talking about expectations
Parent Participation Videoconference
Hi Teachers, here is a conversation I had with a few Simply Music Teachers about: parent participation in class, setting up the expectations & agreements, how to help a child when his/her parents are not in attendance (but a grandparent is), do teens need a…
Outside Music from School
I have a class of 5 middle-schoolers who love music, and are trying to do every musical activity available to them. They are in Level 3. A couple of them are in the school band (actually an orchestra), and a couple of them are joining…
Practice Expectations
A LOT has been said about this topic both in the SM teacher body and the greater global teacher community. I’d be interested in a more pointed discussion about possible alternatives to how teachers current converse about practice expectations. While Simply Music has gone to…
Questioning Intervallic Reading
Reading Notes – I have a couple of students currently, one senior and one middle school age, who seem to struggle with grasping the intervallic note reading process. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier for certain students to learn note reading the old-fashioned…
Learning to Play By Ear
A parent asked me tonight “when will my daughter be able to hear a song, and just know how to play it with all the chords and in the right key?” I was unsure how to answer this, so of course I told the truth,…
Tips for Preparing and Teaching Level 4
I’ve heard a bit about how much harder Level 4 is. As I’m moving into that now with my students, could you share experiences of how Level 4 did or did not work well for you, and how to avoid pitfalls. In a nutshell –…