Helping young students to progress may be one of the most difficult yet most rewarding aspects of being a martial arts instructor. In this series (see Parts 1, 2 & 3) on encouraging your students to be the best they can be, we’ve saved perhaps the hardest to deal with category of students for last. […]
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Tips for Encouraging Your Young Martial Artists to Progress, Part 3
Keeping students on track so they can see progress is vital to the success of any youth martial arts program. As a martial arts instructor, you may find it challenging to know how to approach students with different levels of motivation (see Parts 1 & 2). In this third article of our series on encouraging […]
Tips for Encouraging Your Young Martial Artists to Progress, Part 2
When it comes to martial arts students, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for getting them to succeed. Each student is a unique individual. However, observant and experienced senseis can pick up on patterns that can give clues as to how to approach different students. In the first article in this series, we looked at three different […]
Tips for Encouraging Your Young Martial Artists to Progress, Part 1
If your dojo is anything like a typical youth dojo, you probably have belt tests on a fairly regular basis. Allowing these periodic intervals for students to mark their progress can really boost motivation to achieve higher levels of mastery. The following series of 4 articles will explore some helpful strategies for encouraging your students […]
Weighing the Advantages and Disadvantages of Dance Competitions, Part 3
Dedicated dance instructors want their students to experience the highest quality education possible in the art of dance. How exactly to go about achieving that goal varies from instructor to instructor. Whether or not to engage students in competitions, how often they should compete, and at what level they should begin competition are all matters […]
Weighing the Advantages and Disadvantages of Dance Competitions, Part 2
We’ve already considered how competitive dance can help students develop positive peer relationships as well as become more focused and driven in their approach (see Part 1). In this article, we’ll consider some of the other benefits that dance competitions have to offer students who engage in them. These include networking, maturing in their character, […]
Weighing the Advantages and Disadvantages of Dance Competitions, Part 1
In the realm of dance instruction, there are two different primary schools of thought when it comes to the topic of dance competitions. Some instructors, parents, and students are enthusiastic supporters of competitive dance. Others are adamantly against the practice. So who’s right and who’s wrong? There’s no simple answer to that question. Many people […]
How to Deal with Parent Confrontations, Part 3
If you haven’t read Parts 1 and 2 in this series, those provide the background necessary for fully appreciating this segment. No matter how much we prefer to avoid conflict, the best way to resolve it is not to avoid it entirely or pretend it hasn’t happened: it’s to address the issue in a calm, […]
How to Deal with Parent Confrontations, Part 2
Whatever your field of expertise, if you work with children, you’ll necessarily have to interact with their parents. And that interaction won’t always be positive. You may not have control over how and when an angry parent approaches you with a concern (see Part 1), but you always have a choice when it comes to […]
How to Deal with Parent Confrontations, Part 1
Criticisms. Angry parents. Confrontations. No doubt, these aren’t your favorite part of your profession, but we’re guessing that they happen for you, just like they do for anyone who works with kids. No matter how cautious you may be to provide your students with only the highest level of respect and instruction, confrontations with your […]