i tend to do things well in three month intervals. paperwork, keeping track of lessons (and what each student is working and preparing for the lesson 2 hours ahead of each one - and printing out stuff) - but then something usually happens the fourth month - where they come to the door and i forgot they had a lesson. i pretend that i knew all along - and i sort of fake the lesson once in a while. for me, numbers of students matter. if i have a few - i'm ok. if i have a lot - i go mental.
i think it is because i also have three children of my own. probably the best thing, imo, is to be relaxed. if you are uptight and worried - even if you are mentally about being prepared yourself - take a break. go into the kitchen - revive your thoughts deeply (without distraction) and bring back a glass of water and your ideas.
something else i've learned - is to ask 'do you know what i mean?' 'does this make sense?' that way - if something needs to be explained in a different way - it can be - and isn't skipped over. i think when i've refined things - they are more precise. less words to say. more meaning. quicker results. easier technique. better fingering.
and, as with tutoring - if you always work out all these things ahead of time (as perfectionistic people tend to do
) then the student doesn't learn to do some of this work themselves. so maybe - one thing i've tried to do better is to give 'homework' of this or that - looking up a musical term, practicing and determining how the fingering works best, finding a way to make something easier, reading a composers biography or autobiography. especially for older students.
teaching students with the ideal that someday they might be teachers themselves is another bonus to add to the pot. you can encourage students to be disciplined and careful by the possibility that they may have some kind of responsibility in the future - or a possible career, too, in piano teaching - if they pay close attention and practice a lot. perhaps taking older students under 'your wing' (as you probably already do).
and, my teachers were always available and let me practice on their own studio pianos before a recital if my house was too noisy. right now, i don't have advanced students - but this seems to be incredibly helpful to some students with lots of bros/sisters - and no quiet time or space to practice. this might not have to do with teaching 'method' per se - but i think it's a sort of outward looking one to think of students as sort of an addition to ones family. and, perhaps even looking out for psychological things (ie good days and bad days) and not being too harsh - and in fact, maybe sometimes discussing what is causing tension or for things to seemingly go wrong. i always found my own piano lessons somewhat cathartic. i mean - even on a worst day of playing - you can laugh. music has healing properties.
Topic: How many times have you renovated your teaching methods ? (Read 2200 times)