Question of the Week: May 28, 2012 - Making Theory Fun?!

My spring recital is over, the final week of lessons for the term is behind me, and I just have a few make-up lessons to get through this week before my term break! It's a good feeling. :)

I've spent some time over the last day or so looking over term evaluations from my students. I'm always interested to see what has worked for them and what is not working.

The most popular answer to the question of what they enjoyed the least over the term?

 Theory Homework!

All of my students use the Faber & Faber Piano Adventures Lesson, Technique, and Theory books, and while I rarely see any of them complaining about the first two, theory just seems to be something none of my students are crazy about. It's the one assignment that is most frequently incompleted when students show up for their lessons as well.

So I'm asking for your advice and suggestions. Do you have a problem getting your students on board with theory assignments? If so, what have you done to deal with the problem? Do you have any approaches toward theory in your studio that have really helped inspire students and gotten them excited about theory?

Please leave your comments and thoughts below!

Question of the Week: January 16, 2012 - Guiding Weekly Practice

It happens periodically with practically every student: they hit a wall. Whether it's resistance to practice, a period of little or no forward progress, or just a general lack of enthusiasm toward piano, every student seems to hit one of those walls from time to time. That's when our jobs as teachers can become tough as we attempt to find the magic piece that will spark enthusiasm or look for ways to help progress happen.

I'm at that point with a student right now who seems to be stuck in a progress rut. I was thinking that it was perhaps just a symptom of the Christmas season, but we're into the January term and it seems to be sticking.

I started off the new year with a new plan- as we review each piece in the lesson we take some time before moving on to develop a specific practice plan for the coming week. I used to just give all the ideas, but I'm attempting to make this process more interactive so that it sticks over the week.

The main problem is that I just don't see our plan put into action over the week. The same problems persist from week to week- even when we isolate sections in lessons and agree to focus on them over the week.

Have you found yourself in a similar situation with a student who wasn't willing to take the steps to make progress over the week? How did you motivate them? Do you have any tricks that helped them start taking disciplined practice more seriously? I'd love to hear some ideas from more experienced teachers on what works and what doesn't work- so share your comments!

Question of the Week: January 1, 2012 - The Numbers Game

Happy New Year! It's truly almost upon us. I can't believe how quickly this past year has zipped by, but December 31 is here and a new year is about to begin.

I've taken the past week off from blogging and studio-related activities and simply enjoyed time with family and my life away from the piano studio. It's been quite refreshing :)This coming week I'll be getting ready for the spring term, set to begin on January 8.

As I get ready to gear up for a new studio term, I have a confession to make. I'm finding myself dissatisfied with the way things are shaping up for spring. More than that, I'm battling a little bit of discouragement.

I've kind of come full circle in my studio in the past year. In 2011, my studio was full to overflowing, thanks to transfer students and referrals. I passed on several students to other teachers, and actually had a waiting list! All this was great, if a little overwhelming. I felt like things were going pretty well.

So I was totally unprepared for what hit me after the fall term. I lost several students- one very unexpectedly. Due to my limited availability, several potential students were unable to enroll, and one opted for another teacher who offered a studio plan that was more fitting to her "age and ability level". OUCH!

All of this has left me below my target range for what I consider a full studio. It all happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that I'm still struggling with feelings of frustration and failure. I know that when a student decides to quit, it is not based solely on the teacher, but I still feel mostly responsible.

Have you dealt with this type of yo-yo effect in your studio before? One term, the numbers go up, the next, you're back down. How did you deal with that type of irregularity? I'd love to hear how you learned to not let it affect your self-esteem as a teacher.


I'll be back early next week with lots of posts on my plans for the spring...

Question of the Week: November 21, 2011 - Favorite Holiday Activities

Thanksgiving is over and gone, which means it's time for my studio to jump headlong into Christmas music and activities. For the past few years, I've actually scheduled my fall recital before Thanksgiving, giving us the month of the December to wind down, relax, and have some fun with Christmas music and themed activities. I've found that it's a much better way to finish up a term of lessons rather than trying to compete with all the myriad of other holiday activities my students are involved in every December.

Each year I try to expand my resources just a bit by adding a few more games, worksheets, and activities to my current repertory. I'm always on the lookout for new resources and activity ideas. I was thrilled to win the Gingerbread Man Giveaway at Jeanna's Sing a New Song blog, and I have tons of games and activities from that resource that I am excited about introducing into my studio this coming week. But of course, I'm always interested in what else is out there!

What are some of your favorite holiday resources for your studio? Do you have any favorite activities or games? I'd LOVE to hear about them. I'll be doing a follow-up post listing your ideas as well as a few of my favorites, so please comment below.

Question of the Week: September 19, 2011- The Slump

I want to take a little time this morning to take a brief survey with the help of other teachers. It's only my third week into the fall term, and I'm already beginning to experience what I call "the slump".

Several students have shown up for lessons this week with little or no practice logged. One student even had the guts to tell me he'd "forgotten about practicing".

Over and above this, the level of focus among my students was way off this week as well, and I had a hard time reining in the energy and maintaining any kind of focus.

I always find this phenomenon occurs about mid-term, after the first month or so of lessons has passed and the reality of the recital hasn't quite hit home. I've never had it hit so early. Two weeks ago we were just started off, setting our goals, and talking about what we wanted to accomplish this fall.

Over the years as I've taught, I've seen this slump slowly shifting earlier and earlier each term, and lasting longer and longer. It seems that students just don't have the enthusiasm and discipline that I expect them to have. On top of this, the parents also share their attitudes and don't make disciplined practice a priority, rather, they'll come in and make excuses for their kids and expect me to be the one to pick up the slack.

I am just curious if other teachers out there are noticing this type of trend in their respective areas? Do you find my observations to be relevant and applicable to your own studios? Have you dealt with this in the past? Do you have any ideas for how to breathe fresh inspiration even when it seems to be needed in the first month of the term?

I'm not meaning for this to be a negative post, I'm just sharing my observations and looking for feedback and (hopefully) some advice from more experienced teachers. If you wouldn't mind taking a few moments to share your own experiences by commenting, I'd love to get a good discussion going on this topic!

Question of the Week: September 5, 2011 - Handling Holidays

It's 2:00 P.M. on this Labor Day 2011, and I'm done teaching for the day! It's such a nice change of pace to finish up lessons in the early afternoon, especially as I'm just breaking back into the fall schedule and this makes the adjustment period a bit less stressful.

So I'm curious:

How many of you are teaching today? What are your policies for teaching on holidays?

My policy has always been to teach on those school holidays like Labor Day, Presidents' Day, etc. However, since school is not in session, I always give parents/students the option of coming earlier in the day, and they most usually all take me up on it! While this may not be an option for a teacher with a family or other obligations, the fact that I don't have any children makes it easy for me to flip my schedule around. I get an early start to the day and then get to enjoy a rare evening off. Win-win situation!

I'd love to hear thoughts from other teachers on how they handle holiday lessons.

Question of the Week: August 1, 2011- How to Deal with "Clueless" Students

I have a particular student whose response to any given question during our lessons can be predicted with 97% accuracy (I say this because there are some rare instances when he surprises me). That response is:

"I don't know."

It doesn't matter what the question is...What do you want to work on first today? Do you think that phrase 3 is the hardest phrase? What does the title of this piece suggest to you?...it seems that no matter what question I ask, I always get the same response.

I've tried various manners of approach. Sometimes I'll give him a few options, hoping that providing some guidance will help him make a decision. I try to draw him out with leading questions and hints. But nothing seems to work, in the end it just seems like I have to sit there and tell him everything.

I like to teach by asking lots of questions and helping my students find the answers rather than sitting there and telling them what I want them to do all the time. But it seems that this just isn't working with this child.

So...any suggestions from other teachers out there? Have you ever had a student like this who seems to not want to answer any questions in their lessons? How did you deal with it?

Question of the Week: July 4, 2011- Creating a Music Lending Library

As a relatively new piano teacher, the idea of a music lending library is one that has become increasingly attractive to me in the past year. However, it is an option that I know next-to-nothing about.

As a student, I can remember the excitement of receiving a brand new book and relishing the fact that it was mine. I would write my name on the inside cover, and if there were any pictures in the book it wouldn't be long before I had colored them in. There's also something special about looking back at those old books and remembering my favorite pieces from each one. This is one reason I've always been a bit hesitant to embrace the idea of a lending library.

On the other hand, I know that many of my students would welcome the opportunity to borrow a book rather than spend the money on it. I already try to cut down on repertoire costs for my students as much as possible, and this would be another great way to do it.

As you can see, I'm still kind of on the fence about this issue, and before I make a decision one way or the other, I wanted to get some feedback from other teachers who may have used this idea successfully (or maybe not so successfully!) in their studios. So here are my questions:

1. Why did you start your lending library? Was there a large initial investment on your part?
2. What kind of material makes up the bulk of your library? Do you have any specific books/series that you'd highly recommend as a core of the library?
3. How do you decide when a student may choose a book? Is it a reward, a fun occasional activity, or does their selection make up part of their main repertoire?
4. How do you keep track of all the music? When a student has a book, what are your policies about the condition of the book, and how much do your write in the music?
5. Have you found this a successful investment of your resources?

I'd love to hear your answers to any/all of these questions!

Question of the Week: Explaining Arpeggios

Even though my students span a wide range of ages and skill levels, it always seems that I'll find myself in a pedagogical rut- ie- invariably there will be a chunk that's learning a certain concept all at the same time or within a relatively short span.

This time it's arpeggios. I've taught the concept of scales and arpeggios countless times, but as I've found myself doing so with increased frequency recently, I was curious to see how other teachers explain the idea of an arpeggio for the first time. Do you have any magic analogies that seem to work really well for presenting the concept? Do you use the same formula, or cater to each student's learning styles, teaching some the concept visually and some aurally? Do you approach arpeggios in lessons before they're introduced in music books, or wait until it's been covered?

I'd love to hear other teachers' thoughts- and look for a follow-up post from me tomorrow on more about this issue.

Question of the Week: April 25, 2011: Pros and Cons of Teacher Breaks

As you may already know, last week was spring break week at my studio- YAY! Let's hear it for a week (well...three days at least since I ended up doing two days of make-ups) of no lessons and time to recharge and let my creative juices flow. A week to enjoy other pursuits and enjoy the 'un-teacher' side of my life a bit more.

And I did enjoy it...until I started lessons back up this week and remembered why I really, really have a love-hate relationship with teacher breaks. Here's why: give your studio even one week off and it starts falling apart! Students don't practice and end up coming back having regressed rather than progressed. Books are forgotten, assignments are uncompleted, and I feel like I'm starting over at square 1 with 90% of my studio- UGH!

So here's my question to all of you:

How do you approach scheduled breaks to avoid the negative consequences? Do you have any tips and tricks to help your students actually make progress over a break?

I enjoyed my week off so much- I want to be able to enjoy my well-earned vacations rather than dreading the following week when I have to reap the consequences!

Question of the Week: April 11, 2011- It's Allergy Season!

I am extremely blessed in that I don't suffer from seasonal allergies. I can enjoy the beautiful springtime blooms without having to worry about all the excess pollen in the air. But there are those who dread the advent of spring each year because of their allergies. The symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable, and, as I discovered last night, distracting!

Have you ever dealt with a young student who is experiencing allergies? ;) This was my experience yesterday evening. It took us twice as long to do every assignment and play every piece because there would be about a 30 second pause before the piece while the student itched his eyes, pauses within the piece itself as itches caused distractions, and pauses after the piece before I could discuss anything because the student was focused on their itchy eyes.

This was a younger student (I would NEVER have let my older, more advanced students get away with this) who normally has trouble focusing in any case, so I could completely understand how much more trouble he was having paying attention with the added distraction and annoyance of allergies and red, itchy eyes. Nevertheless, this wreaked havoc on any kind of focus in our lesson time.

As I'm sure that this issue will only worsen in the coming weeks, I'm trying to find creative ways to try and deal with the situation.

1. I am going to send a nice email to the mom asking that her child take some kind of allergy medication prior to our lesson (maybe he was on some last night- but it didn't seem like it!) to attempt to minimize the discomfort and maximize on focus.

2. ??? This is where I need a bit of help! So here's my query for the week:

Have any of you out there dealt with this type of situation with younger students? How do you stress the importance of keeping going and not pausing in a piece when allergies are a real and present distraction?

Any tips you may have to share would be most welcome!

Question of the Week: March 21, 2011- Using Theory Books

When I started student teaching back in high school (I won't date myself here... ;) ), my mentor didn't use theory books. In fact, she used an entirely different method than I use now.

So when I started out on my own and switched to using Piano Adventures, I was, understandably so, a bit prejudiced against the use of the corresponding Theory Book. There were a number of reasons. First, as a piano student I hadn't really been exposed to systematic theory training perse. I did do some theory testing as a young student, but that stopped as I got older. Second, I can still remember my horror when one of my teachers in middle school tried to give me a theory book. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. Third, it was outside of my teaching comfort-zone, and as a new teacher I wanted to minimize the uncharted territory as much as possible.

So for a few years, I supplemented. We did theory in lessons and group lessons, and I made scales and pentascales a part of the lesson, but no theory books appeared. For technique I used the Treasures in Technique series published by FJH rather than the corresponding Technique and Artistry books.

Then just in the past year or two, I decided to do the unthinkable! I introduced both the Theory and Technique and Artistry books into my teaching repertoire! It was a bit of a learning curve, but I managed to adjust.

However, as this term continues, I'm starting to rethink that decision yet again. I am pretty pleased with the Technique and Artistry supplement, but Theory has been a bit more of a challenge.

Theory is the part of the weekly assignment my students most often overlook, and complain about the most. I try to assign it as homework for the students to do over the week as a supplement to what we've learned in the lesson (after explaining the requirements of course) but I often find myself wasting lesson time trying to get kids to 'finish up' uncompleted pages.

So here's my question:

How much emphasis do you, as teachers, put on theory book assignments each week? Is theory inseparable from lesson and technique, or do you supplement with other theory materials? Is it too much to expect every child to do work in a theory book each week?

A few further thoughts from me. I had two students (siblings in fact!) who both recently moved up to the next level in Piano Adventures. After some deliberation, I decided not to provide theory books for them. Neither one practices as much as I'd like them to, and I'd rather they spend their limited practice time focusing on technique and the material in their lesson book rather than adding something else to the mix. We do worksheets and games from time to time to drill theoretical concepts, and the students actually look forward to these breaks from the normal routine.

Contrast this with another younger student who actually throws temper tantrums each week (so I'm told by his mom) when she tries to get him to do his theory homework...

I'm still undecided on this issue, and as you can see, am in the process of a few 'test cases'. But in the meantime, I'd love to hear some feedback from other teachers!

Question of the Week: March 14, 2011

Yeah, it's Thursday- I'm a bit behind. ;) But the week's not over yet, so I wanted to get some feedback on an issue I've been seeing in my studio over the past few weeks. I've been having students come to lessons and tell me that they didn't have enough material to practice over the previous week. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm always willing to assign more and raise the bar if my students are willing to fulfill their side of the bargain...but with all of these aforementioned students this was how the lesson panned out:

As we progressed through the lesson material I found that in each case specific instructions I'd set forth the previous week had been ignored. One student was working to memorize a song and had been struggling with a specific phrase. After our discussion on the importance of focusing on that particular phrase over the week, they returned with the same problems and told me they hadn't spent any extra time on that phrase over the week. Another student brashly told me that they 'hadn't gotten to' several of their pieces, another had uncompleted theory homework...and yet they were telling me that they hadn't had enough material to work on!

As I teacher, I try hard to find a balance between too much and too little, and in giving assignments I am very specific- I write out detailed instructions for each piece. Even with all these precautions, I still find my students lacking the discipline to complete their assignments or listen to instructions.

So what do you do to help make sure your students are disciplined and actually follow your instructions? Any tips to help me regain sanity in this regard?

Question of the Week: Feb. 28, 2011

Time flies! We're already into March. Last week's question resulted in some excellent discussion on adult students. Thank you so much for everyone who shared their advice on their experiences.

This week, I'd like to focus on another issue that I find myself struggling with from time to time (no pun intended ;) ) in my studio: time management! I teach lessons back-to-back and sometimes it's really hard to cut off lessons the minute that particular student's time slot is up. If I go over, I give the next student their full allotment of time, but usually this finds me getting behind before too many lessons have gone by- ugh! :(

I have more questions along this line- but for this week just want to focus on the issue of lesson length. Any teachers out there have advice on how to try and keep lessons the proper length without running progressively later and later?!

Question of the Week: Feb. 21, 2011

I realize that I skipped last week...but as I posted about teaching twins and got some feedback on that, I think I'll count that as my 'question of the week' for last week! ;)

This weeks' question focuses on adult students. I've had my fair share of these, and they usually don't last more than a few months as the demands of weekly lessons or the failure to meet their own expectations makes them drop out. Can anyone identify here?!

One of the most common phrases I'll hear from my adult students in a lesson is:

"I played it so much better at home."

I can identify with this frustration as I have experienced the same phenomenon myself- a piece that I have practiced flawlessly completely bombs during the lesson. So, what can we as teachers do to foster a non-threatening teaching environment? I personally don't think of myself as a very threatening personality, but there's something about playing for another body (especially if it's the teacher!) that can be really unnerving for the most prepared student.

I'd love to hear your ideas or tips on how to deal with this issue!

Question of the Week: Feb. 7, 2011

How can it be February already?! My first month of teaching has flown by, and I've been pretty pleased with my students' efforts and the progress they've been making. Last week was kind of a downer though. I think it's typical to see the initial enthusiasm wane a bit after the first month, but it's still not fun when you see bad practice habits (or lack thereof) start creeping back in.

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a teacher (at least for me) is the fact that I have so little control over so much of my students' lives. Now I'm not saying that I want to step in and micromanage, I'm merely observing that when I teach a lesson what I am working with is the product of a week I have had no control over and have no clue about. Perhaps the kid has had a really bad week and is struggling with self-esteem issues at school. Maybe he's had a big project due and that's been sapping all his time and energy. It may be that family problems or conflict has kept him from being as focused and dedicated as he may normally be. If it's a younger child, many times their level of preparation for a lesson depends largely on how much time the parent has had to spend with them in practice over the past week. In short, there are a whole host of factors that go into play that I never even get a glimpse of, and have absolutely no control over. And yet, I am expected to teach the lesson regardless. If they're prepared, great. If they're not prepared, I get creative. If they don't want to be there, we make the best of it.

While this adds a level of mystery and unpredictability to my weekly schedule that can be exciting, it also wreaks havoc on all my attempts at lesson planning. Half the time I find my plans completely tossed out the window as I encounter the reality of just what a student is prepared to perform.

So this leads to my question of the week for all teachers who find themselves frustrated in their best laid lesson plans:

What do you do when a student shows up grossly under-prepared and you suddenly have to alter your lesson plans? How do you deal with the issue, and how have you learned to become more flexible as a teacher?

I'd love your tips as I work to make myself a more flexible teacher as well!

Question of the Week: Jan. 31, 2011

I'm looking forward to a lighter-than-usual week. Three of my students are out of town and my church choir director is in St. Lucia which means no rehearsal on Wednesday. I have to admit that I feel a somewhat guilty pleasure in the prospect of a bit more free time this week! :)

With Valentine's Day coming up, I'm looking for some great ideas for short activities I can incorporate into my student's lessons for a fun change. I have a few ideas, but I'd love to hear from other teachers! So:

Do you have any Valentine-themed studio activities/games you plan on using in the upcoming weeks?

I'll share some of my ideas at the end of the week, but in the meantime, please share your own ideas!

Question of the Week: Jan. 24, 2011

To continue with this month's theme of rhythm/pulse/beat/etc...

Do you require your students to count out loud, and if so, do you have any hints/tips/ideas on how to make it something fun?

I'm hoping to get some really great tips on how to make counting less of a chore for my students!

Further Thoughts on Metronome Practice (This Week's QotW)

This past Monday, I posed this question:

As a teacher, how do you introduce the metronome in lessons? When do you feel a student is ready for the metronome? Other than the metronome, what do you use with your students to help instill a good sense of pulse?

I try in instill the idea of a steady musical pulse, or 'heartbeat' from the very first lesson. I require my students to say the rhythms out loud and then to count out loud once we learn about time signatures. In the rote pieces I teach, I encourage the kids to sing the words or at least hum the song in their mind while they're playing.

I believe that pulse is something that has to be internalized through much repetition and drilling. I have found that making students actually verbalize- whether through counting out loud or by turning on the metronome- is MUCH more effective then leaving them to their own devices, even if the student claims to be counting 'in their head'.

I've used the metronome even for some of my younger students. I don't usually assign it for home practice, but we'll turn it on in the lesson- especially for songs that may be about clocks- and pretend that the metronome is the ticking clock.

A thorough understanding of pulse and the ability to maintain a steady pulse is an extremely important skill to develop and it can't be stressed often enough. The key is finding creative ways to help develop the skill.

Question of the Week: Jan. 17, 2011

I can't believe that January is half over already! Where does the time go?

Last week, I posited a question about using/over-using the metronome. I provided my own thoughts yesterday afternoon, but I'd like to keep to the same vein this week with a few more rhythm-related questions.

As a teacher, how do you introduce the metronome in lessons? When do you feel a student is ready for the metronome? Other than the metronome, what do you use with your students to help instill a good sense of pulse?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this, and as always, I'll be posting my own this coming weekend.