My First Student!

[sunshine_keys]

So, I think I just got my first student and I'm kinda starting to doubt myself. I'm wondering if I will actually be able to teach someone. We'll be starting in the primer level of Bastien.. any tips?

[m1469]

any tips?

Think a lot, pray even more  .

[sunshine_keys]

Think a lot, pray even more  .

LOL very helpful! 

[pianoplayjl]

Pray your student listens to your instructions.

[m1469]

Pray your student listens to your instructions.

Pray to be in-line with the right matches; a fitting of supply and demand in a mutually progressive way.

[mcdiddy1]

Begin developing a relationship to understand who the student is and where they are coming from. Be friendly, patient, listen deeply, and be sure the give credit for the positive and suggestions for improvement. Reflect on the experience and thing about ways to improve teaching and form a plan to continue teaching the student. If you know how to play, teaching piano is not rocket science. As long as you keep an open mind and constantly learn new tricks you will improve and be more comfortable with teaching.

[sunshine_keys]

Thanks everyone!!

She's my cousin so I'm looking forward to getting to know her better!

[sunshine_keys]

Just wanted to let y'all know that I've had 2 lessons with my student and so far it's going great! My teacher hasn't ever really tired to teach me anything about the great and famous pianist such as Bach and all the other ones. So I found these word search puzzles that I can print up that she can do, and then I printed up part of their biography. The words she has to find are significant things from his biography. I'm really excited about teaching!!! I really like it so far.

[ajspiano]

Critique yourself constantly..  try to "teach yourself" what you are teaching her in advance and get inside her head a bit, how does she best understand concepts? what does she enjoy doing?

don't over correct..  as in, encourage a specific technical behaviour, and if it doesnt happen don't sit there banging your head against the wall trying to achieve it..  just say "great work" then try and explain a little piece of it again with the next musical challenge...  this way you let her develop over time and she always feels like shes making progress.

Read some books about piano, and piano teaching.. if possible observe other teachers..  learn how to spot problems that you may not be aware of because you personally didnt have that problem.

Think of different ways to illustrate and teach the same concept so that if she doesn't understand one way you're not stuck.

When planning you're lessons, be aware of her progress within a lesson and realise that you may

[sunshine_keys]

it's hard to know what shes into right now because we just started. haha But I want definitely listen to her and what she likes and enjoys. It's so much easier to practice when you enjoy the pieces.

I've learned things from my teacher...what to do and what not to do. lol I'm really big on complimenting her when she's finished with her piece.

[perfect_pitch]

Think a lot, pray even more  .

What good will praying do??? How about you give them some ACTUAL advice.

Just think about how to explain the terms, signs etc in the absolute simplest way.

[m1469]

HHHHHHEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeEEEEELLLLLOOOOO!

What good will praying do???

Who knows?  The sky is the limit!

[perfect_pitch]

Who knows?  The sky is the limit!

Yep - the skies the limit... which has NOTHING to do with Praying. Get over yourself.

[m1469]

Get over yourself.

*backs way up ...*

*takes a running start ..*

*gains momentum ...*

*hops*

*skips*

*jumps ....*


SMACK

I hit straight into myself  


*lays there unconsciously ... (don't worry, I'm just mental practicing)*

[sunshine_keys]

praying helps all things.

[keypeg]

... which has NOTHING to do with Praying. Get over yourself.

Quite an oxymoron, since praying has to do with getting over yourself, and passing things over to a higher power.  Not how you meant it, I imagine?   

[gn622]

What good will praying do??? How about you give them some ACTUAL advice.

Just think about how to explain the terms, signs etc in the absolute simplest way.

Was that really necessarily? I'm new to this site and  frankly the only thing bothering me is the overwhelming pretentiousness going on around here.

[keypeg]

Was that really necessarily? I'm new to this site and  frankly the only thing bothering me is the overwhelming pretentiousness going on around here.

actually I think that this part is the opposite of pretentiousness
Just think about how to explain the terms, signs etc in the absolute simplest way.
because in fact what struck me in this thread was the singular absence of concrete useful advice.  Here is somebody asking about teaching a first student, and the advice is to "pray" that the student will listen?  Often when instructions work a student will listen, because when things work then you are motivated to follow it.  When it is clear and you have a sense that you are going somewhere you'll also want to listen.  The poster has a point, and stating that a student should be taught real things in a simple way is not pretentious.

[sunshine_keys]

deleted

[sunshine_keys]

deleted

[gn622]

Its just that i feel offended when someone tries to force his belief to others. He couldve  offered the "ACTUAL" advice without offending anyone.

[perfect_pitch]

Its just that i feel offended when someone tries to force his belief to others. He couldve  offered the "ACTUAL" advice without offending anyone.

No - what would have been worse is some idiot telling you to pray for things... which doesn't help you as a teacher in any way or form. And considering 3 people seemed to offer the answer of 'prayer' before someone actually came along and gave them some real advice (mcdiddy1), I'd say it was justified.

 I have a student with Cerebal Palsy... If I were to pray and pray like crazy that suddenly she get's better, or prayed that she could even play Mary had a little lamb without spending 5 minutes at the piano keyboard (literally)... it won't do a thing because she won't get better because I prayed.

 

Quite an oxymoron, since praying has to do with getting over yourself, and passing things over to a higher power.  Not how you meant it, I imagine?   

Oxymoron? ERM... NO! I knew exactly what I meant when I said it since praying means talking like a crazy person to an invisible, non-existent being. Nice try though   

But I thank you for backing my point up though about:

actually I think that this part is the opposite of pretentiousness
Just think about how to explain the terms, signs etc in the absolute simplest way.
The poster has a point, and stating that a student should be taught real things in a simple way is not pretentious.

I may be a cynical arsehole, but I'm not ungrateful and prone to forgetting to give credit where it's due.

faith...it's called faith

That was quite possibly the stupidest answer I've heard in this entire forum. It's called being a good teacher...

Anyway, I'm glad we had fun. Sunshine_keys - I hope you at least took my advice and tried to think of very clear, simple ways of discussing tempo, rhythm etc. Considering I've taught almost 100 students using the Bastien books (from the very beginning) just simply think about getting to the barebones of what they need to know in accordance with their age and level of understanding.

I teach my students that Tempo is like walking. Every step we take while walking in a straight line is generally constant - it doesn't get faster or slower (generally). If we clap every time we take a step - this is a crotchet since a crotchet is 1 beat (1 step). If we clap every two steps we call that a minim since it's 2 beats (2 steps long).

[ralys]

No - what would have been worse is some idiot telling you to pray for things... which doesn't help you as a teacher in any way or form. And considering 3 people seemed to offer the answer of 'prayer' before someone actually came along and gave them some real advice (mcdiddy1), I'd say it was justified.

'Some idiot'? Wow, ad hominem already. I can't wait to get farther into this post.

Telling someone to pray for it has a twofold purpose (both of which you seem to have disregarded):

1.) If you're a Christian, it has an obvious effect.
2.) Outside of actual metaphysical intervention, it has the same calming effect as any other kind of meditation.

I have a student with Cerebal Palsy... If I were to pray and pray like crazy that suddenly she get's better, or prayed that she could even play Mary had a little lamb without spending 5 minutes at the piano keyboard (literally)... it won't do a thing because she won't get better because I prayed.

Kind of reminds me of Yahoo articles; they think that if they say something, it's true. FYI, you have to provide supporting evidence during a debate for your argument to be considered valid.

 

Oxymoron? ERM... NO! I knew exactly what I meant when I said it since praying means talking like a crazy person to an invisible, non-existent being. Nice try though   

Again, you say something completed unsupported by anything and expect it to hold water. Nice try though