2022 our 25th year online!

Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums
Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments.
Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers (it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

SEARCH
Piano Forums & Piano World
(ad)
Who's Online Now
53 members (Aylin, brdwyguy, bcalvanese, accordeur, 36251, Bostonmoores, 20/20 Vision, Adam Reynolds, Burkhard, 1200s, 6 invisible), 1,336 guests, and 309 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Page 3 of 3 1 2 3
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,678
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Offline
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,678
Among the suggestions, these are the ones that I find the most effective, which are excellent combined:

1) Follow directions the first time given
2) Be prepared for each lesson (AZNpiano)

Sit quietly
Eyes on
Listen
Hands down (Joycedup1)

AZN's first rule tells the student what to do in the studio, and the second rule tells the student what to do at home. What Joycedup1 writes gives us an example of directions that can be followed, because they are simple, short, concrete and direct. If the student has "hands down" and listens, then he will hear the instruction, and can then follow them.
--------------------
The first list in the OP is full of negatives, vague, confusing, and hard to follow. If told "Don't think of pink elephants." you can't stop thinking of them. What TO do is always more effective. "Whine", "rude", "defensive", "respect", "perfectionist", "attitude" "be open" are all abstract things, and some such as anti-perfectionism are confusing.

--------------------
What can the teacher do? (A question that was asked) If we take the top list, if you want to be followed, then make sure you can be followed. Are your instructions clear, easy to understand, and short enough? Do you give too much information in one longish lecture that can't be retained? If your student doesn't understand, is he free to let you know? If you want him to come to lessons prepared, does he know what to practice, and how to practice it? That's preventive. I also agree both with AZN's rule setting and consequences, and Morodiene's supportiveness.





Last edited by keystring; 05/18/13 08:22 PM. Reason: clarified 2nd par.
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,555
T
4000 Post Club Member
Offline
4000 Post Club Member
T
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,555
Originally Posted by keystring
Do you give too much information in one longish lecture that can't be retained?

That's probably the most common mistake I see with teachers of any subject, not just music. They keep talking after the point is made, and lose the student.

That would be negated if they were really paying attention to the student and what he/she is taking in. But often when you're talking you're listening to yourself, rather than the other person.


gotta go practice
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,090
B
bzpiano Offline OP
1000 Post Club Member
OP Offline
1000 Post Club Member
B
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,090
Originally Posted by KS
The first list in the OP is full of negatives, vague, confusing, and hard to follow.


When I came out with my first list, to be honest, I have more than 100 of them. I still did not share my whole list. I will be embarrassed to share the whole list with you and believe me, it is a very laughable one. I was brainstorming what I want to include in studio policy.

I think to play safe, I can include ten in my list for studio policy and only two main one during lesson time (following direction first time given, and be prepared for lesson)

===========================================================
What would you include in your list if you have ten things to say in your studio policy regards student's attitude?
===========================================================

For the two main points:
1. Follow direction first time given
2. Prepared for lesson

I will type it out and laminate to put on wall for these two points.

Wow, thank you folks for so helping!


Piano lessons in Irvine, CA
Follow my 4YO student here: http://bit.ly/FollowMeiY
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,639
7000 Post Club Member
Offline
7000 Post Club Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,639
Telling people what not to do has proven relatively ineffective. However, explaining why we don't do something often helps. For example, on occasions a student will come to their lessons chonking on a humongous wad of gum. I will make a passing comment that musicians don't chew gum, not only because it looks ridiculous, but when we get excited about our music, we often hold our breath, then gasp for air. With something in our mouth, choking often occurs. And I really don't want to call 911 and send them off to the hospital (or worse). Students are fairly bright and usually get the point without further ado.


"Those who dare to teach must never cease to learn." -- Richard Henry Dann
Full-time Private Piano Teacher offering Piano Lessons in Olympia, WA. www.mypianoteacher.com
Certified by the American College of Musicians; member NGPT, MTNA, WSMTA, OMTA
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,949
8000 Post Club Member
Offline
8000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,949
Originally Posted by MaggieGirl
Public school. There is nothing objectionable with any of the code. They say it after the pledge (which is more objectionable since it mentions G-d). Why would a recitation be surprising? Her teacher works on character, the class is a family -we may not "like each other all the time" but since we are family we respect each other as well as social skills in addition to academics, physical education and music.

Of course there's nothing objectionable with the code, but it's the source of the code that's somewhat dubious, and to shove them down every kid's throat every morning as if they were The Ten Commandments is a little disconcerting.


Private Piano Teacher and MTAC Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,949
8000 Post Club Member
Offline
8000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,949
Originally Posted by Peter K. Mose
I find the concept of a comprehensive rules list for piano student behavior somewhere between laughable and distasteful.

A laundry list of rules might not be effective or even mildly desirable, but I wouldn't characterize it as "laughable and distasteful." That's condescending toward the teacher.

Peter--I'm surprised by your word choice, considering how long you've been teaching!


Private Piano Teacher and MTAC Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 626
M
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
M
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 626
I suppose you would have to see it in action. The class is really a family. All different ethnicities, backgrounds, cultural differences and perspectives, economically different, kids without parents, with single parents, and 2 parent families. The code is an equalizer and I think of it as a bucket filler. A child might not feel one or more of those items, but saying it daily might help them begin to believe they are all of those qualities.

But for a piano teacher they see 30 minutes a day, maybe something shorter -

I am prepared to learn.

Then the teacher can write notes like, Johnny was not prepared to learn. He did not practice efficiently this week so in class we could only review. Next week Johnny needs to be prepared to learn.

Johnny was not prepared to learn. In class he was disrespectful. Please talk to Johnny about arriving prepared to learn next week.

Johnny was prepared to learn this week. He passed 2 pieces and earned a new piece. Way to go!


Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,436
P
2000 Post Club Member
Offline
2000 Post Club Member
P
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,436
How about if the teacher writes in Johnny's notebook...

"I'm sorry that I was not prepared to teach Johnny effectively today. I will strive to reach him better next week, since he's a good guy who wants to soak up music."



Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 626
M
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
M
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 626
That works too! laugh

Page 3 of 3 1 2 3

Moderated by  platuser 

Link Copied to Clipboard
What's Hot!!
Piano World Has Been Sold!
--------------------
Forums RULES, Terms of Service & HELP
(updated 06/06/2022)
---------------------
Posting Pictures on the Forums
(ad)
(ad)
New Topics - Multiple Forums
Country style lessons
by Stephen_James - 04/16/24 06:04 AM
How Much to Sell For?
by TexasMom1 - 04/15/24 10:23 PM
Song lyrics have become simpler and more repetitive
by FrankCox - 04/15/24 07:42 PM
New bass strings sound tubby
by Emery Wang - 04/15/24 06:54 PM
Forum Statistics
Forums43
Topics223,385
Posts3,349,189
Members111,631
Most Online15,252
Mar 21st, 2010

Our Piano Related Classified Ads
| Dealers | Tuners | Lessons | Movers | Restorations |

Advertise on Piano World
| Piano World | PianoSupplies.com | Advertise on Piano World |
| |Contact | Privacy | Legal | About Us | Site Map


Copyright © VerticalScope Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community.