Poll Results & a Congratulations!

October 26, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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Thanks to those who took our poll last week! We only had a few takers this time, but I am sure that many of you would agree that there are many challenges in running a piano studio with a variety of students. Here are the results!

What has been the most challenging thing about teaching a variety of students?

And, congratulations are in order to our wonderful contributor, Bonnie Jack, who two weeks ago gave birth to a sweet little baby boy. Head on over to her blog for some adorable pictures. Congratulations, Bonnie!!

Teaching the Individual, Part 5: Communication & Attitude

October 23, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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This week we are discussing ways that we can maintain standards of excellence in our studios, while at the same time adapting our teaching styles to help each individual student succeed. For this final segment, I’d like to talk about the importance of communication and attitude.

Communication

Just as it is important to communicate with a new student about goals and expectations, it is just as important to keep communicating with them all along the way. Communicate with the parents to keep them involved, for they play an important role. Discuss with the student how they are doing on their goals. I think if we can keep a good line of communication going, students will feel like they can tell us when they absolutely loathe a piece we chose for them. They will be more likely to communicate honestly about how they are feeling about lessons, if they are enjoying them or if there needs to be some changes.

In what ways do you keep a good line of communication going with either the student or the parent?

Attitude

A couple of weeks ago I heard an inspirational address given on teaching. While this was directed specifically toward teachers in a religious setting, the speaker said a couple of things that really resonated with me as a piano teacher. He quoted David McCullough, the great author and lecturer, who said, “What matters most in learning is attitude. The attitude of the teacher.”

I think that if we can approach teaching each individual student with a good attitude, no matter the student’s ability level, goals or personality, we can truly succeed in teaching them the joy of music. Even if they never perform on a big stage, or any stage at all, we can teach them the joy that comes through making music, and hopefully give them a great, positive experience with music lessons.

Teaching the Individual, Part 4: Lesson Planning

October 22, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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This week we are discussing ways that we can maintain standards of excellence in our studios, while at the same time adapting our teaching styles to help each individual student succeed.

Lesson Planning

As you approach each individual lesson, have a plan! Obviously this will have to be a flexible plan at times, depending on the preparation of the student and on things that may come up during the lesson. But it is always good to know what you would like to teach the student that day. Depending on their age and level, you may want to have some type of game ready to introduce a new concept. You may want to focus on an important concept they have been struggling on in the past, maybe on counting, keeping those fingers curved, memorization, sight reading, etc.

Sometimes it’s helpful to jot down a few notes after each lesson – note the challenges and difficulties a student is having in a particular piece, or a concept they need help really learning. Note the successes and strengths and things they have really done well in. When it comes time to teach them the next week, get out your notebook. Decide what you want to focus on that day to help them. Even if it is a five-minute activity, or game, or demonstration. Let’s strive to be teachers who plan for each student to succeed, who know the things our students need to learn, and who think of creative and innovative ways to teach these concepts. Let us not be teachers who merely turn the page and see what concept the book tells us to teach next.

Teaching the Individual, Part 3: Choosing Good Repertoire

October 21, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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This week we are discussing ways that we can maintain standards of excellence in our studios, while at the same time adapting our teaching styles to help each individual student succeed.

Choose appropriate repertoire that is fun for the student.

Let’s face it, any student, even the most motivated, will hate lessons if they hate their pieces. They won’t practice, they will dread coming to lessons, and they won’t progress. The trick is to pick pieces that are fun and enjoyable for them, challenging enough to boost their confidence and improve their skills, yet not so challenging that they get frustrated.

The best way to do this is to become familiar with a lot of repertoire yourself! Listen to lots of repertoire. Pick up a book and play through it, noting which pieces are fun, what types of techniques and musical concepts they teach, and what level of student they would be appropriate for. I often like to give a student a CD to listen to which includes a few possible pieces to learn. This way, you have some say over the pieces and can pick some that are at a good difficulty level for them, but the student gets the final say.

(Choosing repertoire is so important, and is partly why I started the Weekend Repertoire feature here on The Teaching Studio!)

How do you go about choosing good repertoire for your students?

Teaching the Individual, Part 2: Goals of the Student

October 20, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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This week we are discussing ways that we can maintain standards of excellence in our studios, while at the same time adapting our teaching styles to help each individual student succeed.

Discuss with each new student their goals related to piano lessons.

As new students enter your studio, sit down with them and have a candid discussion about why they are taking lessons. If they are transfer students, ask if they enjoy it. Find out exactly what they are hoping to get out of lessons. Some students may be very talented and motivated, and wish to prepare to study piano in college. Maybe they just want to learn how to read music, or work on their performance anxiety. Some may want to be able to play well for their own enjoyment. Some might want to learn how to sight read. You won’t know until you ask.

Sometimes students don’t know what they want to get out of music lessons. In this case, it is a great opportunity to talk with them and help them come up with some goals. Doing this puts a little more responsibility on the student, for when they have set their own goals they will have something specific to work toward that is for them.

I have my new students fill out an information sheet when they join my studio, and the most important line on that sheet says, “What do you hope to get out of piano lessons?” I think it is better to start out on the same page right from the beginning, than to deal with a lot of frustration along the way.

Teaching the Individual, Part 1: Teaching Philosophies

October 19, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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So, I want to be a good piano teacher.

I want my students to all be musically-literate, to sight-read fluently and play with a beautiful sound. I want them to have great technique and play with no mistakes, and wow audiences with their great performances. Who’s with me?

Don’t we all have certain ideals and standards that we have set for ourselves as teachers – standards for our music studios that we would love for each student to achieve? I have learned, which I am sure you have also learned because it becomes pretty apparent as you start teaching a lot, that not only do our students each have unique and individual strengths and weaknesses, but they also have their own goals related to piano and music. Believe it or not, not all of your students are striving to become piano performance majors in college (what??).

As music teachers, how do we maintain our standards of excellence that we have set for our studios while still adapting our teaching style to the individual student and allowing for each student to have their own set of goals? How do we join our expectations with our students’ expectations, and produce well-rounded students of all abilities, types and backgrounds? Over the next few days I want to discuss this important topic, and give a few specific ways I have found to accomplish this. Today we will focus on Teaching Philosophies.

Sit down and write out your teaching philosophy.

Your teaching philosophy is your vision for your studio, your goals and standards which you feel are most important to teach your students. This is a great exercise if you have never done it before, and really helps to focus your teaching and be more effective as a teacher.

What is most important to you as a teacher? What are some goals which can be achieved by students of all ages and levels? What standards would you like to set for your studio which will set you apart as a successful teacher?

Whatever your philosophy is, make sure your students know what you are going for and know what you expect of them.

Make your teaching philosophy applicable to students of all levels.

My teaching philosophy is two-fold; it includes some specific goals for me as the teacher, and three specific goals for each of my students. My goals for each of my students are that they

1) become musically-literate sight readers,

2) that they learn how to play with expression and beauty, and

3) that they become acquainted with the piano literature of the great composers.

Of course, there will be more goals which you come up with that are specific to each student, but these are three goals which I feel confident that any student can learn, no matter their individual strengths and weaknesses. I also feel that if they can accomplish these three things, even if they don’t become professional musicians or go on to study music in college, they will at least gain a love and appreciation of music, and be able to play and enjoy music for the rest of their life.

What is your teaching philosophy? What goals do you have for your music studio?

Teaching the Individual

October 18, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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Something I have learned about teaching over the years is that, every time you get pretty comfortable teaching and feel like you have a pretty good grasp on the art, you all of a sudden get a new student who completely throws you for a loop.

What worked for your students in the past just does not work for this one! They learn at a different pace. They see things differently. They need things explained a completely different way. They have totally different goals.

And when you get the hang of teaching them, you get someone new who is completely unique and different from the last student!

And so it goes.

Anyone else notice this pattern? I actually enjoy it, because it keeps me on my toes. When I come up with new and exciting ways to teach different personality types and different ages, I get really excited. My confidence grows, my attitude changes and I really feel like I can influence my students for the better.

So how do we do this? How can we be flexible and adaptable in our teaching, yet still adhere to high standards in our studios? How can we help each student, no matter their background, personality type, and musical goals, have a positive experience with music lessons?