I’m the first to admit that I’m not perfect. As much as I plan, organize, sort and laminate ;)… I still teach lessons that go sideways.
But over the years I’ve learned that there are certain mistakes that I absolutely cannot make. At the end of every summer, just before my fall term starts, I remind myself of these mistakes so that troubles from the past do not repeat themselves.
Today we’re sharing the 9 piano teaching mistakes that I won’t be making this fall. Learn from my blunders and start your year off with a heaping helping of success!
Whoops… Don’t Do These 9 Things When Teaching Piano!
Here’s my list of the 9 mistakes piano teachers will want to avoid. After reading my list, we’d love to hear from you! What is the one piano teaching mistake that you’ll never make again? Share in the comments at the end of this post.
Mistake #1 – Neglecting to Follow Up After a Difficult Lesson
We’ve all had lessons where the child we were teaching had some sort of difficulty. Perhaps he was frustrated, upset or confused. Maybe he had had a bad day at school and it carried over into his lesson time. Maybe he was downright defiant and difficult. No matter what the cause, I never forget to send a kind and caring follow-up email to Mom and Dad immediately after I finish the teaching day.
Following up shows you care about their child and that you’re in tune with his feelings. It also helps parents to understand the mood of their child as he left piano lessons and gives them the opportunity to be involved in preventing a recurrence of the problem.
Mistake #2 – Missing The Opportunity To Congratulate
When teaching children it’s important to set attainable goals… frequently. When piano students reach these goals, it’s equally important to congratulate them in a meaningful way. Forgetting to celebrate progress and inspire feelings of pride are missed opportunities to connect your students with the piano in a lasting way.
Creating “sought-after honors” in your piano studio is a fabulous way of maintaining motivation and of congratulating students for a job well done.
Mistake #3 – Not Videotaping The Very First Piano Lesson
I kick myself every time I watch my senior students perform. What I wouldn’t give to have a video of their very first piano lessons to show to them and their parents!
These days I videotape my students at their very first lessons and also at their first lessons of every year. This provides a great way of tracking progress over the course of a year or many years; something that is inspiring to both students and their parents.
Mistake #4 – Waiting To Include Supplementary Repertoire
I used to wait to supplement method books until my students were in Book 1 or 2 of their method book series. I (incorrectly) assumed that my students were excited enough about the piano because it was new and novel.
Now I know that the value in including supplementary repertoire from the very beginning isn’t simply about keeping my students motivated. Supplementing method books with additional repertoire (from Day 1) means that my students see varied repertoire right from the beginning, have the chance to hyper-focus on one aspect of technique, and learn that music can look and sound different than typical pattern-based method book music.
As an added bonus, concepts that method books wait to introduce (such as 8va markings, pedal, etc.) are often found in supplementary repertoire, meaning my students learn to welcome challenges and “newness” with ease right from the get-go.
Looking for supplementary repertoire for every level in your studio? A membership to Teach Piano Today’s PianoBookClub means your studio receives brand new music every month, keeping your repertoire choices varied, interesting and fun! Find out how $8 can turn into a studio-licensed book of music here.
Mistake #5 – Not Connecting With Parents On A Personal Level
I’m as professional as I can be when running my piano studio. However, learning to balance professionalism with a good dose of personality and approachability has been an important skill I’ve learned.
Finding opportunities to connect with parents on a personal level has become an effective way to eliminate most of my “piano studio headaches”. Remembering birthdays, sending small notes of personal thanks, sharing a good laugh, and popping them a thoughtful and unexpected email with praise for their child are all ways that I now build relationships with my piano studio parents.
Mistake #6 – Missing The Chance To Teach Using Hands-On Materials
When teaching a new concept I save a lot of lesson time and eliminate long-winded explanations by by using hands-on methods and materials.
Kids are not generally programmed to learn new concepts by being “talked at”. By pulling out hands-on materials, learning becomes meaningful and (most importantly)… memorable.
Mistake #7 – Neglecting To Get To Know My Students’ Siblings
As a new piano teacher, I quickly learned that the best advertising was word-of-mouth… and that the ultimate word-of-mouth occurred within the families of the students I was already teaching. Siblings were often present in my studio waiting for their brothers or sisters. And while I tended to focus only on my student, I quickly learned that getting to know my students’ siblings was really important.
Including siblings in lesson activities (where appropriate), greeting them by name, remembering things that were important to them, or offering them a sticker or a treat resulted in a very large percentage of those siblings then becoming my piano students.
Mistake #8 – Forgetting That Teens Need Off-The-Bench Time Too
I was guilty of this for years… my teens rarely “acted out” and so I assumed that staying on the bench for a full 45 minutes was not a problem. Flash-forward several years and I’ve now learned my lesson.
Teens are much more engaged in their lessons if you provide them with varying activities, just as you would with your young students. Plus, concepts are more easily retained when they are learned in an active or game-based setting. Avoid assuming your teens are “too cool” for games, manipulatives, white board time, and rhythm instruments.
Mistake #9 – Forgetting to Invite Parents Into Lessons Frequently
When I was a young teacher there were some parents that I spoke to once or twice a term. Their children were dropped off and picked up and they responded to emails… but they were not involved in the actual lesson experience in any way. After many years of shrugging my shoulders and assuming this was okay, I now know that it is my job to invite parents into lessons frequently and that this is imperative to the long-term happiness of my piano families.
Inviting parents into the last 5 minutes of a lesson means that they have the opportunity to observe the fabulous materials and methods you use to create a thriving lesson environment. Including parents in simple duets or piano game play during these few minutes (instead of having them simply watch in a passive role) is a great way of inspiring “bonding on the bench”… which then often carries over into home practice.
What Mistakes Do You Now Avoid Making?
We’d love to hear from you! What mistakes have you learned from? Share your #1 “I’ll never forget to do this again” in the comments below.
Betty Lange says
Each student gets a file folder with clear sleeves to put special exercises or theory work sentences like a journal I make, about them, and also songs I print out from my computer that they ask to play not available for their level.
Andrea says
Great ideas Betty! Thanks for sharing 🙂
LadyD says
I now use a photo prop for picture taking and make a video of their first lesson. Students photos have a special place in my studio, especially a Welcome WunderKeys bulletin board. I want to make a special notebook cover w/ their name on it and add the 30-day challenge and a duet inside. I will try to schedule a fun 10 min. game to do together. Send them on their way with a special ‘Welcome Back’ goodie bag and a hug until next time! Great advice, Andrea. Thank you!
Mary says
Could you tell me about the 30 day challenge and where so you get duets? Thanks
Andrea says
All sounds lovely LadyD! Glad you are using photo props – I’ve found that those have made a really big difference in my studio too 🙂
Elaine says
sounds amazing! What do you include in your welcome back goodie bag?
Christy says
I totally agree with supplementing method books with other repertoire. My students will spend extra practice learning a challenging piece that’s “fun” (including classics). However, I have found it somewhat difficult to find supplemental music for my early beginners…the pre-readers and early staff readers.
Elizabeth E says
Christy, the Dows on this site have created Wunderkeys for pre-readers, so maybe they have some supplemental music as well. Some of the places I’ve had real success with supplemental music and pre-reading students are Music for Little Mozart’s go to Hollywood book and http://www.susanparadis.com.
Barbara says
I also have problems finding repertoire pre readers.
Heidi says
Try the Piano Safari Technical Exercises and Rote Pieces book! It is their supplementary book that you can add in with whatever method you are using. My students and I have been loving it! There are some teacher/student duets you can teach from the first lesson already. Also some solo pieces. They sound interesting and bigger than most early levels. As they are rote pieces, they don’t have to be able to read music in order to play fun and impressive music!
Stephanie says
All of my students are beginners, but I started wanting to teach them more songs than just out of their method books last year. It’s been an interesting experience for me, and pretty enjoyable. Since I wasn’t really sure what type of music to use, I asked each of them what kind of music they’d be interested in playing. True, I had to start naming suggestions and they either said yes or no but it worked. My students love their new repertoire.
Carol DuBe says
On their very first lessons, I take their pictures at the piano and give, not email, a copy to the parents. Emails get deleted too easily. That way they look at it! Also, through the years, I do the same mailing through the post with announcements in a letter and whatever is pertinent to each student. I also give a “getting to know you”sheet every fall for to fill out and return…even my grandson! They seem to write things I never knew about them! Sure is fun reading them, especially when we start the lesson.
Melinda says
Would you be willing to share your getting to know you questions? I know there’s a ton of ideas out there in general, but do you have any specific to music that you like to ask or anything you think is unique?
Linnea Good says
I was going to ask the same thing!
Barbara says
So was I!
Elaine says
I too am interested in your Getting to Know you questions.
Natalie Whittington says
I agree with “connecting with parents”. They are my biggest source of referrals for new students each year! This year I decided to have a Piano Parent Night. It was very successful and gave me a chance to go over goals and expectations and them a chance to just network and have a few minutes of adult-only time.
Jenna says
I’m intrigued, Natalie! Could you please share what goes on at a Piano Parent Night? How formal do you make it? Thanks in advance!
Hope says
I connect with parents and siblings right away. And I am very close to all the parents and keep them updated on how their child is doing. I do not videotape their lessons, but I take pictures of them when they first start, and they get a kick out of seeing how they have grown. I occasionally tape duets but that is it. We are just one big happy family over here, and I encourage my students to get to know each other too.
Andrea says
Great idea Natalie! Face-to-face interactions are so important and effective 🙂
Nancy says
I have just retired, but one thing I did, was give each student, at the conclusion of their piano studies, a CD (or 2) with their best pieces on it, beginning asap. Having a Clavinova as part of my studio made this an easy thing to do. It was as much fun for me as for the students to hear an audial record (no pun intended!) of their progress.