Simpedia

Debi D., Missouri

At the end of lessons, for my younger students, I give stickers. Each student comes to my piano and I sing to the tune of London Bridge, “Would you like a sticker now?” and they sing in response “Yes please, thank you.” I continue, “Would you like another one?” and they again reply “Yes please, thank you.”

I also have a reward system where a plastic gold coin (purchased at party stores) is given to students when they arrive with all their materials, their playlist filled out and can play the previous weeks assignment. Only after this is the next reward level available. An additional coin is given when they write their own music and another when lyrics are written to their composition or any songs in the Foundation we are working in. The coins collected will be used at our quarterly Movie Night to buy items such as books, candy, Starbucks or other items purchased, donated and begged for.  Movie nights are in the studio with selections such as Mr. Holland’s Opus, The Frog Prince, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Annie, The Phantom of the Opera, Footloose, Happy Feet and other age appropriate musicals.

As teachers, I think we can all tell when for whatever reason, the students have stopped focusing. For instance, when they raise their hand and you think they have a question about the lesson but instead they say, “My cat just had kittens.” These are the times we stop for a few minutes to play Wii Music or Musical Hopscotch.

I may have gotten a bit off subject. These  are just a few things I’ve implemented in my studio. I think it is so important to make lessons fun and rewarding. If not, in some ways we are slipping back to the ‘traditional way’ lessons were given. “Here is your assignment, practice and I’ll see you next week.”

Nancy B., Kansas

Great question!  I have been pondering this too.  I remember hearing Janita P.  say that she would close her classes by saying to her students (I’m not sure if this is verbatim, but it’s very close) “Go into the world and be wonderful!”

I loved that, but kept forgetting to say it. Lately, I have decided to stand at my doorway, and have each student tell me two things (related to piano!) that they are going to be sure to work on this next week, as they are on their way out.  This gives them a definite visual clue that we’re done & they need to pack up pronto, but more importantly, it gives me a chance to be sure I’ve given each of them some purposeful eye contact, and maybe a hand on their shoulder or a hug, if that is part of the natural dynamic.  And of course it makes them not immediately click the “off” button on their piano brain as they walk out of the lesson….hopefully…

If I taught adults I think I’d do the same, or just have it be a last chance to follow up on something I know about them that’s unrelated to piano (hope your mom’s been feeling better, etc).

Patti P., Hawaii

We just do a concert bow together. It makes a nice clean ending to class & only takes a few seconds. I explain to them at the beginning of lessons that it’s a way of saying thank you to each other.

A goodbye song is certainly a good way to end as well. I’ve just found that if we do a bow at the end of class, the students then always know how to bow at a performance, and they feel comfortable doing it.

Esperanza F., California

I do with the children many times a goodbye song,  in Spanish so they get exposure to other language as well ( since I am from Spain, I always interlace some words in Spanish in the classroom) And then they learn it to play on piano and then once we know it very well and sang it for a long time I change to another goodbye song.

Marg G., Australia

This really had triggered a thought.  Well, I mean I must think about this too.

I have one special needs student that I have and ending for:
Last thing each lesson she gets my largish Teddy (Angus by name) and she rocks him to sleep while I play the Foundation 4 Lullaby on audio recording.  She loves it so much we have to play it twice.   One day as she was sitting on the piano stool rocking Angus she started trying to pick out the notes of Lullaby and actually got a few in the correct order.

This is a child who is going at a VERY SLOW PACE with PAS so we felt this was an enormous breakthrough.  I must admit it is the one lesson that I feel really does end off well.

I’d love to hear ideas too for regular SM lessons as I like the rounding off idea.

Mei Ling W., Canada

High 5′ for me and then I make a point to connect with each child specific to them i.e. something they demonstrated during class, a song they are working towards, focus on a certain part of a song, etc just to let them know that I am very much in tune with their learning. It really takes 5-10 seconds. They would leave with a smile.  I might also end off the day with something positive like a reminder of a prize next week if 5 days of practice.