Ending a Lesson

What to do at the end of a lesson.

Make it obvious it’s the end of the lesson.  Say something like: “Right, let’s do these four bars one more time before we pack up.”

Start packing up 5 minutes before the end of the designated lesson time (this only works if you’ve actually been keeping track of the lesson time.  If you’re relying on your phone to tell the time, invest in a small travel clock you can place in your line of vision).  This means the class will get away on time and the next class can start on time.

Set homework for the week.  Tell kids what you expect them to practice/be able to do during the week.  Make sure they write it down or that their parents hear it.

As they pack up, make small talk: ask what they are doing in the weekend/during the next week.  Be interested.

Say goodbye.

Caring for Instruments

One of the first things you need to teach you students isn’t about the dots on the page or where their fingers go.  It’s how to look after their instrument.

I tell students that musical instruments are taonga, treasures.  And I start this from the very youngest students – when we are playing on buckets!  If you treat an instrument well, it will treat you well.

Patience: Your Teaching Super Power

Some superheroes have x-ray vision.  Some have invisibility.  Others, telepathy, teleportation or even time-travel.  But there’s another superpower we tend to forget about.  As a music teacher, your superpower is patience.  

And, luckily, no matter how hard your students try to diminish it, it’s a power that never expires.

School Assessments

If you are teaching high school students, chances are they will be doing some kind of assessment for their music class.  In New Zealand, even if senior students aren’t taking music as a subject, they are still able (depending on school policy) to gain NCEA credits for solo and group performance.

As their teacher, you need to find out a few things:

• ·         When is the performance (date and time)?
• ·         What pieces do they need to play?
• ·         Do they need accompaniment? (and do they need to provide their own or will the school provide one?)
• ·         What criteria are they being assessed on?

If the student doesn’t know this information, email or call their school music teacher.  They’ll have it in writing.

With your student, work out an appropriate rehearsal schedule, using the criteria to guide what you focus on.  Yes, this is what teachers refer to as “teaching to the test”, but your student is being tested on these criteria.  You have myriad other opportunities to work on other aspects of their music education.

If your student needs an accompanist, and it’s not you, make sure they have ample opportunity to practice with them.