Dance Teacher Necessities : 7 Items I Can’t Live Without

Tools that make my job as a dance teacher a whole lot easier.

When you’re a dance teacher, you’re pretty much a one man or one woman show. This is partly true since you are the head of your preschool dance class. 

However, we all know that appearances can be deceiving. 

Every one of us teachers has a special little collection of friends that make our days of dancing successful. And no, I’m not talking about your students though I’m sure they are pretty darn fantastic as well. 

Today, I’m thrilled to open up my treasure chest of essentials, sharing with you tools I utilize in every class. These products make my life better and so much easier while sharing my love for movement with my students. 

Take a look:

Maars 20 oz. Skinny Steel, Double Wall Stainless Tumbler (Carnation, 4 Pack)

Fellow dance teachers.

I am pleased to present to you now the very BEST teacher gift I’ve ever received. I received a Maars tumbler one year from my boss when I worked for a mobile dance company and I’m not even joking when I tell you it changed my life.

I’m pretty sure almost every dance teacher out there runs on coffee or something else caffeinated and comforting. Even if all you bring with you on the go is water, this tumbler is a must-have.

No joke, I’ve literally put French Press coffee in this thing, gone in to teach for two hours and come back out to find it steaming hot and ready to be enjoyed. Similarly, I’ve filled it with ice and left it overnight in my car. Guess what. You guessed it–the ice was still there the next day.

If you’re a busy dance teacher or are looking for the perfect gift for the dance teacher in your life, here it is.

Maars 20 oz. Skinny Steel, Double Wall Stainless Tumbler (Carnation, 4 Pack)

Insignia – Portable Bluetooth Stereo Speaker

These Insigna portable speakers may look small, but let me tell you, they are mighty. The level and quality of sound that comes out of these little guys never ceases to amaze me. 

This one here is the one I used all through my time working for a mobile dance company teaching preschool dance class. For this job, I had to bring all of my own equipment into all of the schools where I taught. I still use it once a week. I got it at least three years ago. I’ve used the heck out of it, yet it has never missed a beat (no pun intended).

This brick has been thrown into bags, had things piled on top of it, fell off of tables and been dropped on pavement. You name it and it happened to this speaker. But it still sounds just as great as it did on day 1 even after many mishaps. 

As you can see, it’s super compact. It’s also easy to charge since a cable can be plugged into the wall or a cigarette lighter. Did I mention that the sound is great? You’ll really be surprised.

Insignia – Portable Bluetooth Stereo Speaker

Here is another fantastic Insigna speaker. I use this one at home, but it would also work great for the classroom. It’s just as loud as the first! Since I don’t take this one into the classroom with me, I’m not sure how much banging around it could handle, but it has proved itself durable to me over the past 2ish years. This one is also USB charged.

Insignia NS-SPBTWAVE2-R Wave 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Trend T6491 Trend Stinky Stickers

For just about every preschool dance class I’ve ever taught, stickers are the highlight of the night. Sure, the kids are enthusiastic about class itself, but there is something so exciting about the reward at the end. 

However, when there is a need for an extra special prize, smelly stickers are my go-to. 

These ones have a really powerful smell so if you only use them occasionally as hard-earned rewards, you don’t have to worry that they will lose their scent. I just keep mine together in a folder and not out in the open which I think has helped with this. Just keep in mind that if you don’t separate the different smells, they do start to blend together. So if you want your bubblegum stickers to smell like bubblegum, seal them up in a separate plastic bag away from the licorice stickers. 

I also like that these work for any age from my babies to my pre-teens since everyone loves that they’re scented and the designs are cute, but not babyish. 

Trend T6491 Trend Stinky Stickers

SURITCH Clear iPhone Xs Case/iPhone X Case

I’ve always been hard on my phone. It’s not on purpose, it’s just that it goes a lot of places with me between everyday usage plus using it to play music when I am teaching ensures that it gets bumped around a fair amount. 

I’ve had good cell phone covers and not so good ones. However, this one is by far the best. I was tired of the OtterBox route since I felt like they were always too bulky and the one I had featured so many crevices and crannies that it made it hard to clean. 

I love this case because it fully covers the edges of the screen, isn’t bulky, is super cute, and extremely durable. In my opinion, this is what makes it one of the most teacher-friendly cases out there.

There are lots of people walking around with cracked phone screens. I’ve never even had a close call with this case protecting my iPhone.

SURITCH Clear iPhone Xs Case/iPhone X Case

Spotify Premium

If you haven’t gotten hip to the beauty and wonder of Spotify yet, it’s time to wake up! 

Not only can you find just about any song you can possibly think of through the music platform, but the Premium account allows you to make tons of playlists and play the songs in any order. 

I’m seriously in love and don’t know what I would do without this great feature on my phone. 

The Premium plan which provides a number of features that aren’t available with the free account is affordable and worth every penny of the monthly fee. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll never turn back.

Spotify Premium

HOOPE 12pcs Dance Scarves

Using scarves in dance class isn’t exactly a new idea. However, as far as I can tell they just might be one of the most timeless props in the studio setting because they were a thrill when I was a kid and are still just as exciting to my current students. 

Boys and girls alike enjoy getting to pick a color or wait to see what color he or she is given (whichever way you do it in your classroom–no judgement either way). But the only thing better than getting one great color is getting two colors. I think it’s fun how these scarves have an ombre effect, fading from one color to the next. 

This little twist on the classic prop ensures that things stay exciting and fresh. A must have for any dance teacher’s bag since they are pretty much a guaranteed crowd pleaser. A must-have for any dance teacher.

HOOPE 12pcs Dance Scarves

Starbucks 20oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Hydration is important for everyone, but particularly so for the teacher who is always on the go. I struggle with remembering to drink water until it’s too late and I have a headache. However, for some reason, if I have a designated water bottle that I can get used to taking with me everywhere, I am far more likely to take sips throughout the day. 

I am also one of those people who only likes her water cold (I know, some say it’s bad for your system, but cold water is better than not drinking water, right?). This water bottle is insulated so whatever temperature the water is when you put it in, it stays there for at least a couple of hours. 

But there’s more. One of the other features I adore about this particular model is that it not only has a cap at the top that unscrews, it unscrews in the middle, splitting the bottle in half. This makes it super easy to clean and also to fill with ice if you so desire since it can be tricky trying to drop ice cubes one by one through the skinny neck. We teachers are busy and don’t have time for that. 

Starbucks 20oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Thanks for reading about a few of my favorite teaching items for preschool dance class. I hope that one or more of them will be helpful to you as well. Happy teaching!

Before you go, feel free to share your teaching must-haves in the comments!