Should I keep teaching?

[pianorama]

Hello!

Let me explain my situation briefly. First off, I'm a high school graduate that has spent the last year teaching piano with 1.5 students.

No, I don't slowly cannibalize my piano students; One was a young student whose mother decided to take her out of lessons.

In January, I stopped taking my own piano lessons because the ARCT path wasn't working out for me, I suppose. I kept teaching piano to one student after that though because we got along well, the student, the family and I, and there was no reason to stop.

I enjoy teaching, but I am painfully aware sometimes that I have no professional training in teaching. My student though, seems to enjoy what I see sometimes as plodding through relatively easy popular songs. The mother has complimented me for being a good teacher more than once before, but sometimes I feel stale, aimless, and like I don't know how to help my student the best that I could or should.

This said, I'm also looking for full-time employment with a grocery store or coffee chain now that I've fallen myself a bit off the formal musical student path.

My first thought is that I've done enough damage for one young boy (a year of well-meaning but perhaps inefficient teaching) and that I should gently push him into the hands of a wiser, older, more experienced music teacher for September and onward. However, I will definitely be in my area for at least several months and possibly until the end of the year and I'm thinking, especially since they at least seem to appreciate me, that perhaps I should look into teaching him until the New Year (or however long I stay in my area). If I do though, do I have any options I can do to learn to teach better?

So what are your ideas, is there something valuable I can do to improve our learning experiences together? Or does it sound like I'm stopping while I'm ahead?

In case you're wondering why I'm mentioning leaving later in the year, this is because I plan on saving money throughout the year then travelling when I feel I can afford it.

[m1469]

Experience and formal training can very nicely compliment a true desire to teach, but I think the desire to teach/for learning to take place is ultimately the more important of the two.  Observe teachers whose work you admire, read, try things, work with/around people in various ways (customer service positions will even help), gain more experience and see how that feels.  But, if you're on the fence about it, basing your decision on a lifetime career of 1.5 students isn't really going to give you the reality, unless you just know for certain that you can't stand it at all (sometimes a small dose of something can be plenty to tell us what we need).  If you can't stand it at all, then by all means get out now.

[pianorama]

Hmm, thanks.

Well, I can rule out the "get out if you hate it." 'Cos I don't hate it It's nice sometimes.

But I feel rather ambivalent about it. I COULD definitely get excited with the prospect of taking on additional students (gain a wider teaching perspective, learn from different students, not as much space in between teaching days) but it's not really the smartest idea to take on students that you have a good chance of keeping for only half a year or so.

Hmm, I guess I just feel a little bit mixed. Like I want to teach this student and at the same time take on more students, but don't feel confident with my teaching skills. Plus the issue of availability.

Musing aside, any other suggestions on how to keep teaching fresh? And, m1469, what did you mean by observe teachers? Like music teachers? I can't think of how I would be able to do that.

I honestly wouldn't know how to help him improve something like his scales effectively, and that bugs me! I've focussed on helping him improve his sight reading skills over the last 2 months or so with a weekly sight reading book, but I'm not sure how much better he got or not! I think there was some improvement. Perhaps I'm critical.

Sorry for my whiny fence-sitting, I'm tired... haha.

[m1469]

I personally don't think you should feel badly about taking on students that you might have to give to somebody else in half a year.  For one, maybe you would end up keeping them longer if your plans change, for two, if you have a friend/colleague who would like the students, you have done a very nice thing by gathering them and starting them for somebody else who deserves them.  But if you are talking about wondering whether or not you should put in the effort towards more seriously starting a studio when you might be leaving, that is something else.  I don't think it would ultimately hurt you, as you would learn from it and use that in several ways in the future, even if you don't see in which ways right now.  

Yes, I am talking about observing other music teachers, specifically piano teachers, but observing any teacher, with any subject at all, doesn't hurt, either.  If you can't observe private lessons, perhaps you could observe classes at a local University/College?  Observe High School Classes, observe middle school and elementary school classes.  Those wouldn't be the same as one-on-one lessons, but getting ideas on how teachers deal with various situations and subjects, how kids/people react, what are common occurrences, it's all very helpful experience for you.  But there is probably a local piano teachers organization, as well, where you might be able to meet other teachers and observe what they do.  

Helping with specific skills can seem tricky, especially at first because it causes you to redefine things you've already been doing.  That can be beneficial to you, actually, to have to try to think of what you are doing in a bunch of different ways so as to explain something to numerous different people.  It can really help you narrow down and focus on what the crux of a challenge might be and how to solve it.  You might find that in helping somebody else, you see something in a whole new way that you wouldn't have thought of before.

[kitty on the keys]

You are young and asking many questions...which is great. Try not to give up on your own piano goals.....we all need them. Observe the best teachers in your area.....and ask questions. Take some pedagogy classes.....join local teachers groups. Become involved. it is a great profession....and at time some pits falls.....but all jobs do. Think about what you can offer to students and teachers. Best of luck!

Kitty on the Keys

[melba]

Definately move to another profession - grocery work sounds wonderful for you.

[asuhayda]

The desire to be good at something is a rare and important thing.  Most people don't say to themselves "I WANT to be good at this".. most people are too self centered and truly believe that they already are.  So,  the fact that you are able to say this to yourself is a good sign.

Another truism that hopefully will encourage you a little is that the most excellent of pianists (or any practitioner for that matter) are very seldom the best teachers as well.  So, being a master virtuoso does not guarantee that you will be a great teacher.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with teaching if you don't have a lot of professional training.  You just have to be smart about the level of students you teach and make sure that you understand what it is that is important to teach your students.

And keep studying! Even if it's on your own.. learn as much as you can.  Dig deep. It will pay off.

[hfmadopter]

I've done some teaching along the way and am doing so again right now. I'm not a professional teacher, no formal training but I do remember my favorite teachers habits and kind of model my route through a new students path after how they taught me ( especially my main piano teachers habits). And that was a long time ago. Also, I spin a few things off on my own as well. The goal is that the student understands the material given to them, starting with some basic theory and that they progress. Each student absorbs a little differently so you have to recognize that and do something about making sure they see the path as you move along. I look at teaching as problem solving, not so much following a strict program.

We all have short comings no matter what job we do, you have to work to overcome them and not let your student know you have them openly but that you too did work hard to get where you are. Students look up to their teachers if the teachers are good and the student progresses.

I think the single most feature to overcome in scales is that the hands and arms are formed correctly. Don't let fingers fly all over the place, wrists twist and elbows swing out from the sides as they work their way up a given scale. Sometimes it takes mastering just one feature within the scale to make the difference, so I have them work specifically on that feature and then go back to the entire scale. Common is getting the thumb to tuck under in the right hand so there is a smooth transition. I give excercises for the fourth and fifth fingers also, that they can do away from the keyboard. This is for strength which will ultimately lead to agility.. Now understand that I'm not the best scale player in the world myself but I can get them out of a bad habit and that's what matters to me and to them in the end ! They may go on to be better at scales than I am and I hope they do.
 
If you like teaching then maybe you should do it a bit longer and work on some teaching technique. I like the challenge and seeing the progression, though it does make me talk more than I'm used to at times.

[Bob]

If you think you might teach more in the future, teach more students now.  Two students isn't anything to use for basing decisions on. 

If you feel stale, get more teaching materials, ideas, etc.  Or go to college for music if you can.

If you want to teach, teach.  Students will probably just about always be there if you want to teach someone.  Some type of student.

[keypeg]

Definately move to another profession - grocery work sounds wonderful for you.

Who is this character? !!!

[keypeg]

Anyone who has this much concern about students and doing well for them, and not doing harm, has the potential for becoming a good teacher.  It is probably the first attitude to have.  How many start teaching because they want to make extra money, or they think they can't make a living performing so they might as well teach.  Some of the people I've met who are the best at their profession are also those who keep worrying that they're not doing well enough - that seems to be what drives their excellence because they keep getting better and better, keep staying vigilant.  Not that you should be a worry wart because that is unhealthy.

[hsalix]

I say you should continue, if you want to, that is.  I think you can't really judge your abilities after teaching only 1 kid.  Plus if the mother thinks you're good, that means you're doing something right:)

I don't think your lack of professional training should be a huge issue (assuming you are an advanced student).  Everyone I have spoken to has told me that they learned how to teach beginners as they went along---including my own teacher, who has a master's degree and strongly encouraged me to start teaching.  I even went to a seminar on teaching young kids and to be honest, I didn't learn anything life-changing there.  If it would make you feel more comfortable though, I would encourage you to seek advice from other piano teachers.

I say give it another shot, and definitely find more students (stay away from kids under age 6 though, as I'm sure you know they are hard to teach and it can become very discouraging).  You will gain experience by teaching many kids, and that in itself should boost your confidence level.

Good luck!