Monday 22 August 2016
The World's Largest Instrument(s)!
If you are ever in West Virginia, this is definitely a place worth checking out! The sound is AMAZING and the caverns are beyond words!
Friday 19 August 2016
Wednesday 17 August 2016
Laminating
An investment in a laminator happened! The studio has been a happening place lately - all kinds of fun new games and activities!
Here are a few favourites so far:
A HUGE thank-you from a great support group for ideas and printables!
**http://colourfulkeys.ie/musical-meander/
Here are a few favourites so far:
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| Note Value Practice |
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| Theory Practice |
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| Keyboard Printable! |
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| Musical Meander!* |
A HUGE thank-you from a great support group for ideas and printables!
**http://colourfulkeys.ie/musical-meander/
Saturday 13 August 2016
Wednesday 10 August 2016
Meeting the Parents
It is important to build an open relationship with the parents of students.
As a teacher, the parents are giving you a unique (and very special) opportunity to train and teach their child! If at all possible, meeting for coffee to meet the student and parent before the first lesson makes a large difference. During the meeting it is important to encourage the student to answer questions for themselves.
Chances are that once lessons are started (as a teacher with a busy teaching schedule), seeing the parents usually becomes a short hello at the weekly lesson! So its important to establish a bit of a relationship.
Here is a few things I think are important to know for the parent-teacher-student relationship
1. Knowing how the student responds and reacts to situations
- There is little worse in teaching than saying or doing something in a lesson and watching your student start to close up and zone out. This can be a challenge with new students, since you don't know them well. As a teacher you learn to read your students pretty quickly, however this little paper * does wonders during the startup to avoid any rough spots. (Because really, who knows the student better than their parent!) I find this paper especially helpful if a new student not excited for lessons. With a student open for learning, so much fun can be had!
2. Knowing if there is anyone in the student's home that has musical background and is willing/able to help if the student has questions between lessons.
- This is important to know for the teacher. Most concepts need to be fully understood for a student to practice effectively. If not, keeping the lines of communication open via skype, email, texting or telephone is a great tool!
- If there is someone in the home, it is also a wonderful rescource for the teacher to be able to check-up on how it is going at home. Sometimes there can be challenges for the student at home that doesn't come out in the lesson and being able to communicate that to the teacher is really helpful!
3. Knowing how the student learns best!
- This also goes back to the previously mentioned resource: Teachers learn how to teach each student effectively for their own unique learning style, but boosting that straight from day one can make learning quicker and FUN!
4. Knowing the family dynamic to avoid awkward situations
- If a student has troubling behaviour or simply is distracted at the lesson, being able to discuss with the parent right away is the best option for the teacher! Sometimes it can be a simple solution (such as a lesson time change) to better suit the student's needs.
Hope these are helpful and a big shout-out to the fantastic parents that we have at Pianoforte Music Studios!
*Attachment paper sourced from http://www.teachpianotoday.com
As a teacher, the parents are giving you a unique (and very special) opportunity to train and teach their child! If at all possible, meeting for coffee to meet the student and parent before the first lesson makes a large difference. During the meeting it is important to encourage the student to answer questions for themselves.
Chances are that once lessons are started (as a teacher with a busy teaching schedule), seeing the parents usually becomes a short hello at the weekly lesson! So its important to establish a bit of a relationship.
Here is a few things I think are important to know for the parent-teacher-student relationship
1. Knowing how the student responds and reacts to situations
- There is little worse in teaching than saying or doing something in a lesson and watching your student start to close up and zone out. This can be a challenge with new students, since you don't know them well. As a teacher you learn to read your students pretty quickly, however this little paper * does wonders during the startup to avoid any rough spots. (Because really, who knows the student better than their parent!) I find this paper especially helpful if a new student not excited for lessons. With a student open for learning, so much fun can be had!
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| Get to know students! |
2. Knowing if there is anyone in the student's home that has musical background and is willing/able to help if the student has questions between lessons.
- This is important to know for the teacher. Most concepts need to be fully understood for a student to practice effectively. If not, keeping the lines of communication open via skype, email, texting or telephone is a great tool!
- If there is someone in the home, it is also a wonderful rescource for the teacher to be able to check-up on how it is going at home. Sometimes there can be challenges for the student at home that doesn't come out in the lesson and being able to communicate that to the teacher is really helpful!
3. Knowing how the student learns best!
- This also goes back to the previously mentioned resource: Teachers learn how to teach each student effectively for their own unique learning style, but boosting that straight from day one can make learning quicker and FUN!
4. Knowing the family dynamic to avoid awkward situations
- If a student has troubling behaviour or simply is distracted at the lesson, being able to discuss with the parent right away is the best option for the teacher! Sometimes it can be a simple solution (such as a lesson time change) to better suit the student's needs.
Hope these are helpful and a big shout-out to the fantastic parents that we have at Pianoforte Music Studios!
*Attachment paper sourced from http://www.teachpianotoday.com
Friday 5 August 2016
Wednesday 3 August 2016
Note learning Game
This Game is fabulous! Learning their keys and the note values is so easy with this little gem!
Great work from Colorful Keys!!
Its also so great for group lessons! I have this in my student library as well as a game to take home.
Kids love to play and they don't even realize they are practicing!
Great work from Colorful Keys!!
Kids love to play and they don't even realize they are practicing!
Friday 29 July 2016
Free Keyboard Printable!
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| Keyboard Printable |
It also provides a nice visual for beginners when learning a new hand position. When using them in a lesson for hand positions, I usually have two options: laminated ones and a few paper ones. Students practice on the laminated and can erase their mistakes, and then get to take the paper ones home and remember easily where their hands need to be for each position.
Enjoy!
Wednesday 25 May 2016
Monday 4 April 2016
How many composers can you name?
Loved this! Can't wait to someday have a studio performance with each of my students playing a different composer!
Classical Mashup!
Classical Mashup!
Monday 21 March 2016
Free Printable: Empty Staff
This page is a hit with toddlers and school-age pupils: They are just a fun way to spend some time writing out concepts and not doing "theory homework" at home.
Draw out anything from beginner level (Treble and Bass Clefs/Notes) to Mid level (Notation/Timing/Ear Training and Clapbacks)!
These handy papers can be used in so many ways and, after a quick laminating(and some dry-erase markers), they should be good to use and reuse for a long time!
These handy papers can be used in so many ways and, after a quick laminating(and some dry-erase markers), they should be good to use and reuse for a long time!
Added Bonus: Leave these out in the open and they also become a great activity for waiting siblings!
Click HERE for the Free Printable!
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