It’s pretty hard to keep Trevor and I entertained. We are not the type to spend the day at home puttering. On the weekends, our house acts as a place to pack a lunch and then crash into bed at night. So when the city closest to us advertised an air show on Sunday afternoon, we took off with the girls to enjoy the fun.
The air show was amazing. A bi-plane did acrobatics, a bomber whizzed by, a man was lowered out of a helicopter, people jumped from a plane onto the beach… all pretty exciting stuff.
My kids watched for exactly 10 minutes and then busied themselves finding rocks in the sand, cart wheeling, and burying their head in driftwood. Trevor and I spent most of our time at the air show saying “Lexi, look! Those two planes just dive bombed each other! Halle, look! That plane is just falling from the sky! Lexi, look… that plane is upside down!” They’d give a token glance and then continue some other activity.
Now, our two girls are pretty easy kids. They do what they’re asked when they’re asked. They pay attention. They understand rules. One would label them as “good kids” in a classroom setting. They are not the type of children that you typically think of as being hard to focus.
Even the ‘Quiet’ Kids Need To Change Focus
So how does this relate to piano teaching? It was just one more clear example of how all young children need frequent changes of focus no matter their age, the activity or their personality. Even the quiet “well-behaved” kids need changes of focus.
This was a good reminder for me! If bombers whizzing over their heads couldn’t hold their attention for more than 10 minutes, how could sitting on a piano bench compete?! Lexi is your typical well-behaved piano student – but her brain still needs to shift… to focus on something new. Those quiet children sitting on your bench may appear to be focused for the entire lesson, but they will retain so much more if the activities are varied frequently.
Shifting Focus Can Be Productive
Our podcast with Dr. Christine Carter discussed the benefits changing activities frequently; our retention is better and more long-term if we do so. So how can we change focus in a piano lesson in a productive way that doesn’t become distracting or 3-ring-circus-like?
7 simple ways piano teachers can change focus in a piano lesson:
1. Include listening activities in your lessons: We recently posted a listening game that encourages your students to learn how to actively listen to music. Listening skills an essential part of musical education and are a great way to take a playing break mid-lesson.
2. Designate an area of your studio as the “game zone” and play your theory games away from the bench. A slight change in environment can be just what your student needs.
3. Invite parents in for demonstrations: Inviting someone else into the room shifts focus, but is also a great way to include parents in home practice by giving them first-hand knowledge of what their child is working on.
4. Break pieces up into small chunks and play ‘Simon Says’: My students love this activity as it turns their piece into a game. Use colored markers, stickers or tape to highlight different sections of his current piece. It’s most effective if you seek out melodic or rhythmic patterns and color cod them accordingly. Then say “Simon says play a blue section. Simon says play a yellow section. Simon says play a purple measure.” Once in awhile throw in a command that doesn’t include “simon says” and see if you can catch them!
5. Use Technology: As long as your use of a tablet or smartphone is purposeful (meaning you’re using it for a specific purpose, not just because it is “technology”) then this can provide a great brain-break. And you don’t always need to be playing games. Recording your student playing and then watching it back together, comparing her performance with a Youtube performance, playing along with backing tracks, using a notation program as a part of your ear training… these are all great “non-game” uses of technology.
6. Switch Places: Students learn SO much from taking on the role of the teacher. When starting a new piece, switch chairs and plant yourself on the bench. Have your student lead you through the steps of decoding a new piece of music from the teacher chair.
7. Use a whiteboard: There is just something about a whiteboard that kids love. If you place it away from your piano in your studio then you can use this as a break from the bench. Check out these ways of teaching theory on a whiteboard for some ideas.
Teaching a Varied Lesson = More Focused Students
Piano teachers often fall into one of two traps: 1) We try to be so amazingly fun and full of activities and ideas that we miss out on “good ol’ teaching” or 2) We fall into routines and forget that our little students need to move and re-focus no matter what their disposition.
Finding a balance that allows for frequent changes of focus that are still productive and effective is key in providing the best lesson experience for your students. And these changes in focus don’t need to be earth shattering… or even death defying (as my kids demonstrated for me today). Kids need variety, but variety can be simple.
Barb Grout says
I have a mini-tramp and balance board in my studio. It only takes a short break to help re-focus (5 jumps— maybe in time to singing a section from the piece they are working on or 10 seconds on the balance board)…. Voila! New student!
Barbara says
What a great, great idea! I have a balance board and it will be making it’s way to lessons this week. Thank you for sharing the fun!
Barbara says
I just love how you and Trevor relate “the-rest-of-life” to piano. The synchronicities are pretty amazing when you think about it, but you two have a real knack for putting it into words.
Dr. Carter’s podcast was very informative and I think varying activities can even make us better teachers. I think I can get pretty boring when I just keep teaching the same things, the same way. I’m so glad I found teachpianotoday.com to shake things up in my little piano-teaching world. Thank you for all you do Andrea and Trevor.
Sandra says
I use bongo drums with my younger students. There are many ways to use them — keeping a beat; rhythmic patterns; teaching the relative emphasis of beats within a bar — they also can be used to teach evenly paced changes in tempo, or gradual crescendos and diminuendos. It provides a change of activity while also being a learning opportunity.
Other suggestions: some students like to learn a song. I’m all for this because singing provides them with a sense of melody. …And restless kids benefit from getting off the bench and doing a quick series of yoga stretches. It is amusing and it relaxes them.
I will be watching this thread to see what other teachers do to shake things up a bit!
Emilynn says
I printed out different fun worksheets and a blank grand staff, and put them in sheet protectors. My students use dry erase markers to do the worksheets and it is 10 times more fun than just doing the worksheet!
lynn kiesewetter says
Bongos is a great idea for running through a beginning song to tap out the music with 2 hands. I’ve been doing it on our laps or on piano lid. What is a good inexpensive but decent sounding brand, SANDRA? I don’t have a music store nearby and need to order online. Thanks
Melene says
I use boomwhackers in the same way the bongos can be used and the students love it. It’s amazing how quickly they have helped a student “hear” the rhythm correctly when they step away from playing the song on the piano and just focus on the boomwhackers. I just have them use one in each hand and the notes may or may not match up with the notes of the song. Here’s a link to purchase them if interested. http://www.amazon.com/Rhythm-Instruments-BWDG-Boomwhackers-Diatonic/dp/B00004TT3F/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402427584&sr=8-1&keywords=boomwhackers
Sandra says
I got my son in law to buy mine because I trusted him to pick well. Mine are ‘Matador’. I’ve been happy with them.
Beth Yantz says
Someone sat in on my lessons today! Which one of you was it? I used a semi-circle tambourine on a small board, on the students’ laps. It was large enough for them to tap the rhythms for each hand and they sight read their music, hands together, rhythm only. They mostly thought it would be easily done, but some were surprised with the challenge it presented. Plus, this was the first hands together sight reading for a couple of them. It will happen again! Love the ideas you all share. Thanks so much!!!
SarahM says
I love teaching adults and they appreciate changing focus in the lesson, too. Their attention spans are usually very good, but when I’ve changed the focus/activity 2 -3 times (playing, listening, problem-solving,etc.) they always comment on how fast the lesson went. It’s great for the brain in problem solving …. often times new solutions and possibilities pop up when a certain area being worked on has time to rest and can work in the background.
Evelyn Michaels says
If you have a smart phone, ipad or tablet, there are apps that mimic drums, bongos and different instruments. Also metronomes.
I love using my timer on my phone when playing games with the kids. They work hard to “beat the clock”.