 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BrianChau
Date: 2009-12-17 06:31
Ok, on this board, there are many posts asking about choosing teachers, but I dont think there is much about how to be a good teacher. I was thinking about becoming a part time clarinet teacher for beginners, but I haven't taught music before. Additionally, I am a high school student. Anyone have anything to say on this subject?
Brian
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2009-12-17 15:20
Having a good mentor is very important for a young teacher.
Be realistic with your students. Often a young teacher expects all of his/her students to be as serious as they were, and most often they aren't at all.
Kids want to play to have fun and enjoy the music. Make sure that happens.
Stage parents are poision.
Motivation is key.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-12-17 16:59
Have lots of patience with the kids.
As David said, not all willl be that dedicated. Some will be there because their parents made them take lessons. If they lag behind or drop entirely, do not take it personally.
Be positive and offer upbeat prasie where earned. Don't praise untruthfully, though. Also be gentle with criticism.
Doing anything right takes time. Don't expect miracles. 
Jeff
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2009-12-17 18:46
This subject has been brought up a couple of times and some good thoughts were made.
One thing I would say is this: on the student's first lesson, test-play their instrument. Nothing is more discouraging than playing a clarinet with a leaking or missing pad, or keys that are twisted.
At the other end of the lesson I would suggest either finding a competition for them to enter, or organizing some kind of recital with other students. They need to have opportunities to play in public. Small recitals help them build confidence, and they have a performance goal in sight to aim for.
There are lots of info here on the BB about fees, practice, etc. I also found it very helpful to read a couple of books written by pros who write about things they've learned in their career. One of the books I found helpful was by David Pino. There are others. Reading these helps you see what problems can arise while learning clarinet, and you may not have experienced these in your own life. Knowing that these problems exist and having an idea of how to remedy them gives you a pocket full of solutions that can come in handy when you're sitting with a student.
These days we have to be very cautious about any physical contact with a student. I've always encouraged parents to sit outside the open door of the studio so they can hear everything. One parent was too involved in her daughter's lesson though, but I'd rather have that situation than have a student accuse me of something I didn't do. It also helps when the parent hears the counsel and homework given to the student, and when the student goes home and complains about the teacher then the parents have already heard the whole story.
But ENJOY! There are many satisfying moments when the students understand and progress.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2009-12-17 19:46
Brenda wrote:
>
> At the other end of the lesson I would suggest either finding a
> competition for them to enter, or organizing some kind of
> recital with other students. They need to have opportunities
> to play in public. Small recitals help them build confidence,
> and they have a performance goal in sight to aim for.
>
For many students this is true, and some competing and trying to be "best" is the only thing that motivates them. For others, though, solo performance inspires more fear than it builds confidence, and the process leading up to a competition or even an informal recital can panic some students into quitting entirely. Some kids just want to play in band, where they can hide in the ensemble and enjoy being part of the experience. You need to be sensitive to which part of the continuum between these extremes each of your students represents.
> ... I've always encouraged parents to sit
> outside the open door of the studio so they can hear
> everything. One parent was too involved in her daughter's
> lesson though, but I'd rather have that situation than have a
> student accuse me of something I didn't do. It also helps when
> the parent hears the counsel and homework given to the student,
> and when the student goes home and complains about the teacher
> then the parents have already heard the whole story.
>
I actually encourage parents to sit in the room with us while the lesson is going on (I'm assuming since you're in high high school that these would be younger students). I can usually find a diplomatic way to handle the few parents who want to participate too actively. I'm not really looking, especially in today's litigious climate, for a private or confidential relationship with my students. I'd rather have at least one parent know exactly what is going on, what the student is accomplishing and what the goals for the next lesson and the next month are.
As things work out, many parents, after they've sat through a lesson or two (which I guess establishes their trust), find that they have important errands or shopping to do during the lessons and rarely stay again.
Karl
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2009-12-17 20:18
Yes, I started out having the parents sit in the studio with us. This worked for awhile, but the one parent interfered too much and irritated her daughter. This one really should have just run some errands.
Other parents really don't want to be there and prefer to do errands, like you say. I still mention to the student that I'd like to have the parents there so that they understand that they're invited. Parents often just want to read a book and not get involved, but at least if they're outside the door they overhear what's going on. As in any other area of life, people are different. It's just that there are nasty experiences of students making false accusations against their school teachers, fortunately rare.
Parents can be helpful, as you say, in remembering future goals and making sure the homework is written down in a notebook. Kids usually fail to remember these things if they're not written down.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2009-12-18 04:27
I agree with everyone who puts patience at the top of the list. Beginners have lots of issues, and many of them have been mentioned here.
One that I would add is to remember that first and foremost you're a MUSIC teacher. Clarinet is just the medium.
Allen Cole
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Author: TianL
Date: 2009-12-18 04:49
My suggestion would be, while trying to make the lessons fun, focus a lot on fundamentals. That will benefit the students in the long run.
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Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2009-12-18 11:12
From a parent's perspective...Ask the student to bring a small spiral notebook to each lesson. Then, write the date and the very specific lesson assignment (page numbers, particular things or techniques to practice, how many times, etc.) in the book. This will help you and the families keep up with the lesson instructions. In many of the lessons my sons have attended on various instruments, the teacher usually put a date or check mark at the top of the page to be practiced, however by the time kids get home, they don't often remember exactly what it was the teacher told them to do. As a parent who sat in the chair outside of the lesson room, I didn't hear everything the teacher was saying and describing, and kids can't communicate verbal instructions from the teacher to the parent very well, especially if the parents don't have musical knowledge. Practice sessions became mostly filled with questions about what was supposed to take place and be accomplished until we developed a better system.
Also, I'll pass along a tip that my piano-teaching husband used the other day. His student had progressed from the beginner's "red" book to the intermediate "blue" book. However, with the holidays approaching, he had purchased a holiday version of the "red" book, to give the student some accessible holiday pieces he could play without a lot of thought or practice. Just something to enjoy, to provide a sense of accomplishment, and to be able to perform for all those family members who want to hear the kids play something.
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