Meet with your prospective student and/or their parent(s) before the first lesson. If that is impossible, communicate by phone or email. Prepare a short list of questions for the student (or parents) to ascertain the student’s previous musical experience, musical and other artistic interests, and their short- and long-term goals. Some possible questions include:
The time spent learning about your student will help you tailor your pedagogical approach to that individual student and family. Noting the tone of your interactions with both the student and the parent will give you a basis for establishing effective communication for the lessons.
Take a few moments in the first lesson to determine if and how the student takes in new information. Note the student’s physical and emotional responses as you present basic set-up information, such as how to hold the violin and bow, body placement, etc. Do they respond better to verbal instructions, visual demonstrations, or perhaps their own tactile experiences? Do they absorb detail-rich explanations or short, precise instructions? By basing your teaching method on the student’s feedback, you can create effective channels of communication between the two of you.
Being attentive and adaptive to your new student will prevent them from suffering information overload. Your task in the early lessons is to touch on the basic principles of set-up and sound production, introduce one or two foundational concepts, and build the student’s confidence, while constantly focusing and refocusing their attention. Be attentive to your student’s questions and any appearance of uncertainty. Some students may nod along in agreement even when they don’t fully understand what you’re saying. Shy or introverted students may feel uncomfortable asking you to repeat something. Asking the student to demonstrate a technique you have just introduced, after a break of ten or fifteen seconds, can show you what they have understood and internalized. You can also ask the student to explain a new concept, such as the string names, in their own words. Communicating clearly and encouraging questions from the student during the first lesson will help foster ongoing interest and motivation.
Devote the final five minutes of the first and subsequent lessons to reviewing the main points you’ve introduced and to assigning homework with attainable goals for the next lesson. This is a good time to introduce a reasonable, written-out practice schedule, keeping the pre-lesson meeting in mind. An eight-year-old beginner student with a parent attending lessons may have three twenty-minute supervised practice sessions between lessons. A practice session model might be:
By providing a lesson summary at the end of each lesson, you will focus the student’s practice sessions. Providing a hard copy of the practice schedule will reinforce the new information and help build an effective practice routine.
Breaking down the first lessons into manageable sections, tailored to the individual student’s experiences and learning style, will make those lessons enjoyable and productive and will set the tone for an open, supportive relationship between you and your student.
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