Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do you want to be a good music teacher? It’s more than just being patient or being a good role model. There are five skills that make a good music teacher. Keep reading How to Become a Good Music Teacher to learn what the skills are.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission from purchases made through the links. I’ll only recommend products I use, use in lessons, or ones my students or colleagues have recommended.
How to Become a Good Music Teacher: Know Your Stuff
What makes a good, or even great, teacher? UCLA professor Ron Gallimore states:
Great teachers focus on what the student is saying or doing… and are able, by being so focused and by their deep knowledge of the subject matter, to see and recognize the… student who’s reaching toward mastery and then connect to them with a targeted message. (qtd in The Talent Code 177)
Experience is a key factor.
- You must know your subject inside out, so you can teach the material in many different ways.
- In other words, learn your stuff so well that you can approach a music topic from many different angles, which is important for teaching the countless types of learners that you’ll encounter.
- In fact, some of the greatest teachers are in their 60s and 70s, because they’ve spent their lives learning about the subject they love and how to teach it.
However, it’s entirely possible to become a good teacher before you become a senior citizen. Keep reading to find out how.
How to Become a Good Music Teacher: Keep Your Eyes Open
You must be observant.
- Watch your students and teach them what they need in the moment, giving them the information that will help them accurately execute the actions required by the music.
- For example, if a student peaks too soon or too late on a crescendo, mark points in the score where the music should get louder.
- Then, model the teaching point by playing it on the instrument.
Push your students as hard as you can without pushing them over the edge. You can push some students harder than others, while others still can’t be pushed at all.
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, rotate your screen 90o to the right.
A lot of teaching is trial and error.
- Why? Because each student is different.
- Therefore, if one teaching strategy doesn’t stick, then switch to the next, and the next, and the next until you find the one that works for your student.
- For example, if a piano student has problems reading notes using clef mnemonics, try talking about how the grand staff is like a big 11-line staff, or color code the music, or use contour lines.
In a classroom, where you have multiple students, this will take the form of differentiated learning. This allows you to both teach and assess from multiple angles.
How to Become a Good Music Teacher: Be Honest and Entertaining
Teachers are conveyors of truth.
- All the information you’re teaching, to the best of your ability, must be accurate and true.
- However, if you’re critiquing a student, saying the truth doesn’t mean you have to be harsh.
- You should always strive to build up your student, but not at the expense of sacrificing an honest assessment of what skills the student needs to work on.
For example, you can use phrases like “we need to work on [technique]…” or “let’s tighten it up…”
There’s nothing worse than a boring teacher
- You must teach in a way that captures the attention of your students.
- You can crack jokes and tell entertaining stories.
- Also, you should use pictures, charts, and graphics because a week later your students will remember 10% of what you said, but 60% of the graphics you used.
- You must vary the tone of your voice and the speed of your delivery.
- If you teach using a monotone voice, you’ll put your students to sleep.
The following links will show you music lesson software that can help you prepare music training exercises as well as help you keep organized.
Final Thoughts
Takeaway points:
- If one teaching strategy doesn’t stick, then switch to the next, and the next, and the next until you find the one that works for your student.
- Use pictures, charts, and graphics because a week later your students will remember 10% of what you said, but 60% of the graphics you used.
- Model the teaching point by playing it on the instrument.
Have fun teaching!
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