Lesley Sisterhen teaches applied and class piano at the University of Central Oklahoma. She is in the process of completing a DMA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma, where she studies piano with Jane Magrath. She holds degrees in performance from the University of Houston and Florida State University.
Leslie Sisterhen
College of Arts, Media & Design
University of Central Oklahoma
100 N. University Dr.
Edmond, OK 73034
405.974.3770
lsisterhen@ucok.edu
Participants were asked to share the activities they used and topics they addressed during the first three sessions of their pedagogy courses. This report is a compilation of the many practical and creative ideas shared by pedagogues from colleges and universities across the United States.
Course Design, Syllabus, and Projects
Many teachers elect to dedicate the first piano pedagogy class to practical elements by presenting an overview of the course, the curriculum, and the entire pedagogy class sequence. It is important to define the class for the students as a literature-based or theory-based class. During this time, teachers may have the students talk about their own course expectations and what they want to get out of the class. By bringing student needs and expectations into the class discussion, teachers can demonstrate a genuine concern for the students and learn more about how to generate an effective discussion within the dynamics of that particular class.
The course syllabus is often handed out during this first class period. Pedagogy teachers agreed that the syllabus should usually be somewhat flexible in order to accommodate students with different levels of teaching experience. Many pedagogy classes include both undergraduate and graduate students, so the class must cover material that will be beneficial to all members.
Some teachers believed that it is best to wait until the second class to present the syllabus. In this situation, the teacher would first get information from the students about their previous teaching experience, which method books and levels they have previously used, and other pedagogy classes they have taken so that they can mold the syllabus to address the needs of all students. The syllabus should always include a limited number of ground rules regarding absence, late work, grading, and general decorum.
The first day may also be a good time to hand out supplemental study aids such as library resources, supplemental readings, and project assignments. It is also helpful to explain to students how much time they will need to prepare projects and study for the course. A list of sample test questions might be appreciated during the semester so that students will know how to prepare for the final exam.
Teachers agreed that student projects should be flexible and should be designed in such a way that students can build the project according to their own skill level and interests. By offering pedagogy students choices on the components of a project, or allowing students to modify a project according to their own needs, teachers celebrate the needs of each individual and enable all students to fill in the gaps in their teaching knowledge.
"Getting Acquainted" Games and Activities
In an attempt to build a community of learners from the beginning, some pedagogy teachers spend time on the first day letting students get to know each other with group activities. One teacher has students sing major and minor triads in different inversions. Other teachers have their students sing songs that may be used for preschool or kindergarten music classes. These types of creative activities can help the students loosen up and feel comfortable with each other. In addition, it gives students the opportunity to experience child-like activities, which will get them in the mindset for understanding and working with elementary-level students.
Toward a Philosophy of Teaching
Most teachers agreed that class discussions on the first day of pedagogy classes should be directed toward developing a philosophy of teaching. To that end, many teachers begin by discussing the students' prior experiences as a beginning piano student. Ideas for discussion include when they first learned how to play the piano, which method books they used, what repertoire they played, and what they liked and did not like about their first piano lessons. These questions offer an excellent opening discussion because most students remember their first piano lessons well and enjoy talking about the impact of those lessons on their later musical development. Students from different countries can add much to the discussion because they may have learned from different method books. In addition, the type of teaching prevalent in their country may be quite distinct from the pedagogical approach used in the United States.
Such a discussion can lead easily into the development of philosophical ideas about how students become intrinsically motivated, what makes a piano lesson enjoyable, and how students learn. Additionally, many pedagogy teachers agreed that an important question to be addressed on the first day of class is "What are the qualities of a good teacher?" One teacher approaches this topic as a group activity in which students interview each other to talk about the qualities they encountered in previous teachers. The class may then come up with a checklist of good habits of teachers and good habits of learners. Students can reflect on the above questions and come up with their own list of qualities that they want to bring to their teaching. One teacher elected to have students keep a journal in which they regularly answer questions regarding their music philosophy. Another teacher saved the answers until the end of the term, and then asked the same questions again. By revealing the change in answers to students at the end of the term, the students can see their progress over the semester and appreciate how much they have developed in their understanding of basic pedagogical concepts and issues. Students may be more inspired to write about their teaching philosophy after reading articles such as "The Quality Music Teacher" by Lynn Freeman Olson in the January 1986 issue of Clavier or "The View from the Second Floor" by Robert Weirich in the April 1992 issue of Clavier.
Topics for the First Three Days of Class: Gaining an Appreciation for Pedagogy
As an introduction to pedagogy, many teachers have the students discuss what it means to be a professional piano teacher. Some students, especially in performance schools, will not want to be in a pedagogy class. Teachers should take time in the initial class to win over these performance-oriented students. One teacher explained this as an opportunity to "romance the Steinway jockey" into teaching. Students might first discuss their career plans, being reminded to maintain a healthy dose of pragmatism and realism. This will naturally lead to the realization that most musicians are going to teach at some point in their life. Many teachers also try to get their pedagogy students to pinpoint their inspiration to pursue music professionally. By doing this, some students will realize that the desire to share music with others is naturally satisfied through a teaching career.
Topics for the First Three Days of Class: Personality and Learning Styles
An excellent offshoot from the philosophical questions about what makes an ideal teacher and an ideal student is a discussion on how personality interacts with teaching and learning. During the process of learning about different personality and learning styles, students often enjoy taking a personality test such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory. Such a test is a useful device for helping the class members get to know one another, and it also helps them to learn more about themselves and how they will teach.
Writing Assignments: Article Reading
After the first class, many teachers have students read an article from such publications as American Music Teacher, Clavier, Keyboard Companion, or Piano Pedagogy Forum and assign students to write a summary of that article. This type of assignment can serve two purposes. First, it introduces students to the written resources available for professional teachers. Secondly, it can facilitate classroom discussion on the day that students turn in their written assignments. Some teachers might assign specific articles from any of the above resources. Other teachers give students a specific topic, such as functional skills or sightreading, and students must find an article on that topic on their own. This type of assignment requires students to learn how to use the library and online resources while enabling students to pursue individual interests by choosing their own article.
Developing a Niche
In graduate classes, one pedagogy teacher expressed a need for graduate students to begin to develop their own niche in the field. To serve this purpose, students must complete a writing assignment in which they explain their individual goals within the course and the entire degree. Such an assignment may direct the graduate students to take measure of their own skills, interests, and entrepreneurial spirit to describe a career path they envision for themselves. The responses can address the students' passions, strengths, personal motivations, or needs that must be addressed in the field. Uszler's introduction to the Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher on pages xiii-xvi may be useful in helping students outline a career based on their own skills and interests.
Student Teaching
In explaining the content of the first three classes, many instructors began to expound upon their particular student teaching requirements as a component of the piano pedagogy class. Some teachers had students begin teaching during the fourth or fifth week of class. Students in these classes often had one or two private students that they taught on a regular basis during the semester. Other students had only occasional teaching practice teaching requirements.
One teacher had her undergraduate pedagogy students teach private students in a demonstration piano class right away. She therefore chose a more organic approach in creating the content of the course, so that the first semester was built on the problems and concerns as they occurred in student teaching. By creating a general syllabus, there was a great deal of freedom in the sequencing of course topics, and the students felt more involved in the unfolding of the course.
There were several elements mentioned that should be addressed with students before they begin teaching. First, students may feel consoled after their first teaching experience if they are told beforehand that they will not be perfect and will probably make mistakes. Students should also be given a lesson plan ahead of time with a list of specific teaching items. These items should be ordered or leveled according to their priority, because many beginning teachers are not efficient enough in their pacing to get through all of the skills that a seasoned teacher might expect to cover.
It is also helpful to have students write out exactly what they will say during the first lesson and practice teaching it on their own or with another student in the class. Although they may not use that exact wording during the lesson, it may be helpful by preventing students from straying from the task at hand or using extraneous words.
One instructor said that adult beginners are the easiest students to begin teaching. She explained that adult students are generally more accepting of beginning teachers, and their communication style may feel more comfortable for pedagogy students who have not had much interaction with children.
Summary
Teachers have a great deal to cover during the first three days of a piano pedagogy class. They should assess student needs and experience, and then modify the syllabus to meet those needs by designing projects that allow for some flexibility. The pedagogy teacher should generate a list of goals for the course that includes information every piano teacher must know. They can then mold the other parts of the course requirements to account for differences among students.
Teachers should introduce pedagogy to their students as a profession, in which every teacher can decide who they want to teach and where they want to specialize. They should charge their students to come up with their own philosophy about what constitutes good teaching. It is during these first few classes that a community of learners can be built, so games and activities to help students get acquainted with one another can be useful. Generating class discussions is also helpful for creating a comfortable and positive environment. Most importantly, these first three class days offer a chance for students to begin to assimilate their previous experiences and their own character and values so that they can begin to devise a personal philosophy of what it means to be a professional piano teacher.
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