The Ballet Teacher's Toolkit: Resources That Make Teaching Easier

Every ballet teacher has a toolkit.

Not necessarily an actual box or bag—although I'm sure some of us could fill one! 😂

I'm talking about the collection of resources, ideas, notes, exercises, games, and planning tools that help you walk into class prepared and teach the students in front of you.

Some teachers have years of combinations stored in their heads.

Some prefer to have every detail written down before class.

Most of us are probably somewhere in between.

And that's okay.

There isn't one right way to teach ballet.

But having the right tools available can make teaching easier, save time, and give you something to reach for when you need a little help.

A Good Lesson Plan Is One Tool in Your Toolkit

Let's start with the obvious one. 😉

A well-planned ballet lesson can save a tremendous amount of time.

That doesn't mean you have to teach every exercise exactly as written.

In fact, I think the best lesson plans are flexible.

You might use the entire lesson.

You might change the music.

You might simplify a combination for one group and make it more challenging for another.

You might see an exercise and think, "Oh! I can use that idea with my Level 3 class."

That's the beauty of having something to work from.

You don't have to start from a blank page.

And, of course, there are those days when you aren't teaching at all.

If you're sick, have an appointment, have a family obligation, are guest teaching somewhere else, or simply need a night off, having a ready-to-teach lesson tucked away can be a lifesaver.

That's one less thing to worry about when life happens.

Make Ballet Vocabulary More Fun

Another important part of teaching ballet is helping students become comfortable with the language of ballet.

But vocabulary review doesn't have to mean handing students a list of terms and asking them to memorize definitions.

Sometimes the best learning happens when students are playing with the material.

Games can be a great way to review terminology, reinforce definitions, and get students thinking about the words they hear in class.

They're also handy when you need something different.

A vocabulary game can become a warm-up, a review activity, a center, a small-group activity, or simply something fun to pull out when your students need a change of pace.

And if the students are having fun while they're learning?

Even better.

They may not even realize they're reviewing vocabulary. 😉

Give Your Planning a Place to Live

If you're anything like me, you have ballet ideas everywhere.

A combination you thought of while driving.

An exercise you want to try next week.

A correction that worked particularly well with one class.

A note about something your students need to revisit.

A piece of music you don't want to forget.

And then there's the actual lesson planning.

Keeping all of that organized can be a challenge.

That's where a dedicated planning system can help.

A ballet class planning workbook gives you a place to record your ideas, organize your classes, keep track of what you've taught, and think ahead.

Instead of relying on sticky notes, random pieces of paper, and the notes app on your phone—which, let's be honest, may contain approximately 4,000 completely unrelated thoughts—you have one place for your teaching ideas.

Your brain is full enough.

Let your planning system hold some of the information for you.

Don't Forget the Students Who Can't Dance That Day

There's another teaching situation that doesn't get talked about very much.

What do you do with the student who has to sit out?

Maybe they're injured.

Maybe they're sick.

Maybe they're recovering and aren't ready to participate yet.

They may not be able to physically take class, but they're still capable of learning.

A class observation activity can give them a way to stay connected.

They can observe their classmates, write down corrections, identify vocabulary, and think about what they're seeing.

Then, when they're ready to return to class, they haven't spent the entire time completely disconnected from what everyone else was learning.

It's a small resource, but sometimes small resources solve very real teaching problems.

Your Toolkit Should Work for You

Here's the thing about teaching resources:

You don't need to use everything.

You don't need the same tools as another teacher.

And you certainly don't need to abandon your own teaching style.

Your toolkit should support the way you teach.

Maybe you need complete lesson plans because you don't have hours to spend planning every week.

Maybe you have decades of combinations in your head but want some fresh ideas.

Maybe your students need a little more vocabulary review.

Maybe you're trying to get better organized.

Maybe you simply want a few resources available for those unexpected days when you need them.

That's what a good teaching toolkit is for.

It's there when you need it.

Build Your Ballet Teacher Toolkit

You don't have to build it all at once.

Start with the things that would make your teaching life easier.

A few ready-to-teach lesson plans.

A vocabulary activity you can pull out when you need something different.

A planning system that keeps your ideas organized.

A resource for students who need to sit out.

Over time, those little tools add up.

And eventually, when one of those “What am I going to do about this?” moments happens, you won't have to reinvent the wheel.

You'll have something to reach for.

Build a toolkit that works for the way YOU teach.

Explore the teacher resources at BalletLessonPlans.com and find the tools that fit your classroom, your students, and your teaching style.

🩰 Explore Ballet Teacher Resources 🩰

Save time. Teach with confidence.