[Tango-L] Certification vs. Qualifications

[Floyd Baker]

On Thu, 01 May 2008 16:23:32 -0400, you wrote:

>People,
>
>"Teacher certification" is one of the things that teachers sell to other 
>people who want to teach. Like any other degree or certificate (PhDs 
>included), it only denotes that you've paid for it and shown up. The 
>only reason to get one is to qualify for hire at a business that 
>requires it. (Schools are often such a business.)

>Otherwise, "teacher certification" is purely a vanity credential. 
>There's a market for that sort of thing.

The seal of approval I was thinking of was to come from the
originators of the dance. The government which considers it their
national dance.  The judges being people from As.Bs. of the type who
work cleaning mausoleums and grave stones during the day to make
enough in tips  to Tango at night.

A seal of approval from the Argentine government, as approved by the
people they choose to judge the instructors around the world would be
a lot more than a vanity credential.  It would way more be a true
validation of one's ability.

Not a case of being required by schools, etc.   It would be a
copyright protected symbol that one could place in ads as being a
qualified Tango instructor.   One could still 'teach' without it of
course.

There are 'approvals' given by neutral judges in many area.  The BBB,
the Blue Book,  Consumer Reports, etc. that cover products and
services we pay for.   Caveat Emptor isn't that difficult in most
instances if one cares to try...  But when it comes to learning Tango?
Ha!  No chance at all.

I was teaching at a facility where the owner freely admitted he didn't
know how to Tango in the least.  Yet he told me how to teach it. More
*moves* he said.  'More like the other teachers teach their dances.'.
Salsa, merengue, etc.    So students have more 'fun'... I guess it
didn't matter we would then be stealing from them.   Not really
teaching the Tango they were paying to learn.  Just his comic
hollywood version of it.  I couldn't go his way so he got rid of me
and hired someone who would.   A new student of mine and her
boyfriend.., he being totally new to Tango but learning lots of show
moves.   :-p
  
I'm sure there are Tango instructor horror stores galore out there.
Mine not even coming close to the worst.   

>---
>I've withheld putting this anywhere in public, because I don't want to 
>embarrass anyone who doesn't measure up. 
<snip>
>I hardly think my personal requirements are strict.

Exactly.    For being an instructor, they're not strict at all..
Dancing ability does not automatically equal understanding, or any
particular 'teaching' ability at all.   Tango dancing requires body
control.   Tango teaching requires mind control.   Has one bothered to
get things in order 'up there' as well as they have 'down there'...?
Not necessarily likely.   They're totally different when it comes to
mindset and goals.   Teaching is doing for others.  Dancing is doing
for ones self...  They're rather mutually exclusive when looked at in
that sense.  Ergo, good dancers may not be able to teach at all.  

Other than that.., I agree 99 percent on what you say below.
Everything but the last sentence...

Tango on...

Floyd

>---
>The question arises: Why are there so many unqualified teachers?
>
>1. Young communities are built up on the enthusiasm of a small group, 
>and they work with what they've got. Often I see that the /de facto/ 
>teachers in such places (i.e., the grass-roots organizers) are very 
>modest about what they do, and even deny themselves the "title" of 
>teacher. No harm there: these folks deserve a pat on the back, in my 
>opinion. Until--
>
>2. Teachers often use assistants, and then these assistants get it into 
>their heads that, because they've "taught" a little, they're entitled to 
>teach on their own. These dancers, I notice, seldom meet my first /and 
>most important/ requirement of proficiency in either role.
>
>3. Talented dancers sometimes perform, and think that if you can perform 
>you can teach. I don't know why they think that, but they do; and this 
>delusion (a conflation of very distinct areas in the arts) accounts for 
>most of the poor teachers in any artistic discipline.

>    Regarding tango in particular, performing & teaching perhaps get 
>conflated because so many teachers do end-of-class demos. I personally 
>think such demos are worthless, unless the teacher (singular) does them 
>with every student there, for /that/ student and not for an audience. 

>(This should be going on /during/ a good class though, and it 
>/partially/ explains why I think "proficiency in either role" is the 
>foremost qualification.)
>
>Jake

     Buffalo Tango - Argentine Tango - How To Tango
     * * * * * *  www.buffalotango.com  * * * * * *