Planning to start teaching piano, advice is welcome.

[xxmynameisjohnxx]

hey there everyone.  I'm planning to start giving lessons to children who go to my mom's school she runs and I wanted some advice.  Where do you start with teaching complete beginners?
Are there any books/book series you really like using with them?
Just advice in general would be great.  I've never really taught lessons to anyone....
Over the winter I'm going to teach my friend to read music for guitar and some basic theory so he can be ready to take a community college guitar class over the next semester.  Hopefully I can get a few piano students since that's what I'm actually trained at.
So, post some advice with how you like to teach beginners and what a good system of studies are.
Thanks in advanced!

[hyrst]

As a beginning teacher, you really need the support of a curriculum outlined by a good method series.  I use Piano Adventures by Faber and Faber.  But, study a few mehtod series and analyse the progression of concepts and their presentation.  Do you understand what is being presneted, in what order and why?  If you are unsure, try a few different methods and over time the good and bad points of each should become more evident.  (I know people will be anti-method, but I think they are essential for beginning teachers.)

I would also encourage you to lay good foundations in reading - a great diversity, yet an analytical and pattern based approach.  Parallel this with goods foundations in technique.  I separate instruction in technique and free, relaxed movement with teaching in reading.  You need to give enough information to make lessons worthwhile while not over-loading and confusing.  Stay tuned in to how trhe student is processing things rather than only look at the desired outcome.

Realise you will do some things well, but you will make some mistakes.  You are learning how to teach while your students are learning music.  Be kind to yourself and to them.  Be reflective and keep note of things you did well and analyse things you can change.  Develop strategies in general and for each student.  Be an active teacher. 

Try to appreciate any progress your students make.  Expect a lot from them, but be quick to forgive when your hopes are not met.

[xxmynameisjohnxx]

Thanks for the advice.  I might see if I'll have time tomorrow to go to my local music store and check out various method books.  I remember I grew up on John Thompson, but my teacher realized I learned best by ear and then never really forced me to learn to read music.  I was a terrible student when I was younger, I wanted to play cool impressive things but would never practice the easy or "stupid" pieces she might make me do.  I realize now how bad of a mistake on my part that was and am still bummed I didn't practice more when I was younger....I'd be far ahead of where I am now if I had. Oh well.

I've had some experience teaching before, but never with piano.  I taught karate to kids for probably 3 or 4 years, so I somewhat understand how to work with younger kids already but doing so with music will be hard for me. 
And I'll make sure my kids become good readers, a skill I'm only just now acquiring.  I could barely even read sheet music a little over a year ago.  I would struggle with elementary thinks like note names and I'd just feel the rhythm rather than read it.  Oye.
I hope that I can find a few kids to teach too soon so I can get started as soon as possible with learning how to do this.
thanks for the advice!

[musicrebel4u]

hey there everyone.  I'm planning to start giving lessons to children who go to my mom's school she runs and I wanted some advice.  Where do you start with teaching complete beginners?
Are there any books/book series you really like using with them?
Just advice in general would be great.  I've never really taught lessons to anyone....
Over the winter I'm going to teach my friend to read music for guitar and some basic theory so he can be ready to take a community college guitar class over the next semester.  Hopefully I can get a few piano students since that's what I'm actually trained at.
So, post some advice with how you like to teach beginners and what a good system of studies are.
Thanks in advanced!

Before you start, I would recommend you to read this:
https://www.emusicguides.com/info/Music-Education/Why-can-t-Jenny-play-the-piano--Part-1.html

[scottmcc]

Before you start, I would recommend you to read this:
https://www.emusicguides.com/info/Music-Education/Why-can-t-Jenny-play-the-piano--Part-1.html

you know, I clicked on that link without noticing who had posted it, and I read the little story for a while.  I kept thinking, "hmm, this is a little fishy, seeing as how Jenny's mom doesn't have a name of her own, and the family's favorite song doesn't have a name either."  and then I got to the same stupid picture that we've seen like 30 times now of a staff tipped on its side with apples next to it, and it all made sense.  jenny can't play the piano because she doesn't exist, just like the easter bunny and santa claus.  she's an apocryphal figment of musicrebel4u's imagination, and it's all a softmozart spamulatory trick.  good job, you almost tricked me.

kids, if you're reading this, ignore what I said about santa claus.  he's real.  it's softmozart that's fake.

[00range]

Have you ever checked out 'Super Sight-reading Secrets'? The approach to teaching to read the grand staff is quite good, and it has ideas for several good drills for beginners.

[musicrebel4u]

you know, I clicked on that link without noticing who had posted it, and I read the little story for a while.  I kept thinking, "hmm, this is a little fishy, seeing as how Jenny's mom doesn't have a name of her own, and the family's favorite song doesn't have a name either."  and then I got to the same stupid picture that we've seen like 30 times now of a staff tipped on its side with apples next to it, and it all made sense.  jenny can't play the piano because she doesn't exist, just like the easter bunny and santa claus.  she's an apocryphal figment of musicrebel4u's imagination, and it's all a softmozart spamulatory trick.  good job, you almost tricked me.

kids, if you're reading this, ignore what I said about santa claus.  he's real.  it's softmozart that's fake.

I wrote about my personal story. Any questions?

[scottmcc]

I wrote about my personal story. Any questions?

what was jenny's mom's name, what was the family's favorite piece, and why am I wasting my time?

[xxmynameisjohnxx]

Where can I read the super sight-reading secrets? I'd love to so I can learn to teach taught skill as I wish I had been taught.

[musicrebel4u]

what was jenny's mom's name, what was the family's favorite piece, and why am I wasting my time?

if i would tell you that jenny's mom name was anastasia petrovna kosmiranzhchevskaya and favorite piece was kalinka-malinka, you would feel better?

[musicrebel4u]

Where can I read the super sight-reading secrets? I'd love to so I can learn to teach taught skill as I wish I had been taught.

Here:

[scottmcc]

Where can I read the super sight-reading secrets? I'd love to so I can learn to teach taught skill as I wish I had been taught.

ignore the spammery from musicrebel.  this is the link to "Super Sight Reading Secrets."  I haven't read it so I can't vouch for it's usefulness.  but the 10 free tips seem like things that I already do, so that's good.

https://www.soundfeelings.com/free/music-reading.htm

[00range]

Where can I read the super sight-reading secrets? I'd love to so I can learn to teach taught skill as I wish I had been taught.

Howard Richmann's book is available through amazon, and I'm sure many other online retailers. It may be at your local music shop as well

this is the link to "Super Sight Reading Secrets."  I haven't read it so I can't vouch for it's usefulness.  but the 10 free tips seem like things that I already do, so that's good.

There you are... and yes, it's something I think that most good teachers have been doing for a long time, Howard just takes the time to sit down and write about it.

The most important part of the book is that he outlines a plan for teaching the grand staff, and the physical topography of the keyboard, without relying on methods like Every Good Boy Does Fine, and the like, which are extremely cumbersome.

In addition, there are several good drills for isolating the elements of sight-reading and working on them. They tend to follow two different objectives. The first are keyboard orientation drills where the student locates and plays keys by touch, and later scales, arpeggios, etc... The second have to do with reading, and then finding the notes by touch, rhythm drills, etc...

[xxmynameisjohnxx]

Thanks for the link.  the twelve tips are pretty much things I already do eve though I'm a somewhat mediocre sight reader.  But I'm really working on reading....a little over a year ago I couldn't even read music....at all.  My old teacher never made me.  But now I can sight read simple pieces with decent accuracy and have had to play some bach chorals in my music theory class and usually get it ride after the 3rd or 4th play through.  So I'm getting better.