From the moment we set our snowboards down on the powder, it was obvious that our instructor had a clearly laid out plan for teaching us. He gave descriptive explanations and walked us through each step, familiarizing us with the board and what we should expect from the class. This was an incredible confidence-booster and […]
Teaching
Check Out This Loud and Fun Group Class Game
This Musical Shout It Out game on the Music Teacher Talk blog looks super fun! And very loud. Which means my students would probably love it! 🙂 I am always look for new game and activity ideas to include in my regular group classes and this one definitely fits the bill. I’m excited to try […]
Monday Mailbag – The Purpose of a Sight-Reading Book
What is the benefit of using a sight reading curriculum? Isn’t every new song in the student’s book an opportunity to sight read? My emphasis on and philosophy of sight-reading tends to shift the more that I work with students. I agree that the number one way to build fluent sight-reading skills is to play […]
25 Things to Do at a Piano Lesson When a Student Forgets Their Books
Jenny Bay, over at The Teaching Studio blog, has posted a fabulous collection of 25 ideas that teachers can use if a student forgets his books. Not that that ever happens in my studio, of course. 🙂 As long as we’re speaking hypothetically, this is also a great list to refer to if a student […]
Teaching Tips from Snowboard School – Part Two: Give Students a Vision of Success
When I first fastened my boots onto the snowboard, the prospect of whizzing down the slopes like the other snowboarders I had observed for years propelled me forward. From my experience years ago, though, I learned that the gap between where I want to be and where I actually am can quickly seem insurmountable (i.e. […]
A Fabulous Way to Introduce Students to Classical Themes
I’ve been playing catch-up on blog posts for the last couple of weeks and ran across this wonderful post by Heidi that’s a Classical Themes Lab Assignment for her students. In her assignment she creates a list of all the pieces in the In Recital, with Classical Themes by Helen Marlais and pairs it with […]
