CALLERLAB Certified Square Dance Teacher (CSDT) Program

The CALLERLAB Certified Square Dance Teacher (CSDT) Program has been created to provide a credential to callers who are square dance teachers. The program evaluates education, experience, knowledge, and skill pertaining to square dance teaching. The program is designed to give the well-qualified square dance teacher an actual credential that could be recognized not only by the square dance community but educational and recreational institutions as well. The CSDT program is meant to be voluntary, challenging, credible, and fair.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The CSDT Program centers on affiliation, education, experience, knowledge, and skill requirements. These requirements are satisfied through evaluation of an application, supporting documentation, written and oral examination as well as an optional teaching video (minimal application fees apply).

Focused on teachers of new and veteran dancers, the CSDT Program examinations are based on teaching the Mainstream program. However, teachers of a shorter or longer program list may qualify for a credential. (see eligibility requirements below).

The CSDT Program will be jointly administered by the CALLERLAB Home Office and the Caller Training Committee.

When the Caller Training Committee determines an applicant is qualified to continue the process of being certified, the applicant will be advised and will be requested to submit an examination fee of $50 to the CALLERLAB Home Office.

A written examination of 60 questions will challenge the candidate’s knowledge of calls, definitions, teaching theory, and practice. A score of 85% is required for passing.

The written examination will commonly be administered at CALLERLAB Conventions or other venues where many callers are gathered such as National Conventions. Festivals and caller schools may also provide opportunities for program testing.

The following list of resources would be helpful for those who wish to review for the written test. They can be found on the CALLERLAB knowledgebase or the CALLERLAB website.

• CALLERLAB Formations and Arrangements
• CALLERLAB Formation Pictograms
• CALLERLAB Code of Ethics
• CALLERLAB Basic Program List
• CALLERLAB Basic Definitions
• CALLERLAB Standard Basic Applications
• CALLERLAB Mainstream Program List
• CALLERLAB Mainstream Definitions
• CALLERLAB Standard Mainstream Applications
• CALLERLAB Timing List: Timing the Basic/Mainstream Programs
• CALLERLAB Teaching Tips for the Basic & Mainstream Programs
• CALLERLAB KnowledgeBase
• CALLERLAB Online Teaching Resource
• CALLERLAB Published Documents – “Teaching Techniques” by Jerry Reed