Lesson Preparation, How much time do you spend? Options

[idiotmatthew]

Just wondering..

How much time (roughly) do you normally spend on preparing for an instrumental lesson (from beginer to diploma levels)? For school teachers, how long do you spend on preparing a class lesson?

And how much time do you spend on preparing for a theory lesson?

Do you usually go through the teaching materials beforehand?

For private teachers, do you usually end the lesson exactly on time (within 2 mins) or would you let the lesson over- run a bit?

cheers.

[Dulciana]

That's a pretty big question, and there is no black and white answer - certainly not from me, anyway, because I play it very much by ear as far as my pupils are concerned. My preparation is not so much specific time spent, as thinking about someone during the course of the week. Some pupils are very easy, because they are so responsive; I tell them what to do, and they do it. Others require a little more motivation, and others particularly like to do theory worksheets - whether or not they need to!

If someone is struggling with a particular technique - like an alberti bass, for instance - I'll be thinking throughout the course of the week about what I know of that might help - maybe another (easier) piece that has an alberti bass, that they could take home and play with in order to improve their technique in the piece that they're working on.
So - specific prep time - very little - but thinking time - lots!

[Dulciana]

I forgot about over-running! I deliberately have all my higher grade pupils last in the evening, so that over-running isn't a problem. If they're being picked up, I tell the parents to assume that it's a 40 minute lesson instead of 30. At other times - yes, sometimes things over-run if we're in the middle of something particularly important. I just let the next one over-run as well, or add it on next week. No one loses out.

[Violinia]

After doing the CTABRSM course I was determined to make written lesson plans and write a report after every lesson, and did manage it for a while. However, as my pupil numbers began to increase I just found it impossible to keep up in that way, especially in schools when three or four kids troop in at once, and then another three or four...

So now I jot the odd thing down but cope mainly by thinking about each pupil on the day of their lesson, focussing in on what they're playing, what they need and how to take them forward. It seems to work well, although I still feel it would be better still to write well-organised plans and reports and put it all onto the computer afterwards. I know some teachers do this, but have no idea how they find the time!!!

Perhaps I should make it my New Year's resolution.

Hey! Amazing thought has just struck - instead of writing reports down (too time-consuming) - I could quickly make a lesson report using the Edirol-09. YES!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This has just proved the benefits of writing things down - as I wrote my thoughts about all this, the idea of using the Edirol struck. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Re lesson times, I do get carried away from time to time, but usually the mum turns up if it's a kid, or the next student's knocking on the door. I do have to watch my tendency to run over time if it's an adult pupil and there's no one picking them up and no one just after them. But sometimes - heigh-ho - who cares? If you're both having fun and something's being learned, then no matter.

Violinia

NB The Edirol-09 is a fantastic teachers' tool - a very high quality mini sound recorder. For lesson reports you could just as easily use a simple voice recorder, though.

[jod]

NB The Edirol-09 is a fantastic teachers' tool - a very high quality mini sound recorder. For lesson reports you could just as easily use a simple voice recorder, though.

Violinia, I couldn't agree more. I don't usually record pupils lessons (but of course could) where I find it invaluable is as a way of making recordings of accompaniments available to pupils. I play them, record them and burn them onto CD Rom. They are only for practice purpose and I do not charge. (I don't charge for sheet-music purchased through schubertline either).

As for lesson prep. I have a general scheme of work that I aim to cover over the course of half a term, and lessons take the form of technique/scales, pieces aural and sight-reading. As for teaching the piano to beginners once I have a selected which tutorial I'm going to use then it's set out in the book. Then once I've got to Prep test level/Grade 1 (depending on whether that pupil is going to do a prep test then the familiar pattern commences. Depending what trends occur in notebooks, I may spend a lesson on practice technique for example, but I like to think that things are sturctured into a logical pattern and that good progress is made.

As for over-running, because people tend to pay by the lesson, it is the overlap where the problems arise. Normally I sort things out by writing both invoices/receipts out at the same time and the saying a final goodbye and hello to the next pupil at the same time.

Pupils know they won't be short-changed, but sometimes I end up cutting it a bit fine on collecting the kids from after-school club.

Jo

[Lavender1]

Ooo - could you tell me more about edirol-09? Is that the exact name? What does it do?

[Car Expert]

Ooo - could you tell me more about edirol-09? Is that the exact name? What does it do?

Have a look at this thread (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

Car Expert

[Susie]

The amount of prep I do depends on the level of the pupil. Up to about grade 1 or 2, it can be as little as 10 minutes thinking time, or perhaps even less if I concentrate hard! Then up to about grade 5 it goes up a bit, maybe 15 - 20 minutes, but this would be spread over the week, and then above grade 5 much more, with preparation of pieces, or aural. Most of my pupils are below grade 5 so when I do have a higher grade pupil, it means I probably spend much more time on the prep than someone who teaches several pupils at this level. (In addition to this there is time spent learning new exam pieces, trying out repertoire etc)

The main thing that I find most helpful is writing up notes from the lesson - what we have done and anything special to remember for next lesson. This has the effect of almost preparing the next lesson straightaway. I too have done the CT course and agree with preparation for each pupil, but I think on a more long term basis like Jo, because sometimes a pupil will come along with an unexpected problem and I find that I'm worrying that I haven't completed everything I had on my list, rather than devoting all my attention to sorting out the pupil's problem.

I'm interested in this edirol thing though, for recording pupils, because I think my trusty tape recorder may become obsolete soon. How big are edirol's?

[Dulciana]

On the occasions, earlier on in my teaching career, when I tried very hard to have everything planned and time-tabled, I came to the conclusion that this is actually counter-productive. The great advantage of one-to-one tuition is that we can respond to the moment. It is in this respect that I have learnt a great deal from a teenager who goes to a private school, where the ethos seems to be that, as far as possible, learning should be student-led. Early on in my teaching, I tried to adhere to the set of goals that I had set myself for a particular pupil in a particular lesson, but I found these at odds with the goals that this particular child had in mind for himself. Eventually we came to an understanding; I outline what needs done, and he decides what he would like to focus on in that particular lesson. At the end of the lesson we agree on what our aims are for next time. This would not work for every pupil, as many are so spoon-fed that they are incapable of any self-discipline at all, never mind deciding upon their own goals, and these ones need to be told very specifically what to do, but I have found myself very humbled by this (now) teenager who is so much in charge of his own destiny. "This is what I have worked on. These are the problems I have had. No, let's leave aurals till next week. I'd really like to get my head round this before I move on." Planning in advance for this individual is a waste of time, but there are no other cases where I feel so rewarded and so appreciated!

[Cyrilla]

I'm not an instrumental teacher but now exclusively teach Kodaly musicianship to all ages from 4+.

Currently I teach 7 classes (each between 30 and 36 pupils) plus choir and music assembly to 4-11 year-olds in a state primary and five classes (each between 7 and 10 students) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (also the Junior Choir there - 18 students Years 5-8). I have two hour-long classes of 6 teenagers and three evening classes of solfege for adults. I also have a number of students who come for individual lessons (and I'll be starting a new exclusive group fortnightly soon (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ).

That's the regular stuff - I also run quite a lot of INSET sessions, CT ABRSM sessions, holiday and weekend courses (I've just been asked to teach three musicianship classes plus choir for 3-10 year-olds all learning Suzuki violin in Hampstead this Sunday. Aargh! I don't DO three-year-olds but I guess it will be character-building (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) . (I'm also currently working on my two Big Plans (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) which are very time-consuming...).

I plan every lesson and write it up afterwards. If I didn't do this I'd never keep track of what I've done with which group!

A very big part of Kodaly training is the structure of a lesson - ideally every activity should lead seamlessly into the next and each should prepare for the next so that the transition and learning are as smooth as possible. The three stages of learning - unconscious learning, making conscious and reinforcement (ie Preparation, Presentation and Practice) are present in every lesson. Whilst one concept is being introduced unconsciously another is being introduced and another practised and/or met in a new context or situation.

This is SO hard! Much, MUCH harder than learning the techniques and repertoire! BUT the benefits are infinite, both for the learners and for me. Even with all the experience I now have it still takes me a minimum of 15 minutes to write up each lesson and plan the next one.

Each two-hour solfege class takes around two hours to prepare for. Preparation for a day's workshop would take around 3 hours or so.

So - my grotty maths tells me that I teach a minimum of 21 groups a week and the planning time for that is, at the very least, 11 and a half hours. Eeep. I don't think I ever worked it out like this before!

At one time I was teaching 31 classes a week and it nearly killed me...

I wouldn't do any other job though!

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[barry-clari]

Depends very much on the pupil here : some will need very little planning, some quite a lot. My planning is pretty flexible though - my planning usually goes along the lines of 'I would like to cover x, y and z', and then I let the lesson take its natural course : sometimes we finish at z, sometimes we get beyond z, sometimes we stop short of z, and carry what hasn't been done over to the next lesson. I hope you all get what I mean here!!!

One thing I do which I find invaluable is I keep a record of what all of my pupils have done/can do/grades passed etc. This helps me in my teaching considerably. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

quick edit : and sometimes we cover x, y and z via other unexpected routes : a surprise or two does no harm at all! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Cyrilla]

Something barry said made me think - it is now the 'done thing' in schools for the children (including the four year-olds) to be told what each lesson's 'learning intention' is before it starts. (They then do the lesson then have a plenary in which they say 'I have reached my target. I have learned xxx.') (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

I was horrified last year when doing a creative response lesson on Tallis' 'Spem in Alium' (I didn't have much of a voice so couldn't do my usual stuff). When I asked this bright Year 6 class to start to write down what they had been telling me verbally one of them asked, 'What's the learning intention?' and I nearly burst.

I remember saying to the class, 'You do realise that if you are told, 'You are going to learn x in this lesson' then that is ALL you will learn and you will never go beyond it!' They looked at me dumbfounded - such a thought had never struck them as they are all so brainwashed into this tick-box mentality.

A couple of days later one of them said to me, 'Do your lessons have a learning intention?' 'What do you think?' I replied. She thought for a while then said, 'Yes, they do - but yours are hidden'. Hooray!

School education at the moment seems to leave hardly any scope for not getting to x, going beyond x or going off on a tangent to a different alphabet (Cyrillic?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ) altogether.

BAH.

Apologies for slight digression!

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[Violinia]

I was horrified last year when doing a creative response lesson on Tallis' 'Spem in Alium' (I didn't have much of a voice so couldn't do my usual stuff). When I asked this bright Year 6 class to start to write down what they had been telling me verbally one of them asked, 'What's the learning intention?' and I nearly burst.

This is awful - we're in danger of turning teachers and children alike into robots with all this. I have a pupil who always asks me when I present him with a new piece of music: 'what grade is this?' He can't get it into his head that 'grading' a piece has nothing to do with the composer but everything to do with the British exam grades system!

I know he means ' what sort of standard is it?' but it would be good if he could just trust that I'm always going to give him a piece that's right for him with maybe a few musical and technical challenges to help move him forward.

Mind you he does have Aspergers, which has a lot to do with his need to categorise everything, but aren't we creating a totally 'left-brain' system with all this blatant talk of 'learning intentions'?

Violinia

[Dulciana]

Cyrilla - I think we're all coming from the same place here. Obviously it's a little different when you're working with groups as opposed to individuals, but we seem to agree that it's not a good idea to put constraints on a lesson, as it can be very limiting. Thinking ahead is one thing, and I do most of this in my head rather than on paper, but to be too specific can cause problems - firstly, it's too linear, and doesn't always allow for the possibility of going off on a tangent if something unexpected comes up. And it all goes to the dogs if a pupil has decided to concentrate during the week on something other than what you said should be the main priority! I think flexibility in a teacher is more important than being a good pigeon-holer. (You only need to look at the state of my house to know that I'm not a good pigeon-holer! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) )

With higher grade students, though, I've started thinking in fortnights rather than in weeks, and we're starting to do pieces in one lesson and everything else in the next. Apart from the time limitations in a lesson slot, I think this gives them more opportunity to actually feel a sense of a achievement with the pieces, as I'm hearing the effects of two weeks' practice in a lesson rather than a week's. At post-Grade 5 they're less likely to get something basic totally wrong and cement it in in the way that an earlier grade pupil might in a fortnight.

EDIT - I wrote this before Violinia's post came up on the screen!

[Cyrilla]

Whilst I certainly do (as you can tell!) spend a lot of time planning the best possible lesson that I can, I am always prepared to go off on a tangent or to not get through everything that I intended.

I feel sure that the best scenario is careful planning combined with flexibility!

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