Tom Pearsall is Assistant Professor of Music at Georgia Southern University, where he teaches group piano, piano and piano pedagogy. He also maintains a private studio and teaches piano classes for adults through continuing education. Former faculty appointments include Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County, and the Wausau Conservatory of Music, a community music school in Wisconsin. He holds degrees in performance from the University of Kentucky and Bowling Green State University (OH), and a doctorate in performance and pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma. An active clinician, performer and adjudicator, Dr. Pearsall is currently Vice President of In-State Auditions for the Georgia Music Teachers Association, and collaborates frequently in chamber music recitals.
Tom Pearsall
Department of Music
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
912.681.5726
TOMPEAR@gsvms2.cc.gasou.edu
College group piano teachers face a tough challenge. Music majors traditionally enter our classes with a mixture of fear and excitement. These feelings can easily evolve into resentment and frustration for those who lack coordination or good reading skills, particularly if they only receive the usual one or two credits for all their efforts and fail to appreciate the value of the skills they are acquiring.
Several years ago I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with my group piano classes. The students were not progressing and harbored negative attitudes that only seemed to worsen as my own frustrations increased. Teaching five or six sections a day under these circumstances, as I was at the time, was quickly leading to burnout. Realizing that something had to change, I searched for ways to improve my teaching effectiveness and motivate the students to improve. Some of the changes I implemented were visible, while others were the result of a shift in my thinking. My classes have improved significantly as a result of these changes. I once again look forward to meeting with my classes each day and, judging from the response I have received from my students, they do as well.
What follows is a look at some of the steps I took to motivate my students to do better, along with other ideas that I have always applied to my teaching. Some of them are applicable to teaching in any situation but warrant mention nevertheless.
Use Practice Assignment Handouts
I recently began using practice assignment handouts in my classes, and they have become quite popular with my students. These handouts list their practice assignments for each class. Students receive three per semester, each of which prepares them for an upcoming exam. Included on these handouts is information on the exam itself, with a clear explanation of exactly what will be on the exam and how it will be tested.
The benefits for both the students and myself have been significant. Besides saving valuable class time writing out assignments, students now have a way of keeping up even when they are absent from class. Assignments are clearly listed to avoid any confusion. I encourage my students to work ahead if they feel comfortable doing so. The handouts also provide them with a clear outline of the organization and pacing of the class materials. I also use these in place of lesson plans by simply adding notes concerning other items I plan to cover in class and assignments to be checked. My overall organization of the classes has improved significantly since adopting this practice.
Listen To Your Students
Just as students learn from us, we too can learn from them. Their comments can provide valuable insights into how we may improve our teaching. I have always strived to keep an open mind toward any suggestions they may offer. Several years ago, a number of my students said that I moved through the presentation and assignment of materials too quickly. In response to their comments, I revised the curriculum by cutting back on the number of assignments and, to a small extent, some test requirements. By doing this, I was able to allow more time for explanation and individual attention. Overall course goals and objectives were not altered, as I concluded the established ones were fair and reasonable. Complaints about the pacing have decreased significantly since I adopted these changes.
Keep The Goals And Objectives Of The Class In Perspective
As piano teachers, we have certain goals for our applied piano students. These goals are somewhat different, however, for our group piano students. They are not, after all, enrolled in the class to become pianists. Musical playing should, of course, be encouraged and nurtured, but what these students really need are functional skills that will serve them in their careers. Obsessing over details such as correct fingerings or sophisticated playing techniques can easily lead to frustrated students and teachers. These things should certainly be addressed and guidelines established as to expectations, but overall objectives should be considered in the process.
Encourage Productive Practice Habits
Incoming first year students have often not yet acquired effective practice habits. This can be particularly evident in group piano, where students often claim they have practiced diligently with little or no progress to show for all their efforts. Some of these claims are suspect, of course. Others, however, are quite sincere.
I stress effective practice habits by providing ideas about how to practice as assignments are introduced. As new practice techniques are suggested, I have the students try them out in class and often instruct them to copy steps from the board into their books. This reinforcement of my suggestions seems to increase their motivation to actually use them.
Giving your students thoughts to reflect upon can also be helpful. I have several that I like to use. "Let your conscious be your teacher" refers to actively listening for how and where mistakes are occurring. If you have ever stopped a student who just made the same mistake for the third time in a row, followed perhaps by the same sluggish correction, then you will not be surprised at how often they are totally unaware of this pattern in their practicing. "Don't practice your mistakes" is based on a similar precept and refers to finding a tempo or practice technique that eliminates mistakes so they do not become "written into the music."
Use Class Time Wisely
With so many skills to cover and the need for individual attention, effective use of class time is crucial for group piano classes. The presentation of class activities should be thought out ahead of time to ensure proper pacing. Beyond that, however, I have adopted some simple, yet time-saving practices in my classes that have proven to be quite helpful.
I use sticky notes to keep track of what has been checked when monitoring the progress of individual students as they prepare their pieces. Typical notes include page numbers, measures or sections heard, hand or hands heard, and a check mark if it was satisfactory. This saves valuable time because the students often forget what they have already played for me. I have also used sticky notes in the past to distribute quiz scores so students could instantly and confidentially know their grade.
Listing practice items on the board for students is an excellent way to encourage them to practice before class begins. It also gives them a chance to warm up before going over assigned items. Not all assignments are checked in every class. Priorities are established for what may need the most assistance to allow adequate time for the introduction of new assignments.
Having students assist their classmates can be both time-saving and motivational. Students enjoy being asked to help other students. It gives them a feeling of accomplishment, and those requiring assistance may sometimes feel more comfortable receiving help from a fellow student. This also gives me additional time to help other students individually.
Search For Ways To Motivate Your Students
In an ideal world, all of our students would be self-motivated and require no assistance from us. In reality, however, this is often not the case. I believe those that are not self-motivated can often be encouraged to do better with the right approach. Finding ways to do this can be a challenging but rewarding endeavor. Conveying a sincere interest in their progress and establishing standards and expectations are essential first steps.
Creating a learning environment in which the student feels comfortable is also important. I make it a point to find humorous ways to point out mistakes and illustrate activities in class. For example, to avoid excessive elbow movement when crossing the thumb under, I suggest they try not to "flap their wings." "Glue on your shoe" is my way of reminding students to keep their heel on the floor and shoe on the pedal. Suggesting a fondness for stubborn note errors or referring to hesitations as "expressive pauses" are gentle ways to point out mistakes. Although some of these are silly, they motivate the students in a positive way to respond to my suggestions.
Students enjoy doing ensembles together. When my students rehearse their ensembles, laughter is sure to follow. At Georgia Southern, we previously had all of the group piano students perform ensembles in recitals. Needless to say, preparing for these events left more than a few nerves frazzled, yet the students worked hard and, for the most part, really had fun with it! While my students are no longer performing their piano ensembles on stage, they still enjoy performing them for each other in class.
Having students record parts separately on individually sequenced tracks can also be fun and helpful. Our current lab allows students to do this at their own keyboards. This can be useful in a variety of ways. Students can practice one hand or part while hearing another. Accompaniment patterns can be created and added to melodic lines. Experimentation with harmonization and improvisation activities can be done quickly and easily by the student. Parts from score reading assignments can also be combined.
Having students play for class is another motivational tool. By hearing the accomplishments of their classmates and preparing to perform for them, students are often motivated to practice more diligently. Students can be easily embarrassed by poor performances, however, so I never force them to perform if they feel unprepared.
As teachers we expect our students to grow and improve. We should expect no less of ourselves if we are to set a good example. We can easily become set in our ways and satisfied with our teaching methods and ways of thinking. By constantly endeavoring to improve we are challenged to keep our teaching fresh and effective. In doing so we are more likely to inspire our students to do their best.
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