Lesson assignments posted?

[Bob]

I was thinking it might be interesting to see what your giving to students each week. 

It's interesting to look back through my own lesson notes from previous years.

I'm curious what other student assignment books might look like.  But if a student or teacher wanted to post, I wouldn't mind reading.

[keyofc]

Bob,
Do you mean the pieces that we assign?
Or do you mean the practice notes?

[Bob]

The weekly practicing assignments students get.

[pianistimo]

i used to divide mine up into a chart at the top that asked for minutes.  but then, i didn't know how much time was spent on each subject - so finally broke it down and requested that they write in how much time was spend on scales, exercises, repertoire, theory, etc.  per day. 

not sure if this helps the teacher - but it reminds the student if they have to turn it in the next week not to look foolish and have nothing filled in.  after a while - they just used general guidelines and wrote the total amount practiced in a guesstimate.

what i always strived for was to get a student into a basic routine.  once that is established - it doesn't matter (well it does) what the lesson is about - because you simply write in whatever scale it is or exercise -or repertoire and the associated notes to that particular piece.

i do not think it is helpful to over criticize younger students.  tehy just need to start playing a large amount of music and feeling successful.  the older the student - the more crit.  and the more crit - the more you expect they will bring back to you the next lesson.

what i think is the biggest challenge of a teacher is to bring many things to the same level after each year passes.  you have musical vocabulary.  you don't want students always asking you for the definitions of things.  i would say that testing them at the beginning of the next lesson on words that you have assigned to look up meanings (even if it is match the meaning to the word test) - means that they have assimilated this knowledge and can use it again at a later date.

also, tapping rhythms.  that could be an assignment.  some basic rhythms (perhaps several measures of a piece they are working).  you ask them to practice them at various speeds with the metronome.  kids sometimes hate the metronome because they are not used to practicing with it.

also memorizing what exactly 'allegro' tempo means.  as it was explained to me - each of the tempos has a corresponding 'walk beat' to it.  durge = largo   processional = adagio  moderate walk = andante  piu allegro, allegretto = jog   allegro = run  presto = very fast
if you are always sort of 'testing' them to see what they thing a tempo means (and later showing them by a stop watch to compare how many beats within a minute) - they could literally invent their own metronome of the mind (and actually have it be quite accurate).  show them the recommended speeds on the metronome base or whatever - and see if they can internalize it after a while. 

or what 'piano' dynamic means to them.  you can ask them to play all of the various dynamics at the levels that they think are appropriate.  then explain that sometimes even these dynamics vary within composers as to how forceful they are played.  the biggest mistake, imo, for mozart is to assume that a 'sf' within a 'piano' dynamic means to suddenly shake people out of their seats. 

there are many things to be picky about - but never give more than a student can take in for each day.  consider that even though they will practice at least 1/2 hour per day (which is the basic requirement) - that 15-20 minutes worth of instructions is probably plenty.  they tend to do more for you this way.  if you give an hour's worth of instructions for 1/2 hour of playing - they'll probably get depressed and quit. 

[Bob]

In case I wasn't clear...

I was talking about assignment notebooks.  Just a list of the pieces they are working on.

Like....

Week of ______

Piece A, pg. 5

Piece B, pg. 6

C Major scale




I was thinking scanning page would work.  But the effort is the thing.  Who would want to type all that, or go to the trouble of scanning in pages?  It would be interesting though.

[pianistimo]

i leave them blank and handwrite the exercises, scales, and assignments in each week.  there are books you can buy - but why waste money.  you can just make your own (and add the time involved in each thing, too).  i used to have some sort of incentives for time alone.  now, i believe - it is quality of practice.  if they have mastered whatever it is you asked for - no matter how much or little time it took.  usually for beginners - it takes some amount of time.

[keyofc]

I sometimes write Play A piece  2 times.

But not usually - Usually I give them specific practice directions on the things that are giving them trouble.

I will refer to specific measures depending on the student.

If someone tells me just to play something a certain amount of times
I feel it's unhelpful without more info.

[amanfang]

I write down whichever pieces I want them to work on in an assignment folder.  The number of pieces as well as how much they need to get done varies with the level and learning ability of the student.  With some, I am more specific than others.  Most of the time I write in sectional symbols into the score, give verbal detailed instructions, and then write an abbreviated form into their folder.  At the end of the lesson, I have them say back the assignment to me. 
For elementary students, I have them working out of their method books, maybe 1 or two pieces, plus a special solo piece, and after they're in level 2 or so, I start adding a scale each week, either 1 octave HT or 2 octaves HS, and then short sight-reading exercises.
Intermediate students have maybe a piece at their level, a piece easier than their level, a "pusher" piece a little harder than their level, scales (or whatever other technique I assign) and sight-reading exercises. 
That's a GENERAL plan, and it changes from week to week of course. 
Advanced students I am less rigid with what they are playing.  I have them do solo pieces, some technique, ensemble pieces, and then things like harmonization, playing by ear, some improvisation in a limited setting (usually hymnplaying).  But it is not as structured as my less-advanced students.

[pizno]

I get it:

1) Rhythm drills page 12 1-4 (1x each)
2) sightreading drills page 20 1-3
3) Scales D, G
4) Finger drills:  Page 13 1 and 2, (2 x each)

Pieces:
Blahblahblah piece
1) Work on rhythm in measure 10 and 13
2) More dynamics!
3) Tail off phrase endings

[Bob]

I was thinking the weekly assignment lists - over the course of something like a year or two though. 

Probably way too much work to post though.

[keyofc]

Bob,
that would be hard to do - I don't keep a copy of all the practice notes I give out, although I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea.
What I did try starting, but didn't finish was
Put practice notes on each page of Faber 1 book - and copy the notes on the accompanying page and file it away to save me work next time I go through the same material.

Sometimes I will have them working on all different pieces - some in the book and some not.

It would be a lot of work to do what you're asking- but it would be interesting to see what everyone assigns.  You sound like you are pretty organized, and might not be hard for you to do.

I have one working on Music of the Angels by Burgmuller
She is also in her 3rd Alfred book, so I have something in there
and she also is working by ear on  a country song she likes from a CD

I have another one working on Yankee Doodle
Take me out to the Ball Game/
and writing down rhtymns in his book to 2 peices in his book to help give him
ideas for more interesting rhytms in composing.



to give you an idea of what I do..

[Bob]

How does everyone keep track of their students?

I've tried making copies, writting out two assisgnment sheets -- I keep one, they get one, using carbon paper to make two copies at once, typing them up on the computer, etc.

It nice to have for planning.  And then there will be a kid who "forgets" their assignment sheet...

[pianistimo]

computer copy?  as lessons progress - i think you just get to know the students well enough (and what day they are coming) that you start planning it all in your head.  then, you just get enough momentum to keep it all rolling.

[chocolatedog]

All my pupils have notebooks which I write down what they have to do - half the time they don't read them anyway, despite my hints, and then they forget to bring them to the lesson -   but I also write down in  my own lesson plans what I have and haven't covered plus what I've set for the following week, plus comments on progress (or lack of!!  ), or where I think I didn't tackle something in the most effective way, or further ideas for how I can develop/reinforce a new technique/concept or whatever.....

[Bob]

Yes, I tried typing it up on the computer.  Print out a copy for the student.  Short-lived idea.

I also borrowed their assignment books and copied the whole thing for later.


And then yeah, I think some of the time I'm just writting in their notebook so I'm covered and they should know for sure what was assigned.  Those are the students who can't handle writing down their own assignements.  If they could, then they could write their own copy, while I write my own copy for reference later.

[keyofc]

Keeping track of students is important - especially when you have a lot - it becomes more challenging.
At one point - I was going to have a program made to help me make sure I covered everything I thought was important in a 6 week span with each student.

But this was different from their repertoire - concepts in theory, jazz, playing duets, etc.

Bob, mainly what I do now - is write notes when I'm teaching.  I do write in their book - but also write in my own (not the identical instructiions I gave to them, but something helpful for later)
That's what I generally do - but with more serious students - I write their instructions out on a computer so I'll have them for later - and it's easier for them to read.
I will just concentrate on specific measures they are working on.   

However, I have a bad habit of hand-writing some of them out - and so they are scattered.

I do find my teaching is much more effective when I do this.  However, when you have students that hardly practice - well, this is not worthy of my additioal time on the computer since I am not sure they will even read it...