Friday, 29 April 2016

The End of a Lesson


How to end a lesson.

The end of a lesson is a chance not only to consolidate what has been learned, but to also to extend knowledge.  Sometimes we need to use the skills we already have.  Think of it like reading – yes, your reading skills are probably pretty advanced, but you don’t always sit down to tackle Tolstoy.  What I’m saying, is that sometimes it’s just fun to play a piece for fun.

The end of a group lesson is usually when I’ll work on ensemble pieces.  This is a real advantage to teaching groups.  Ensemble playing is a skill and it is something you can teach. 

The end of a 1-1 lesson is where we’ll run the piece, or section of the piece in its entirety.  This puts the section into context.  We might also play duets.

This is also the time to set homework for the week.  In a group lesson I’ll write down the homework on a whiteboard so the students can copy it into their notebooks.  In a 1-1 lesson if it’s a younger student I’ll write the homework down for them while they clean their flute.  Senior students can take responsibility for that themselves.


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