Janet Palmberg Lyman is Associate Professor of Music at Indiana State University where she directs the Certificate in Piano Pedagogy program, coordinates the Keyboard Division, and serves as Assistant to the Chair of the Department of Music. She is a specialist in group piano pedagogy and the teaching of early-level piano students. She is the author of articles on
piano pedagogy and appears frequently as a clinician for piano teacher
associations. In 1996, one of her piano pedagogy students received the
prestigious D. H. Baldwin Fellowship Award for new teachers. A nationally
certified member of the Music Teachers National Association, Dr. Lyman has
appeared as a "Pedagogy Saturday" panelist at national conventions, and is
Secretary of the East Central Division of the MTNA. She is a past member of
the Committee on Administration/Pedagogy Liaison of the National Conference
on Piano Pedagogy and is actively involved as a planner of the newly formed
National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. A recipient of the bachelor's
degree in piano performance from the University of North Texas, she also
holds the master of music degree in piano performance from the University of
Kansas and the doctoral degree in music education/piano pedagogy from the
University of Oklahoma.
Janet Palmberg Lyman
Department of Music
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN 47809
812.237.2764
milyman@ruby.indstate.edu
It is that time of year - the time when a new university semester is about to begin, and I will be training a graduate assistant to teach class piano. I am also starting a fresh crop of piano pedagogy students who will do practice teaching in both individual and group lesson settings throughout the year. In looking back over group teaching evaluations I have done from past years, a number of pitfalls emerge as common to the beginning teacher, and I daresay, at times to more experienced teachers. Through recognizing these pitfalls, the piano pedagogy instructor can prevent problems before they develop. The following is a list of ten techniques which I believe are crucial to successful group teaching.
1. Look at the students.
It may seem obvious that the group lesson teacher should literally watch the
piano students, yet this is one of the most difficult things for the
beginning teacher to do. Very often, the teacher finds security in looking
instead at the lesson plan, the textbook, the teaching materials, or even
his/her own hands. Without noticing the students' expressions, body
language, and hands, the teacher is unable to know how they are reacting and
handling the material. The frequency of eye contact with each student also
decreases, lessening the psychological connection with the teacher.
In order to be able to watch the students, the lesson plan must be very well-learned, if not memorized. The teacher's concentration must not be sidetracked by insecurities about what will happen next. Instead, the concentration must be freely available for noticing every bit of student feedback, and for making changes, if necessary, in the plan.
2. Give each student something to do.
My first experience in group teaching occurred in 1978 at the University of
Kansas. I walked into the "lab" and confronted a roomful of ten acoustic
pianos placed in a circle. Because no headsets existed to allow isolating a
given student, it was imperative that each and every student in the class be
occupied at any given moment. One option was to have them all do the same
thing at the same time. At times I did this, but so limiting the classroom
activity proved monotonous and unproductive, not to mention cacophonous.
I quickly learned that there can be advantages in dividing tasks among the class members. For example, given a simple folk song with a LH Alberti accompaniment, group members can be assigned any of the following tasks:
The various "parts" can then be rotated as needed. The students' varying abilities determine the assigning of parts. Each student hears the composition as a "whole," yet leaves the class with the information and skill needed to practice the material independently.
Fortunately, in today's high-tech keyboard laboratories, many more options exist for assigning each student a constructive task. The teacher is still able to instruct the entire class as a group, yet it is possible for each student to hear only themselves and the teacher. Small work groups can also be formed under the headsets. Multiple activities can be happening in the same room at the same time. With the headsets available, it is sometimes easy to forget the needs of a particular student; constructive assigning of varied tasks remains important.
3. Use clear, simple language.
Since so many ears are receiving information in a group, it is especially
important to speak well. Learning to say things in a clear, concise manner
takes practice. For example, the statement, "Find a low C " would be better
stated, "With LH finger 2, play the lowest C on your keyboard." The second
statement gives information in a logical order, specifying which hand and
finger are to be used, which C is to be found, and that the key is to be
played, not simply "found."
The beginning teacher must also learn not to give too many instructions at once, for example, by explaining the sequence of steps in an entire activity before doing the activity. Wordy explanations will be tuned out, and lengthy explanations will be forgotten.
4. Do more, talk less.
Teacher talk is an example of direct teaching. Direct teaching necessitates
a degree of passivity on the part of the students because they are being
directed from a source other than themselves. Excessive talking prevents
students from becoming actively engaged in the learning process. This can
lead, ultimately, to boredom.
On the other hand, student initiation and active participation are examples of indirect teaching which will, in the end, produce learners who are more independent and motivated. The students will be less dependent on the verbal directions of the teacher, and more reliant upon their own abilities to uncover solutions.
The group setting is most rewarding when the students are involved in hands-on activity. Activity provides an ideal vehicle for learning. What we "do," we remember; what we "hear," we forget. Learning goals should be accomplished through personal experience that fosters comprehension and deepens understanding.
5. Use visual aids when possible.
Visual aids can reduce the amount of talking needed to make explanations. In
other words, "a picture speaks a thousand words." Visual aids can include the
overhead projector, 'maps' of pieces studied (either student-drawn or
teacher-drawn), use of a lighted keyboard (such as a Key-Note Visualizer),
flash cards, and more.
An overhead projector is an indispensable piece of equipment in my laboratory. I like to project material being studied using transparencies (please remember to obtain copyright permission from the publisher). I am then able to point to any place in the score as needed without excess verbiage. I am also able to highlight important notes in any number of ways using a washable marker.
A positive side effect of playing from the overhead projector, rather than their book, is that the students must raise their eye level a bit, making it more difficult to look at their hands! I like to turn the overhead projector light on and off during a reading to encourage "looking ahead." When the light is on, the eye can see the entire score; when the light is off, the player must rely upon memory.
6. Plan for a variety of learning styles.
Each learner will bring to the group an individual learning style. By
designing activities that incorporate visual, aural, and kinesthetic
experience, we can teach to a student's strengths. Planning a variety of
activities also heightens interest and engages all the senses in a way that
speeds learning.
It should also be remembered that students benefit from varying paces of activity. Within a group lesson, I like to include some fast-paced activities and some slower-paced activities. For example, keyboard harmony exercises can be done quickly, while studying a score for the first time requires more time for observation and discussion. Varying the classroom pace not only maintains attention, it allows time for comprehension.
7. Do not "play along" with the students.
If the students are playing as a group or ensemble, it does not help for the
teacher to play the keyboard at the same time. This is because the students
are unable to distinguish the instructor's playing from the playing of others
in the class. The teacher's concentration is better devoted to:
When the students are learning a skill individually using headsets, however, it can be helpful for the student to hear the teacher playing at the same time.
8. Circulate as much as possible.
For the group to function dynamically, the teacher must be a part of the
group. Therefore, to the extent that it is possible, the teacher must not
hide behind the instructor's console. Walking to the ends of rows, or even
walking behind each student, can help the teacher to see the students' hands.
By sometimes teaching from the middle of the classroom, the teacher gains a
fresh perspective and the students experience less psychological distance
from the teacher.
9. Prepare for success.
The time spent with the instructor should be valuable. The single biggest
time-waster involves asking students to play material before it has first
been prepared through experience, for example, studying the score, clapping
the rhythm, blocking the chord changes, etc. Why not teach for success
rather than failure and correction? By laying the proper building blocks,
learning can be successful the first time. Rectifying mistakes takes much
longer than learning something correctly in the first place.
10. Employ the students as teachers.
The teacher cannot be in ten places at once! Therefore, take advantage of
the group. I like to establish partners or teams that are responsible for
hearing each other's work. At a specified point in the lesson, we take a
break. The team evaluates the playing from a checklist: for example, notes,
fingering, dynamics, posture, etc. Each team member is then responsible for
providing feedback and practice suggestions to the player based upon the
checklist. Through the process of evaluating others' playing, the student
becomes a more accomplished self-evaluator.
Becoming a good group teacher takes time and experience. I require all practice teaching to be videotaped. The pedagogy intern must then critique his/her own teaching prior to receiving my suggestions as the pedagogy teacher. This process of self-study enhances the intern's self-awareness, serving as a catalyst for his/her development as a group teacher.
I am glad that I began my group teaching experience in an acoustic laboratory without the aid of headsets, MIDI, and audio-visual aids. It was group teaching in its most pure state, a state that captured my love of the process. Fortunately, we now have technology at our disposal. We must, nonetheless, remember the true nature of group teaching and teach to the group as well as the individual.
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|---|