How to Improve Your Piano Teaching Success

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: First define what is good teaching Good teaching has a clear focus

   It should aid current enjoyment, understanding and achievement and also promote future progression.
   
   Good teaching uses teaching strategies that should be formulated according to conscious learning objectives for a particular student, whilst being sufficiently flexible to respond to the needs of the student in any particular lesson.
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   Step 2: with definite goals based on musical principles.

   A single lesson's objective may be to teach the student how best to practise legato pedalling for a Schumann piece but the long term goal might be to pass a Grade 5 examination in six months' time. ,, The most relevant preferred learning styles for the pianist are:
   Kinaesthetic
   - these students will prefer to learn by 'finger memory' (the feel of melodic lines and chord shapes) and they will probably be good at this way of memorization Visual
   - these students will prefer to learn by looking at the shapes that the music makes on the keys and they will probably be good sight readers Aural
   - these students will prefer to learn by remembering how the music sounded.
   
   They may like to learn by rote more than by reading music and they will probably be good at memorising Combination learners
   - these students will be able to draw on a range of learning styles. , Develop students' learning capacity in the ways that do not come to them so readily.
   
   If we know a student is probably going to learn pieces more by rote than by reading the notation, we should be positive about that student's memorising abilities, whilst also encouraging better music reading by regularly providing easier sight reading opportunities.
   
   Do this in fun ways, such as via duet playing and music games. , Efficient learning maximizes every student's chance to fulfill his or her potential. , The most successful piano teachers are those whose students are happy with the teacher/student relationship. , Consider continuing lessons yourself or use the internet to explore new teaching pieces.
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   Step 3: Agree overall goals so that you can decide learning objectives Discuss and agree individual goals with each student; not all students want the same outcome - some are ambitious

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   Step 4: some play 'just for fun'.

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   Step 5: Know how to assess whether learning objectives are being achieved We will know if we have succeeded in teaching the correct time value of dotted rhythms in a Kabalevsky piece

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   Step 6: for example

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   Step 7: if the student plays accurately now and remembers the timing in the next lesson.

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   Step 8: Take into account your students' preferred learning styles Different students have preferred learning styles and we should know what these are so that we can both teach that student most effectively.

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   Step 9: Be a creative teacher Begin teaching a piece by focusing on an aspect of it that resonates with the individual student's preferred learning style

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    Step 10: for instance exploring chord shapes with kinaesthetic learners.

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    Step 11: Get to know your students Getting to know each student well enough to be attuned to their individual learning styles can be fascinating and rewarding

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    Step 12: helping to make lessons more enjoyable and learning easier.

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    Step 13: Smile!

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    Step 14: Keep learning!

Detailed Guide

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