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Joined: Jan 2012
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Wonderful post, keystring! Since studio teaching take place in private, and since teachers share little with one another about teaching styles, we tend to forget about such important differences in temperament.
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I don't think you and I are fundamentally different in what we want except that for my business and my life style 45 minute lessons don't work well for scheduling reasons. Gary, I suspect that there's a lot of self-selection by students/parents based on teacher's and student's personalities. I'm very much easy going and try to put my students at total ease before we begin getting serious. As I cannot walk into a lesson and be totally focused, on game and at total ease, I try to sense how much my students need it or don't need the adjustment time. Most of my students take a few minutes to do a weekly core dump, which is totally fine by me. Then I feel better in tune with their needs. Other teachers, as Keystring alludes to, may be able to pick up on this much faster, or not at all. Many teaching "experts" tell us this is important, others say "not so much." What this all boils down to, I suspect, is that as we gain teaching experience, we find the method and parameters which work best for us, we refine it and stick with it. Then, for the most part, students find us based on word of mouth, from friends and colleagues, so the system works. Perhaps the term, organized chaos, is most appropriate for our profession.
"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
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Ayumi - I am a 'student teacher' (I'm in the fourth year of my undergraduate degree, and I am majoring in music) - I don't have 20 years of experience under my belt and AZN piano makes a good point - age and experience are not always indicative of competence. Having said that, when I started teaching my piano teacher mentored me through this whole process and if I ever had any questions (on technical or musical matters) I always had an expert at my disposal.
I think your best bet is to ask the teacher (regardless of age, experience and qualifications the prospective teachers that you interview should always get these kinds of questions) what their special interests are (as musicians and also as teachers), what their experience is with teaching children of younger ages, what their qualifications are and what kinds approaches they use. Look up major methods like the Suzuki, Kodaly, Dalcroze and Orff method and ask the teacher how they have (or haven't) incorporated these approaches into their teaching - then ask them why they do (or don't) believe these approaches are effective.
Also, it might also help to shop around and watch the teacher teach - then to make your decision.
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Gary, I suspect that there's a lot of self-selection by students/parents based on teacher's and student's personalities.
Absolutely. Generally speaking I click best with people have very fast minds, and all my best students have always known that. My slow students don't know that, but how often do you run out of time with slow students? With my slowest students by the time I hit the 30 minute mark my brain is SCREAMING for break! I'm very much easy going and try to put my students at total ease before we begin getting serious. As I cannot walk into a lesson and be totally focused, on game and at total ease, I try to sense how much my students need it or don't need the adjustment time. Most of my students take a few minutes to do a weekly core dump, which is totally fine by me.
I only get that from adults, John. The younger ones can't wait to show me what they did, if they are interested. Since my teaching is a solid block, if someone like gets here early when someone else is not here, I'll let them pop right in, and I'll go over if the same thing happens. The reason? Because to this very minute I still never get tired of teaching when someone is truly interested and is working hard. That is even true now and then of slower students who are really serious. As for "needs", if there is a regular need for me to be other than a piano/music teacher, that's just not what I "signed up" for. Emergencies? Of course. But otherwise I want to go right to work!
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Most of my students take a few minutes to do a weekly core dump, which is totally fine by me.
I only get that from adults, John. The younger ones can't wait to show me what they did, if they are interested. Me too! It was a big adjustment when I started working with adult students. They want to talk all of the time. At least they are nice to talk to.
Heather Reichgott, piano
Working on: Mel (Mélanie) Bonis - Sevillana, La cathédrale blessée William Grant Still - Three Visions
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great input from everyone, but i think the major point being overlooked here is the actual instructor. Certifications are just he start in the search for the right instructor, as in any field of study there are some who just dont have the connection needed to deal with specific students i suggest going to meet the varios potential teachers and getting a better red on the setep & structure of their lessons.
p.s if possible it really doesnt hurt to do a session or two and feel the situation out
good luck
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if possible it really doesnt hurt to do a session or two and feel the situation out
Remember it's a five year old child. They can bond fast. It may be hard on her to start and stop, start and stop.
gotta go practice
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
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