slow progress
Importance of Materials for Fast Students
Hello. How would you handle this? I have an older student ( age 15) in a group with another boy. The student in question picks things up super quickly. Leaves a lesson with complete grasp and understanding of all new pieces. Quick learner. He is…
Accommodating Anxiety and Perfectionism
I have a question about accommodations. I have a 10 year old student with severe anxiety and perfectionism. She is unable to understand that she needs to practice songs even if she doesn’t like them. She is working on this skill, among others, with a…
Resisting Hands Together
I have a 5 year old who is resisting playing hands together. He is happy to play 5SS together but nothing else. Any ideas how to encourage him? some young children think it is going to be too hard to do so instead of giving…
When To Move Ahead
I have been teaching an 8 year old for 4 months. He’s a really bright kid and generally picks things up pretty quickly. We are just finishing up Chester and I’d like to begin Ode to Joy this week. The reason I haven’t moved ahead…
Parent Complaint about Group Lessons
For those of you who teach mostly in groups, how have you addressed complaints from parents about group lessons and the student to teacher ratio? (Meaning they feel their child isn’t getting enough ‘piano time’ in their new group lesson)? I teach mostly small groups.…
Pace of Progress
A teacher expressed concern about how much of the curriculum she gets through each year. Here is Neil Moore’s response. How Many Songs per Year Should Students Learn? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRmE3QrNEmA&list=PL3o0aF_9qHn4F2sy8QRuPb_jf_r4D9823&index=20 Original video posted April 4, 2017
Remembering Compositions
Below is an email from a parent. Any advice on strategies I could suggest? This student has been with me for about 6 months. He is in first grade and is moving through Foundation pieces at a just-under-average pace. I have noticed memory is an…
Students Wants to Limit Assignments
How would my expert teachers out there manage a student who was absolutely adamant that they should only have 1 NEW song to practice each week. Regardless of if they get it easy or not; how can I correct this limiting belief in their psychology…
Readiness to Learn
Is there any such thing as readiness in the Simply Music process? I am teaching a very bright little girl who is 6, but she is struggling even with the five fingers over five notes after 6 lessons. She can play the right hand of…
Webinar Series: 02/15/2019 – Gateway – Skills & Mindset of a Successful Gateway Teacher
Teaching students with profound special needs is a different experience than teaching typical students. Karen discusses this in relation to goals and expectations, your own confidence, and dealing with parents’ expectations. Topics include: Introduction (00:05) Teacher Temperament (04:18) Readiness to Progress (10:11) Visually Impaired Students…