The ancient art of teaching

Education is important.  For thousands of years knowledge has been passed from generation to generation, from basic survival skills to an understanding of culture and the arts.  Children learn an awful lot from their parents and immediate family in their formative years, how to communicate, being toilet training and how to dress themselves may all seem like very basic skills, but they are vital for everyday life.  The vast majority of children in the UK are sent to school once they are old enough, and are taught by professional teachers who are trained to understand their needs and recognise individual strengths and weaknesses.  Teachers are also knowledgeable about different teaching techniques and styles of learning, and many students thrive in the school environment.

There are more lessons to be learned in schools than the ones which take place in the classroom.  Socialising with a peer group at lunch times and break times also provides valuable knowledge about how to interact with others.  Children soon learn that sharing is important and how to treat others if they wish to be treated nicely themselves.  In any school environment there may well be more difficult students who are disruptive, and other students learn that these behaviours are not acceptable, about consequences and about the affects of behaviour on others.

There is no reason why learning should be seen as the business of schools and colleges alone.  Reading, writing and drawing at home can also really help a child to succeed.  Some parents decide that their child may benefit from classes outside of school hours and may choose to send their child to dance lessons.  The role of a dance teacher is not dissimilar to that of a school teacher.  They too need to recognise individual strengths and weaknesses and have an ability to guide a child to success.  A dance teacher should always have a class small enough to allow them to pay individual attention to students, and there should be a safe and healthy learning environment.  Dance teachers should be both supportive and encouraging, nurturing an innate talent and celebrating achievements of pupils.  Most adults remember teachers from their childhood, and there is often one who stood out for being more understanding and approachable than the others.  There is no reason why a good dance teacher should not be remembered in this way by former students for years to come.

Learning is not something which stops when school and college is finished.  People continue to acquire new skills throughout their lives.  It can be amazing sometimes to watch a television programme and realise how much there is still to learn about the wider world, and how much can still be achieved as we get older.  A great example of this is the story of Susan Boyle, who has recently become famous for her singing after years of trying to achieve recognition.  The strain of Britain’s Got Talent has shown, but Susan Boyle is a great example that people should never give up on their dreams.