You know how you talk yourself blue in the face sometimes to your students about basic best practices and it seems to go in one ear and out the other? Well, I decided to let the STUDENTS speak - video tape them - and share it with my studio. Lo and behold, it worked! Folks are referencing these videos in ways they never did before when I was just TELLING them to do it. It's…
Has anyone heard of school teachers saying children should use their own 'internal motivation' rather than pushing them to do something? We were discussing reward for completing tasks. Poor Mum is confused, I am telling her she needs to guide her children, manage their activities and their long term relationships. The school teacher is telling Mum to let her children explore multiple activities, quit if they don't like it and try something else. [answer author="Gabrielle K.,…
If you're a requirement based studio, how much responsibility do you place on teenage students vs life coaches? I'd say if the student is not meeting the requirements on their own, the coach should still be responsible for making sure it happens. I agree that ultimately the coach is responsible regardless of student age. Teens need their coach more than ever to protect their practice time.…
I am trying to choose the right words to discuss a student's minimal effort with her parent. The student is 8 and has been taking lessons since she was 5. She progressed quickly, then hit a valley and has been putting in the bare minimal effort for the last 18 months or so. She reached level 3, completed Reading Rhythm, and started Reading Notes, then just seemed to forget everything. So we have been reviewing to…
What strategies have you used to help your students navigate a valley? First step - have a conversation about it. Ask questions. After finding out exactly what the cause of the valley is, I take the pressure off for a while - no new foundation material is added until they get through the valley; keep lessons as light and fun as possible; do more improv…
This webinar is driven by teacher questions. Topics range from the rationale behind some of the curriculum to supporting coaches to the future of Simply Music. Enjoy! Topics include: Intro: Funny Story About Neil (00:05) Helping Parents be ‘Requirement-Based’ (2:06) How Teachers Can Improve Their Rhythm Skills (12:55) Engaging All Students in Shared Lessons (20:04) Rationale for Repertoire of 30-40 Songs (28:13) Reason for Notation Changes in Foundation Music (31:23) Blues Songs – More Common Keys Used (33:58) Developing Our…
I have a student that I've been teaching for just over 3 months. She practices regularly, but refuses to watch the videos. Her mom will not enforce this. It's definitely slowing her down by not watching them, but she is still making good progress. How big of an issue do I make this? Pretty big, if you want her to get the best results and stick with you. My first suggestion…
Has anyone else dealt with the issue of the second parent, the spouse of the life coach, not being behind lessons fully? They question the method and cost and cause issues at home? If so, how have you addressed this? I'm contemplating making it mandatory for both parents to attend the FIS. I have often wished the parent could listen to some of my training to learn how to talk to people about the method! …
The role of the parent or coach with Gateway students can differ quite a bit from the role they play in the Simply Music Piano program. Learn why this is often necessary, ways in which you can still keep parents involved, and hear some real-life examples of how to do so. Topics include: Introduction Initial Steps for Teachers Talking About Gateway & Expectations Teacher Relationship with the Student How to Involve the Parent Teacher Question: How to Encourage a Parent…
The parent of a student I've had for three years told me that her daughter needs review because she only plays the current songs on her playlist (Level 6). The student's father travels for months at a time and comes home with expectations to hear "all the songs" and is angry when some are "forgotten". In addition, the student has been traveling back and forth out of state where dad has been working and where there…
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