidence crisis... FML

I honestly don't think that there is much that a teacher can do for the students - passion wise. Motivation wise, YES! There is plenty that can be done. Like Amy said, competence, autonomy, and belonging. I think that the 'belonging' one is most important, because everything changes when you feel part of a group, part of a community. But then again, being part of a group is a joint effort -the teacher can do all she/he likes to involve a student, but the student also has to WANT to be involved.

I'm the youngest dancer in my class/studio and when we got a girl who came in last year who was a year younger than me, I jumped at the opportunity to become friends with her. She's gothic, and wants to learn gothic bellydance, which we don't do, so instead of encouraging a DVD (because there are some AWFUL gothic DVDs out there) I sent her a few youtube clips of Ariellah (a good dancer, in my opinion). This girl never watched the youtube videos and one day when I asked her if she practices at home, she said that she doesn't have music. So I told her that there are plenty of songs on YouTube that she can "watch" the video and then just practice to the song. Her excuse was that she didn't have space to practice. I told her that the space in front of her computer should be enough - she doesn't have to have a HUGE space to practice. *sigh* What I'm getting at is that you can do all you want for somebody, but if they don't take that initiative and help themselves then there is little you can do.

I've always struggled to understand people who come to classes and then don't have PASSION! It took me a while to realise that not everybody is as passionate as I am!

(wow, I wrote a lot, sorry! )