Collegiate Writing Contest

In the Spring of 2009, Clavier Companion sponsored its second annual Collegiate Writing Contest. College students at any level from any country in the world were invited to submit 1,500 word essays on a pedagogical topic of their choice. The grand prize was publication of the winning essay in Clavier Companion. The esteemed panel of judges was comprised of Louise Goss, James Lyke, and Marienne Uszler. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Scott Dirkse, author of the winning essay printed on page 64 of the current issue. We also want to congratulate four runner-up essays which appear below. These essays appear unedited, as they were submitted. We hope you enjoy reading the perspectives of these young teachers.

These students are the teachers of tomorrow and the future leaders of our profession. Clavier Companion is proud to provide them with an outlet for their ideas, and we will again sponsor this contest in 2010. The entry deadline for the 2010 contest will be June 1st, 2010 and complete rules and regulations can be downloaded here:
2010 Collegiate Writing Contest Rules and Regulations

The Many Hats of a Piano Instructor

by Rachel Paul

When I was preparing to become a piano instructor I began planning the types of lessons I would teach my students. I thought of how I would teach them to read music, sit properly and hold their hands correctly. I would introduce music theory concepts, and teach them about music history as it related to their pieces. I knew my most important task would be to instill in them the same exuberant love for music that I have.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I encountered in my actual teaching experience. I’m sure I still have much to learn, but in the past two years I feel I have already learned so much about teaching piano and some very incredible life lessons.

Teaching piano is really quite complicated. I don’t think I would have believed anyone had they told me that. How hard can it be? I pass on my knowledge of piano technique, musical concepts, history, and literature and that’s that! Right? Well, I know now that teaching piano involves so much more than content knowledge. A piano instructor must don many hats. I have personally donned the hats of mentor, friend, reading tutor, behavioral therapist, and coach, among others.

Each student brings to the table a whole multitude of quirks and challenges, and it is up to me to sift through everything that makes each student unique and devise a plan of action. Students come to lessons with so many stories to share and questions to ask that have nothing to do with piano and as the instructor I must don my mentor hat and listen to stories that occasionally have no plot. I must then relate to that student how much I care about what they are saying to me even if I can’t make sense of it. Sometimes I give advice or lead a student to answer his or her own questions, but most of the time my job as mentor is just to listen intently. As the instructor I must find some way to direct the unrelated matter to the lesson at hand without seeming uncaring and without being abrupt. The mentor hat can be quite tricky, but it is a hat donned with much relish as I’ve found that it can be the most rewarding and the most effective in building a relationship with my students.

In my short time as a piano instructor I’ve had the opportunity to teach a wide range of ages. I’ve had several older students and with them I’ve donned the friend hat. Many of these students are older beginners and have turned to piano lessons as a way to better themselves and enrich their lives. Many have dreamed of playing the piano since they were children, and they’ve decided just now that the time is right for them to begin. This genre of student is truly special because as an instructor you get to witness an adult, someone you might have befriended outside of the teacher-student relationship, experience child-like awe. I’ve found these learned, experienced people become quite timid and seek my guidance, as a child might, but with all of the confidence that has come with age. To watch them fulfill a lifetime dream, and to see the power of music work through them is really indescribable.

During one particular lesson I experienced a fright and sudden realization. One of my students couldn’t read. This particular student, amongst other students, had trouble with sight-reading and was very slow at learning repertoire. In my naïveté I assumed that this child simply learned at a slower pace. I didn’t try to figure out why until that sudden and frightening lesson. This particular student could only read very small words such as “cat” and “are” and that with much difficulty. This student had dyslexia and I had no idea what to do. Here I donned my reading tutor hat and from that lesson on we practiced reading together. Using the assignment book I wrote very small and clear words, which we reviewed together. This realization made me wonder if some of my other students might have learning disabilities of which I was yet unaware. Many instructors, I’m sure, are aware that they will receive students with learning disabilities. But the question remains, how should this be approached? Each case is different, and under the tutor hat one must become very insightful and creative.

The behavioral therapist hat is one I would rather leave to the professionals, but there is no way around wearing this one. In this day and age ADD/ADHD and ODD (attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactive disorder and oppositional defiance disorder) are terms used very often in the education world. One of my students would literally sit still for five seconds and then have to do something else. Under this behavioral therapist hat were many subsequent hats, one of them being a movement manager hat. At the beginning of lessons we would simply practice rhythmical movement to help this student expend energy so that there would be a small window of focus. Quick-paced lessons that involved many transitions and various methods of teaching were a must. From movement to five finger exercises to book work to sight reading, I couldn’t remain too long on any one thing. Closing the keyboard was necessary to avoid distractions. Over time, we became well acquainted with one another’s styles and focus was not as big an issue.

Being a coach and being a piano instructor seemed to be worlds apart on the surface, but I found I donned the coach hat in every lesson. Students need a lot of encouragement and enthusiasm from the instructor. I had several students with confidence issues. Several would get frustrated if they didn’t grasp a concept right away or if they missed a few notes. I explained to my students every day that I did not expect perfection on the first try. Explaining to students that nothing and no one is perfect was very hard. They wanted to do things perfectly so badly I almost felt like I was letting them down by telling them that everything has flaws. Unfortunately, that’s just part of life, but under my coach hat there was no time for feeling down. Remaining positive in lessons produced students that enjoyed themselves and honestly, played better because they stopped worrying about being perfect. Instead, each one focused on doing the best they could do.

When you teach students, you never just teach them content. You teach them how to become better – better people, better students, better behaved, better prepared for the world. When you teach students, you learn how to be better. My students have taught me to be a better communicator, to be more openly enthusiastic, to be better prepared, to think quickly on my feet, to be patient, and to be really creative in everything I do. I’ve learned that teaching is such a two-way street, and I look forward to the things my students and I will teach each other in the future.

 

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