First time teaching...

[nanabush]

The owner of the academy where I take lessons has asked me if I wanted to teach, and I said that I honestly wasn't sure.  I am probably one of the higher students, there's only a couple people doing performer's arct right now.  The problem is, I have never taught in my life...I don't know where to start in terms of a first lesson with a student, what to start with...could someone who was in this situation possibly offer some help or advice on how to make a good lesson plan if I decide to go through with teaching?  Thanks alot.

[abell88]

You might want to do a search on Bernhard’s method of daily lessons...although your students will probably come weekly, you can still glean a lot. In the meantime, here are some other thoughts for key points for the first lesson:

1. Keyboard geography - black and white keys; patterns of the black keys. Find D between the two black keys - find all D’s on keyboard. Learn C and E – find all over keyboard. Progress to F - B if student is ready.
2. Hands - left-right. Young children often have trouble remembering - you can put a Red elastic on their right hand, or draw R and L on their hands. Finger numbers - now “find a D and play it with finger 2" etc.
3. High/low sounds - listen and identify. Discover the high and low ends of the keyboard. “Play C-D-E up high” etc.
4. Notation - a. rhythm - quarter notes and half notes are probably plenty at the first lesson. Have student keep a steady beat, saying “ta” for quarters and “ta-ah” or “half note” for half notes.
5. Notation - b. staff or pre-staff – the idea that notes that are higher on the page are played higher on the keyboard. Patterns - stepping up, skipping up, etc. “Play this pattern starting on D”

There are lots of beginner books – spend some time at a music store looking at them. See if their philosophy makes sense to you. Avoid books that give too much fingering. There’s an excellent (although expensive) book, The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher, by Uszler, Gordon and Smith that will help you think through your philosophy of pedagogy.  And, keep looking around the forum!

Good luck!

[bernhard]

Have a look here:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,2260.0.html

(especially replies #33 onwards).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[nanabush]

Thanks alot guys for the help.