Am I Qualified To Be An Instructor?

One of the most common questions I receive as an experienced instructor is, “How do I know if I’m ready and qualified to teach?”

I understand the uncertainty and confusion that come with starting out as an instructor, as I too have been in your shoes.

When I first started teaching, I thought that simply having a new choreography or combination was enough. But the truth is, that is NOT ENOUGH to make you qualified.

Simply copying someone else’s material or creating a few bars of eights from an Instagram video does NOT make you a qualified instructor.

Remember this: “The purpose of teaching isn’t to just pass a choreography, but to empower your students with the techniques & skills to make them better dancers.” That is what truly makes someone a qualified instructor.

Unfortunately, there is no official standard qualification for instructors in the Salsa or Bachata industry. This leads to a lot of under-qualified instructors in the scene, who confuse being a good dancer with being a decent instructor. 😕

But, if you want to become a qualified instructor, you must start somewhere.
Here are a few essential steps to help you get ready:

👥 1. Start By Shadowing Or Assisting Other Instructors First

This is a great stepping block to give you a taste of what it’s is like to lead a class and prepare you for the real thing.

Use this opportunity to:

Understand how a class is structured
Practice taking leadership in front of students
Feel comfortable with giving basic instructions
Develop basic skills like encouraging the students, cueing counts, demonstrating, and etc.

📝 2. Plan Your Class Structure & Syllabus

YOU MUST PLAN. Leading a class is NOT just about the combination you have in mind to teach.

A great class is a combination of:

Clear objectives
A good warm up
Structured instructions
Knowledge & techniques
Good time management
And more..!

Without a plan, you will enter a class without a clear understanding of your goals & structure, leading to uncertainty, stress, and ineffectiveness… (You know the outcome will not be great!)

👯‍♀️ 3. Practice Teaching To a Small Group of Friends / Dance-mates Before Starting Your Own Class

Practice is key to everything! Jumping straight into teaching a class without any experience can be overwhelming because you have no idea how you’ll react or what to expect when all eyes are on you.

Get the help of friends you trust, and use this opportunity to test out your game-plan (from step 2), understand your struggles, and get feedback.

Then reflect, adjust your game-plan, and try it again & again until you feel ready.

Becoming an instructor is much more than just these three steps… But, if you follow these steps mindfully, you will be more ready and qualified than many others who jump in blindly without a system.

I had so much fun writing this post about teaching and can’t wait to share more! Comment with any questions or thoughts, I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Love, B. ❤️

Brenda Liew