How Old Were You When You Started Teaching?, and how did you get into teaching? Options

[Cyrilla]

My situation is a bit different because I trained as a class teacher - so I began teaching at 21. I was a class teacher (Reception to Year 4) for 11 years then took the plunge and went part-time - partly because, although there were aspects of class teaching I loved, there was far more that I didn't love, and partly because I had started teaching at Guildhall on Saturdays and it was just too much to do that on top of full-time class teaching.

The music only very gradually started taking over, and it was only when I got a job in a primary school abou 13 years ago, under the most stupendously wonderful head teacher ever, and I was allowed to just teach only Kodály to all the classes in the school, that I really started honing my skills and I started to feel that I really understood what teaching music was all about.

I first started teaching adults in September 1991 (I'd just done the Kodály Advanced Diploma and the two fearsome old Hungarians who examined us thought I was the best of the bunch that year and so I got asked to start teaching the Elementary Level (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) ). It was quite a baptism of fire as I had no syllabus to help and had not done this level as a year-course myself - it used to take me at least 4 hours to plan and prepare for a 3-hour class...

I have to keep pinching myself when I realise that I've now been teaching for 30 years in total *large gulp (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) * - and I'm still learning how to do this most special of jobs (incidentally, I'm earning a good £15K a year less now than I would be if I was still a class teacher (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) ).

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Dulciana]

I have to keep pinching myself when I realise that I've now been teaching for 30 years in total *large gulp (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) * - and I'm still learning how to do this most special of jobs (incidentally, I'm earning a good £15K a year less now than I would be if I was still a class teacher (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) ).

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

With reference to another thread, if I'm allowed to do that - the average earnings thread - nobody would dispute your worth, no matter what you earn!

[Rosemary7391]

I'm 16, and a person from work has asked me to give her daughter some private tutoring in Math... Needless to say I am scared!!

[BusyBee]

I started teaching when I was 20 going on 21. It was a transitional time between nearly joining London City Ballet, trying to earn enough money waitressing on Saturday evenings to pay for my point shoes (about £10 a week - a lot then) and moving house with my parents. The decision to teach came like a bolt from the blue and was totally unexpected - it was instantly the right thing to do. I gave up ballet - suddenly and without regret. I watched my mother teach some young beginners for a few weeks and I took on my first pupil at 4.00 on a Wednesday afternoon. I was so completely bowled over with the whole thing. I was supervised by my parents (I couldn't have done it all alone). Later I took up ballroom and Latin dancing for fun and did some children's ballet teaching one day a week - so it wasn't all wasted (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jojo]

I was 16 and I first started teaching my ex boyfriend's sister just because she was doing GCSE music.
Then I taught my friend.
Then my ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend's sister's friend.
Then a boy my mum used to look after when he was a wee baby.
Then my friend's boyfriend.
Then my ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend's sister's friend's mum's friend's son.
Then a woman I used to work with's daughter.
Then the woman I used to work with's next door neighbour and her daughter.
Then the woman I used to work with's niece.

I am now 20, and never looked back.

your 'ex-boyfriend' gave you a lot of work, did he get any incentives for it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif)

[captaintau]

I don't teach music (######, I can barely play) but I do Coach. I starting assisting with the juniors when I was 15 or 16. I ran my first class alone when I was 22 I think and opened a club when I was 25

[jas_eng]

i started teaching violin when i was about 16.. it was a favour for one of my uncle's friend who opened a small private music school.. i was quite scared as i wasn't that good at my violin.. with only a grade 5..

then i signed up as a piano teacher at a more established private music school when i was 17 and have been teaching there until now!! im about 20 now.. so ive been teaching piano for more than 2 years..

more and more students are coming to me and i feel very accomplished, knowing that ive touched some lives.. as my students progress up the grades, i feel that i need to upgrade myself even more!! i hope to enrol for a music degree course, but do not know where to.. any suggestions??

[sarah-flute]

Formally - ie giving lessons and being paid for it - when I was about 23 I think. Informally, ie helping others on - no idea - many years!

[DaisyChain]

I was 42 and had been having lessons for just over two years! I was forever asking questions of my tutor, and was keen to learn everything. By the time I sat grade 5 in piano and theory, my tutor recommended I start to teach! At first, I thought I didn't know enough, and wouldn't be any good, but I have enjoyed it on the whole! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[bevpiano]

I was 19 (rather a long time ago now!) & it was my teacher's suggestion. She thought I'd love it & I did. I'd always known I wanted a career in music & was studying it full-time, but hadn't known exactly what path to take. I sson became hooked & have done it ever since.

[jenny]

I was 19 (rather a long time ago now!) & it was my teacher's suggestion. She thought I'd love it & I did. I'd always known I wanted a career in music & was studying it full-time, but hadn't known exactly what path to take. I sson became hooked & have done it ever since.

Going off topic a bit here, but just wanted to share this with you all. I have a lovely 10 year old piano student (just done Grade 2) who works really hard and is eager to learn about so many things and has already decided that she wants to be a music teahcer when she grows up. I felt so thrilled when she told me! Also, I recently spoke to her dad (he's decided to have piano lessons too) and he said that "she lives to play the piano".

[Rosemary7391]

Formally - ie giving lessons and being paid for it - when I was about 23 I think. Informally, ie helping others on - no idea - many years!

Sometimes I feel like a talking fingering chart in Orchestra!!

[jo.clarinet]

Here entereth the geriatric starter.
I only started teaching at the age of about 32. I'd been teaching my own oldest child, who did very well very quickly, and a couple of friends asked me to teach their children too. It just snowballed from there. I'd given up my 'day job' on having babies, and somehow ended up with a night job instead!

I began in a very similar way to you, Dulciana, though I was a bit younger when I started teaching (28). I'd fully intended to go back to work soon after having my first child at 23, but when it came down to it I just couldn't bear the thought, and we decided that despite the loss of income I would stay as a full-time mum with them for their first few years.

After I began teaching my own children and it became obvious that they were doing well, I was absolutely inundated with parents of my children's friends asking me to teach theirs too. At first I taught only piano, but gradually took on more and more recorder students (many of my pupils do both with me), and now recorder teaching forms the greater proportion of my work. Over the last couple of years I have started to gather clarinet pupils as well. It all makes for a very nice variety of repertoire in the lessons. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I also found that it was an ideal job to combine with having the children at home, and gradually upped my hours as they got more independent. I really enjoy teaching and can't think of any other job I would prefer! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[diapason]

well i did a few lessons while i was at high school for pocket money when i was 15/16! but started properly when i was 18

Hooray (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif) - so there IS another teacher of electronic organ/keyboard on the forum (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I started teaching at 19 whilst working at Boosey & Hawkes in London. They were having to farm their organ/piano customers out to a music school in Finchley (Lillian Eden - anyone remember her?) until I was appointed as Demonstrator/in-house teacher.......that was in the early 70's

[barry-clari]

Would have been while I was at uni, so I'd have been...umm...twenty-one. My first pupil was a grade 5-ish standard clarinettist. A very conscientious pupil, and a good introduction to instrumental tuition for me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)