I'm not really thinking of attempting the LRSM anytime soon but I wonder if anyone else had and how they'd managed the video of their teaching practice? It isn't the being videoed that bothers me, but the technology of doing so - do you need a lot of special equipment?

Anyone tried this before?

David

I haven't done the teaching dips but I always just assumed setting up the vid in the corner and letting it run was sufficient.

The syllabus seems to give the impression it should be edited with captions added but I might have misread it!

I did the LRSM teaching in 2003 and basically I just set up the family camcorder on a tripod and switched it on at the beginning and off when I'd reached the required time or finished the task. I wasn't uncomfortable myself although slightly nervous of forgetting anything, but my biggest problem was the ten year old pupil who simply loved the camera and could not settle down! He kept staring at the camera and grinning and talking very slowly with an exaggerated upper class accent, and when I asked him to sight read couldn't stop making faces at the camera long enough to look at the music. When I watched it back it was hilarious but I decided not to use it and picked another suitable pupil instead.
Overall it was pobably not technically very professional, but they commented on the good rapport I had with my pupils, and I think the technology doesn't matter very much, more that they get an honest and balanced view of you as a teacher.

Where did you position the video in the room and at what angle to the piano? I'm wondering whether it matters if the viewer can see the pupil's hands or not?

I positioned the camera about 6 feet away from the piano with a sideways angle so yes, the pupils hands could be seen. I positioned the pupil closest to the piano with me sitting on the other side, but positioned the camrea slightly above and looking down a little, so that I was also in view. As I quite often stand up and point to the music etc during a llesson this meant I could still be seen. It took a little time taking experimental takes to get the position right before pupils arrived but it was worth it.
I then took all the videos during my normal lesson schedule that same evening. Doing it this way meant the lessons had to be meticulously planned to make sure everything I wanted was included, but also meant I didn't have to set it all up again another day.

My teacher had been an LRSM examiner and told me to present as natural and relaxed picture of my normal lessons as possible showing a positive relationship with my students.

A good tip for the actual exam it to take in something you have devised yourself in response to a problem you have had with a pupil; even better if this is detailed in one of your case histories. I took some flashcards with different rhythms (a crotchets worth) on them that I had made.. My pupils beat 4 crotchets n a bar and have to change to each new rhythm as I hold up a card. This was in response to an adult who had problems reading rhythm and I have used it a lot since.

Thanks for this Julio. I will have a think more about the video when I've got Grade 8 theory out of the way