10 Sometimes, simple is best. We try
so hard to teach our students EVERYTHING, that I think we get too
complex. If we keep it simple, students may be better able to grasp
each idea. Then, maybe, after the simple, main ideas are presented,
we can get more complex.
9 Encourage or provide connection. Not
every student will be able to relate to every subject. But if I can
make it relevant to each student, then they will be able to take more
away from it. This means that when I'm teaching scales, I will
likely have to tell each student exactly what scales are good for and
why we play them. They're not terribly exciting by themselves. But
if I can help my students to see how they will help their playing,
then the results can be terribly exciting.
8 When considering my teaching, I have
to remember that every student is an individual, and has individual
needs. The same things are not compelling for every student, so it's
important to get a variety in there. This is good for me, as I
primarily teach private lessons. However, it also makes it even more
important for me to get to know each student. I currently have
between 20-30 students, and while that may not seem like many to
those who teach over 100 students every day in middle or high school,
I am working individually with each student. I also only see them
once a week. So I have about a half hour window each week to get to
know each student. Students that I have had for a few months to a
few years, we have a rapport and this comes easily. But new
students, that don't know me, don't want to open up to me yet, this
is more difficult for. I have to constantly remember that they are
their own individual, and will need their lessons designed to make
them compelling for them.
7 Just like in photography, composition
of a lesson can have a big impact on whether or not it is compelling.
As teachers, there's no way we can teach our students everything.
We only have so much time. So we need to pick and choose what makes
it into the lesson plan, and frequently I don't have enough time to
teach the lesson plan, so from there I have to pick the most
important things. Just like in photography, the addition or
subtraction of one element can make a huge difference.
6 Everyone's interpretation is
different, and right for them. I may think that Dvorak's Humoresque
has a funny, lighthearted section, a bittersweet section, an angry
section, but that's not the only way to interpret that piece. My
students may think something completely different. And that's okay.
Because with music, it's not about right or wrong, it's about taking
something beautiful and making it your own.
5 Focus is important. There is an
epidemic in the United States right now, of being so concerned that
students learn everything for their standardized tests, that teachers
tend to give students a lot of subject matter to learn, but barely
skim the surface. I don't know anyone who thinks this is compelling.
In my teaching, I need to be sure I take a deep breath, pick just a
few topics, then focus on them. Allow my students to explore them
in-depth. They will not only learn more about them, they will be
able to extrapolate from them, and I can ensure that these focus
areas are more compelling.
4 Surfaces matter. How I present a
lesson will directly influence how my students perceive it. If I
tell them, “Okay guys, pay attention. We're going to start
learning about fractions. Fractions are really hard, so we'll have
to work hard to master them,” then I'm creating a self-fulfilling
prophecy. They'll expect them to be hard, so immediately they're
going to struggle with them and likely hate them. Whereas I can
introduce it, “okay, we get to explore some really cool, fun
numbers, called fractions. We'll start with snack, which is apples
today. Everyone gets half an apple,” they'll start out thinking
that this might be something easy they can master. I could also
introduce it, “okay everyone, settle down. The next thing we're
learning is really boring. We're going to learn fractions,”
immediately they turn their brains off and disengage. Presentation
really does matter. So I need to stay invested and excited for
lessons, so my students will be.
3 What is beneath the surface matters.
We frequently get so caught up in our daily to do lists, everything
we must do, that we only skim the surface. But there are ideas and
experiences that are within layers, that we have to dig deeper to
find. I'm thinking of music, the way you will have a melody over the
top, and that's all a lot of people hear. But if you listen, there
is activity beneath the surface. Chord changes, unique rhythms,
sustained notes, etc. So much is going on, and sometimes it's not
the melody, the surface, that is the most exciting or meaningful.
Take a moment each day to look beneath the surface.
2 It is the raw, unedited, undiluted
experiences that are more compelling. In order to keep my lessons
compelling, I need to stay fresh. I continuously am changing my
focus, staying fresh. If I linger too long on one topic (like I
taught ONLY Suzuki for the first 2-3 years), things get over-edited,
sterilized, and they are no longer compelling. When I change my
focus, to a different method book, a different style, then my lessons
are fresher, more real, and more compelling.
1 Allow choice and ownership. I
discovered, in exploring the way I have fashioned my home, that I
find my own creations to be compelling to me. So if I am able to
encourage my students to fashion their own creations, and give them
some choice in how they go about it, they will be more invested in
the learning process and find it more compelling.
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