Thinking about starting to teach

[psipsi8]

Hi all,
I recently (about a year ago) started playing the piano again after a very very long time of not playing, for various reasons, which I obviously regret. Anyway, I've built up my chops to a pretty good extent and I'm pretty much back to my old level. When I was young, I took lessons for 14 years and attained a performance diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada (ARCT), as well as some advanced music theory courses in university, as I was so obsessed. But then I took a different path and music was sadly not a part of it.
I am living somewhere else now and I would like to earn extra income doing teaching. It's been so long since I took lessons that I fear I don't remember how to teach techniques. So I think it's a bad idea. Aside from the lack of pedagogical training of any sort.
When I was around 17 years old I did teach piano to a couple of neighbourhood kids but that's it. Also I was much closer to my childhood age where I was learning to play so I could remember what my teacher had taught me, but now I don't remember anything.
Should I even go about it alone or should I think about possibly contacting a local music school (as they might be able to provide guidance)? Here where I live, parents take their kids' education seriously in the sense they they are big on gimmicks like utilizing novel teaching methods like games and other things which to me seem like nonsense. But I guess I'm old.
My first teacher gifted me a book of Bach chorales. I don't recall what message he conveyed to me from this, but there were no fun and games with him, but I learned a lot, and I learned to love Bach.

[keypeg]

Reading your post, what I see the most is information on how well you probably play.  You seem to be well taught, and put years into being where you now are.  What I don't see are any thoughts about teaching.  Do you have an idea of what kinds of skills and knowledge you want to give to students, how you'd build these things; ages or levels?  The most challenging is beginner since you're building everything that they will later rely on.  That might be the next step. (?)

[psipsi8]

Reading your post, what I see the most is information on how well you probably play.  You seem to be well taught, and put years into being where you now are.  What I don't see are any thoughts about teaching.  Do you have an idea of what kinds of skills and knowledge you want to give to students, how you'd build these things; ages or levels?  The most challenging is beginner since you're building everything that they will later rely on.  That might be the next step. (?)

Thank you! Very well put. I don't have any opinions or insight as to how to teach or what my philosophy is. To me, it comes automatically, however competent I may or may not be, in actual playing.  I probably should try to teach intermediate students rather than beginners, as I don't want to responsible for them getting a wrong start. And I probably have to try to connect with a music school in order to benefit from the guidance of experienced teachers.

[lelle]

I love that you acknowledge the responsibility you have to know what you are doing when you teach, especially beginners. I wish more teachers did that so you are already ahead in that regard.

One option would be to seek out a renowned teacher in your area and have some lessons again, with the stated goal of freshening up your perspective on teaching. It's always good to have mentors. Certain professions basically require you or strongly recommend to have a mentor (another proffessional with more experience) who you continually check in with - therapists for example. I think it's a good idea for teachers as well.

[psipsi8]

Yeah, I think a lot about my first piano teacher. He was great. Totally unlike me. He was actually a church organist, which is why my subsequent teacher said I had really bad touch and had to retrain me. But he made up for it in other ways. Like incredible teaching of harmony, by analyzing Bach chorales.
It would be nice to find a teacher for me, but I am in a different country and a small city, so...I don't even want to try. Not that I'm that great. But neither are they I believe. Wouldn't live up to my last teacher, who I feel bad about, since we parted ways on bad terms (differences of opinion) and I feel bad about it. Sadly, none of my former teachers are any longer alive. Plus, I have financial problems. But it's something to think about if my situation changes!

[quantum]

I think finding a mentor or a community of music teachers will be beneficial to you.  Find some local masterclasses or teaching conferences and sit in on lessons.  It is good to distinguish that the act of making music oneself, and the act of teaching others to make music can require very different skillets. 

It is commendable that you recognize the great responsibility a teacher has when taking on students. 

You have told us about some of your music interests.  To turn this around, what would you do as a teacher if a student approached you with their own interests?  How would you approach teaching that student?

A bit of a teacher etude: take any given lesson (a concept, a technique, a piece of music, etc.) and develop at least 5 different ways to teach that same thing.  Why you may ask?  There is a great diversity of people on this earth, and as a teacher you need to be able to engage all of them into the lesson content.  Engaging lessons involve connecting with a student.  Some students may respond well with approach A, but be completely disinterested in approach B, and so forth.  This exercise also trains a teacher to teach concepts which enable students to form their own musical voice, rather than presenting a teacher's personal interpretation of what music "should" be in their minds eye. 

[quantum]

He was actually a church organist, which is why my subsequent teacher said I had really bad touch and had to retrain me. But he made up for it in other ways. Like incredible teaching of harmony, by analyzing Bach chorales.

As someone that plays both piano and organ, this is something that has perplexed me.  I have seen many examples of organists, even internationally recognized concert organists with terrible posture, playing mechanisms, and inefficient technique in their hands.  It underlies the importance of a solid understanding of the foundations of piano technique as a prerequisite to learning to play the organ.