The first time I was teaching the five-year-olds. The grandmother of one of my dancers walked into my studio and started correcting her granddaughter and criticizing how I had set up my room. I was absolutely speechless.
In retrospect, there were many things I could (and maybe should) have said. For example:
- It is inappropriate and disruptive for you to interrupt class.
- Please set up an appointment to discuss concerns about your dancer.
- She is five. She is doing just great.
- Your correction and the expectation that goes along with it is unreasonable for this level in your dancer's development.
- You have made your granddaughter cry. You need to back off.
Basically anything would have been better than the deer-in-the-headlights look I sported. But I am trying to cut myself some slack because this had never happened to me before. Everyone is bad at something the first time they try. Apparently this extends to dealing with overbearing grandmothers.
The second time I had nothing to say last night was after I had taught my eight-year-olds. One little girl stayed after class and happily said,
"Miss Chelsea, guess what?"
"What?" I asked, bending down to her eye level.
"My mom parked on my cat."
I mean, really, what's the appropriate response to that?
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