Students
30 Day Notice & Trends
I’m curious to know how many teachers require a 30 day notice in their policies if a student (parent) decides to stop lessons and also how many teachers require the last month’s payment up front before starting lessons? I’m thinking maybe I should begin doing…
More on Practice Pads
I have been teaching for over 4 years now, and it had never occurred to me to use the practice pads in the Private Lessons. After the presentation Samali gave at our conference here in Western Australia on the use of these, it absolutely brought…
Playlist – Keeping Songs Alive
Here’s a scenario… young girl (about 4th grade) is playing well. Father has said in the past she loves it and they’re so glad that they found me. Student isn’t always completely accurately so I asked her to go back and watch the video to…
How to Remedy a Sloppy Playlist
I have a group of adults where one is much faster than the others. I finally moved the faster one out of that group… should have done it sooner. Meanwhile, I moved too fast for the slower two people, partly because I wanted to make…
How Do I Revive the Playlist
I have a sister and brother (11 and 8) who have been taking for 2 years now in a Shared Lesson and are in Level 4, but cannot play very many of the songs from Levels 1-3. My routine with lessons is that the first…
Adult Students Marking the Playlist
I am wondering about how other teachers find getting adults to tick the playlist. Especially men look at me with that “Not going to happen, lady” look in their eye. I am finding that retired women seem happy enough to do it, and some personality…
Using Practice Pads
With regard to the recent discussions about Practice Pads, I wish to add a word of caution. Please be careful to make sure that only a small or modest percentage of your class time is spent with individual students processing content on their individual Practice…
Experienced Student with Beginners?
Got a call from someone who has a masters in Composition, knows how to read sheet music, knows chords, and is looking especially for improvisational freedom in playing. She feels she composes in her head, not her hands, and she wants to get more “in…
Offering Students Rewards
Regarding ‘intrinsic’ or ‘extrinsic’ motivation as a teaching practice, I am one of those teachers who doesn’t like to use what I consider to be bribes (i.e. lollipops, smiley faces, whatever) to get a child to practice. I can see the distinction between a ‘bribe’…
Chat – Managing Practice
Kevin M (USA) Who wants to ask the first question? Nancy L (USA) how do you get a 17 year old boy who just learned how to drive to practice? Ha! Rhea P (Aus) Well, I do struggle a bit with getting some kids to…