Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Teaching/DJing this Saturday and an apology/clarification

First of all, I will be teaching and DJing this Saturday, the 10th, at Sacramento Ballroom Society. Lesson to be determined and will be posted as soon as that happens...any requests?

Secondly, it was brought to my attention recently that some students in one of my classes were upset with something I said on facebook, supposedly about them. Of course, I got this second-hand, so I'm not privy to all the detail. Since I almost never say anything negative about anyone on there that I wouldn't say to their face, I can only guess they were referring to my blog post here titled "What are you doing when I'm talking?" wherein I ranted about people who talk or practice when I'm trying to teach them something.

None of my blog posts here are directed at any particular person or class. I have been teaching for nine years, and in that time I have encountered some of the same problems over and over again. I also see them in other teachers' classes, too, so they aren't just mine. Sometimes one class or dance will inspire a post, but it's aimed at everyone who does whatever it is I'm talking about. If you felt singled out, I apologize. However, I very specifically did not mention which class I was talking about--it's every class. I admit, by the time I get worked up enough to write a blog post about it, I'm pretty irritated and my tone is blunt (that's putting it nicely--another B word would be more appropriate). I'm sorry if my tone offended you.

It is my hope that my readers will read my posts, determine whether they apply to you, and act accordingly. In grammar school, we had teachers and parents telling us how to behave and learn. As adults, we forget that there is more to learning anything than just showing up to class. By investing yourself in being the best student you can be, you will learn faster and more. If you recognize yourself in my posts, it's OK to laugh sheepishly and move on...we all make mistakes! It's what you do with your mistakes that make all the difference.

If you have a problem with something I've said or done, I invite you to send me an email and let's talk about it. Allow me the opportunity to apologize to you personally or defend myself. I'm actually a really nice person, even if I do lose my patience sometimes. I can admit when I'm bad and can take a licking--feel free to call me out. Sometimes we even have fun in my classes!

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