As usual Rabbit you bring up some very good and thoughtful points. It is mandatory if teaching in a regular school, as I did in the performing arts high school, to be bonded. However, it has never been my experience to be bonded in a private studio - or even at the college and university.<P>My sister teaches in Pennsylvania in a middle school and high school. Another teacher who was also teaching the same level as my sister was caught making inappropriate gestures. This women was teaching sex education and was using herself as an example. This was reported and the teacher was removed from the classroom. However, she simply ended up in another school within the same school district. This woman was fully accredited with a master's degree in education and many, many years of experience behind her. And, so it goes. The stories on both sides are legion.<P>A degree does not guarantee common sense, or proper behavior, or courtesy, or imagination, or love of what one is doing. While it surely does no harm, and often does good - it does not guarantee it. <P>As for a dance teacher having somehow to be licensed in some way - the devil may be in the details. Some group would have to set the standards. And then the devil surely would have a fun time. LOL<P>As for licensing dog groomers - certain hygienic procedures do have to be in place and with that there can be little argument. Same for hair stylists. I have no argument against having dance teachers having to take a course in first aid. But, I think that if we start trying to decide exactly at what age grand plie' should be taught - well - there could be lots of variables in that. Some of it even depending on the student. <P>

it has occured to me, from the outset, when we are talking about 'who is quailified to teach' these students, that we are getting close to that question 'who is qualified to raise/HAVE children?' !<P>personally i think one ought to be required to pass a test or two!!!!! - but that's not the way it is....<P>in direct response to rabbit (good story, btw - and i'm amazed that that woman is still teaching!), the concept of 'bonding' is not one i have ever heard of here (danni may be able to tell us, legally, whether that word can have that meaning in australia). but the business of 'getting a police check' is common for some occupations (like house-sitting!) but not for private teaching!<P>basheva is getting into a big subject, which i won't explore further in this thread. but australia HAS been making moves towards dance teacher registration over the last 5 years, with a view towards licensing by government, in the future. <P>it is a slow process BECAUSE community acceptance has to come with it, and to do that, all dance teachers are of all genres are invited to the process of setting standards and requirements, from all over australia. a government represenattive travels around and holds community consultation meetings for dance teachers, as the draft document is further and further refined. this is coordinated by ausdance - the australian dance council.<P>without going into more detail, the basic thrust of it is that the standards must be generic - applicable to all dance teaching - so it does NOT get into how or when to teach a plié or a time-step. rather it is about adequate understanding of anatomy and physiology, teaching methodology, ethical business practice, ....that sort of thing.<P>dancer13 - are you aiming to be a dance teacher?<BR>

As far as I know "bonding" is really an insurance policy. The bonding company looks into the person's background and checks for things like a police record, etc. Then if the record is clean, the employer pays a fee (like an insurance premium) and the bonding company "insures" that this person is "ok". If it turns out that the person is not "ok", then the bonding company is liable.<P>It occurs to me that there would be many teachers we have all come to revere that would be impacted if there were state mandated standards: Cecchetti, Danilova, Balanchine, the Koslovs, Asaf Messerer, Vera Volkova, Alexander Pushkin, to name just a couple. They might not be able to pass those tests.

what tests? the bonding test?

Yes Grace I would love to be a dance teacher, when I'm old enough. I would especially like to teach the little ones (under age .

Grace - I'm not aware of any 'bonding' system in Australia. That isn't to say it doesn't exist, but then, we live in a far less litigious society (compared to the US and possibly Canada) and insurance against law suits isn't so much a priority. As far as I know, the only steps that have been taken in this country are towards laws stating that people with prior convictions for offences relating to children can't be hired to work with children. Very loose huh? As I said, this isn't exactly my area, but I think this is right.<BR>Danni

No, Grace - not a bonding test - a standards test.....<P>Anyone who has a clean record can be bonded. I have been bonded.

In the states you can require Act 34 clearance (child-abuse) and another whose title escapes me--and I do ask for these. The fee for this is minimal and the teacher pays for this herself. One is a criminal background check and one is specifically related to children and abuse of any type. It is not mandatory to require these, but you must have the Act 34 to work in the public school system.<P>More on this later--have to fly!

This post is especially geared to mom2's comments about music.<P>One year, our school director (for whom I no longer work) handed out tapes to all teachers containing music she had obtained from some pre-school teaching program (I think the seminar was basically a money-making device) she had attended. For someone with no ear for music, this music might be okay. But after trying this tinker toy cheap crap (excuse me) for a few lessons, both the children and I were uninspired, and I went back to my old way of introducing them to EVERYTHING. They did chasses to Celtic music played on dulcimer. They did port de bras to Angela Lansbury singing from "Beauty and the Beast." They did character dance to Manheim Steamroller's music composed for the Olympics held in Moscow. They did tiny runs to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons." They did jetes over sponges to Art Garfunkel and his 4-year-old boy singing a duet. Lots of times we simply sang my original compositions together. Children are never too young to be introduced to a variety of GOOD music. <P>[This message has been edited by Christina (edited January 16, 2001).]<p>[This message has been edited by Christina (edited January 16, 2001).]

You are right Jan - I had to have those clearances when I taught in the performing arts high school. I had to be fingerprinted, photographed, and I had to pass a health test - tuberculosis I think it was. The amount of paperwork I had to fill out was astounding. But necessary for all concerned.

Christina, you are right about music there is a lot of dross about and even on some of my favourite tapes or CD's there is stuff that I would never venture to use because it is too obscure and doesn't really fire the imagination.<P>A lot of time has to be spent listening through stuff and sorting out what you are going to use. It always makes me smile when people ask what I do all day when I only teach afternoons and evenings as if I am some lady of leisure. If only!!!

joanne, i'd better not get into this, because maybe it warrants another thread, but i agree with you - i have been thinking, too: what do i do with all my time, all day, if the only EXTERNALLY SEEN requirements are teaching in the afternoon/evenings.......? i mean *I* know what i do, and i am never bored, never have 'enough' time..often running around...but where is the evidence for anyone else?...because people DO judge you, on such a basis as this....(is this another thread?)

If I could be a girl again, I want to take class with Miss Chrissy.

I think it probably is Grace<BR>

I guess I don't understand this - should I care how people judge how I chose to spend my time? I have almost invariably found that those people who say that I spend too much time doing one thing or the other are usually those people who sit in front of the television set watching soap operas much of the day.<P>I don't judge them - it is their time. And if they spend their time judging how I spend mine - well that is a waste of time - for them!! LOL<P><BR>I think there is a poem in there somewhere - when I have time........<BR>