Can anyone offer help? I hope to take the Teaching Diploma in December. I would be really grateful for anyone who has taken this, to offer tips on the Written Submission - or even to let me have a look at theirs if it has done well. I don't know how theoretical/practical it should be. How "learned" should it be? Also, what is the Viva like? How much time is spent on the 3 Grade 6 pieces? What else have candidates been asked? Any help at all would be welcomed. Also, can anyone recommend a teacher - I live in West London.

I did the Diploma in teaching clarinet last summer. The written submission was not really that hard I don't think. Just make sure you've fully researched the area before writing it and you quote various sources. I got 23/25 for it!

The viva is based around your essay and classifies any points of uncertainty in it. I was also asked questions like, "How would you motivate a young boy who is lacking enthusiasm in playing?" I was also asked to teach the examiner to play clarinet as if he were a beginner using a pencil as a mouthpiece!

The playing bit in my exam was scary - firstly they asked if I had an accompanist?!! I said I didn't and they made me play all 3 pieces unaccompanied (which didn't work well with Brahms!) I then had to go into how I would teach certain technical aspects of those pieces.

Hope that help!

Hi Julia@piano

I have private messaged you about your query but thought I would add a brief note here too.
I have taken the three piano teaching diplomas (Dip, LRSM and FRSM). If you do a search on the Board around diplomas, DipABRSM that sort of thing you should find lots of discussion about the viva, submission etc. Or try typing in various peoples name
Margaret idiotmatthew appassionata yamaha are a few you might try. This should bring up some of the previous discussions.

If anyone else out there is thinking of the teaching diplomas please look at my website
www.diplomasupport.pianotuition.com

Thanks

Oh, just realised you posted on the teachers board. How about also posting on the diploma board. Just a thought

Hi

I am taking this exam myself in December. Just a thought, your post implies you haven't started your submission yet, is this correct? If so, you may like to know that the closing date for entries is 23rd September and the submission for the teaching dip must be sent WITH your entry. Sorry, I cant help more, I am in the dark myself really as this is my first attempt

Good Luck

Hi, i have just taken the piano teaching Dip last tuesday (6th sept). I didn't think i did well. However, if you have any questions about viva, i might be able to give you some ideas... (at least what they will be asking you).

I have another question: As i didn't do very well this time, i might consider a retake although i don't know whether i will pass or not. ie i am considering a retake anyway. However, i am in Hong Kong at the moment, and will be back to the UK for university. I know the closing date to submit the essay is 23rd of sept, and the exam date will be between 16th and 22nd of December (i think!). However, i will be back to hong kong for holiday, so i will not be able to take the exam in the uk during this period. I am asking if it is possible to make the exam later or earlier for this specific reason??? Can i again use my essay again to enter the exam??? As i know that i did ok on the essay. Anyone suggests what i could do?? I don't really want to miss the chance taking the exam in December...

Thanks!

Matthew

Why not wait until you get your result at least - you may have passed at least some of the sections if not all. Then you can consider retake options rather than a complete new entry which must be what you will be doing by entering for this next session by 23rd September. I'm not sure how the retake options work but i would expect the possibilty of entering for the next available session.(does that make sense? )

hi idiotmatthew

What makes you think you didnt do well? Also, how do you know you did well with the essay, did they tell you at the exam?

Please could you share your viva questions with us, it would be a big help

I really do feel that you should wait for your results, it seems a lot of money to spend if you feel there's a chance you could have passed. Is there a rush for you to get this qualification? The reason I ask is, if you don't think that you've done well enough to pass this time, then perhaps you're not ready to take the exam again yet and need a little more experience first. Please don't treat the exam as pot-luck taking it as many times as necessary as quickly as possible, think about preparation and ensuring you're more confident that you will pass (now you will have feedback and experience of what's expected if you wait). I'm not trying to put you down or say that you're not good enough, you may of course have passed, it's just that I think if you treated the exam (specifically the preparation for it) as an opportunity to question and improve your teaching rather than something you need to just keep going at until you pass without necessarily learning any more inbetween.


I had the same thoughts....


It's interesting actually a lot of people do this for the performance diploma; yet I don't think I've seen anyone do it for the teaching diploma. Not that I'm doing it, I'd just be interested to see what the questions are like (just being nosey ).

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, i just felt that i didn't do well.......... I don't know the reason!!! The only thing that i know is if i was given more time, i would have been able to explain things more clearly...... I was too nervous in the exam!!! The only thing that i know is if i could retake it, i could most probably get a higher mark, even if i do pass this time. I took grade 8 twice. The first time i got 123, and the second time i got 132. And my sister as well: first time she got a merit, but second time a distinction!! This can be explained: as in the 2nd time, at least i would have some ideas what they are going to ask me (or at least i know what are going to happen in that 1 hour!!!). I am always lack of confidence in exams..................... School exams and A-level public exams too....... I did not do GCSE or A-level music..... I am going to read Engineering at University. To be honest, it's not a hurry to get this qualification, as i am doing it just for the sake of getting it!! I am planning to find some part time jobs in the future, on top of a job in Engineering!!

Now, about the viva questions..... They are NOT difficult, but DO take time to think about them! The followings are some quesitons that i can remember:

1. Discussion about your essay: They asked me how would i include aural games into a lesson. What games would you include?

2. What would you do if a 12 years old boy refuse to sing at all?

3. Then i was invited to the piano. The examiner asked me to play the first grade 6 piece. He stopped me after a while. He the asked what would be the most difficult thing for a grade 6 student to learn in this piece, and how would you help them to overcome their problems??

4. "How does the sustaining pedal work? Please use this grade piano and show me."

If i can remember anymore, i would post them again on this board.

Can anyone answer me a question? I am from Hong Kong, and i know that people here do ask for your qualifications and consider them seriously. (this is the reason why i want to take a diploma) The stronger will survive!!! Quite harsh!! Well, i know........... Do British employers see qualifications of employees a vital thing?

Matthew

Hi idiotmatthew

Some more questions for you...............

What subject did you choose to write about for your submission?

Did you have to play all 3 of your grade 6 pieces or did you just play the one?

Were you asked many more questions? 4 questions doesnt seem a lot! I know you said thats all you can remember but roughly, a few more or lots more?

How do you think you did in the quick study?

To answer your question, private pupils very rarely ask about qualifications, quite odd really but they dont, in my experience that is. I am sure however that to teach in a school you would be asked and that a qualified person would stand a better chance than one who is not. I dont know for sure though as I only teach privately

Hi Yamaha!!!!

In reply to your questions:

1. I chose the essay topic "How would you introduce the fundamentals of your instrument (Piano for me!!) to a pupil with no music knowledge". I wrote 1950 words!!

2. Yes, definitely i need to play ALL 3 pieces. I have got a friend who has already passed this and she also told me to prepare EXTREMELY WELL about these 3 pieces. MOST of the discussion will be focused on these 3 pieces!!!!!! Quite scary.... The examiner will ask you to just play SOME of them -- not all. And then he will ask you some questions like "what is the most diffiuclt bit do you think in this piece and how would you teach your student to overcome this??". After you have answered questions from each piece, he will then ask you some questions related to the grade 6 piece, and ask you to show them your teaching materials that you have brought with you.

3. They seem to ask quite a lot of quesitons -- sometimes you don't really know whether it is actually a quesiton they are asking..... You just use your common sense to answer them and BE ENCOURAGING!!! They have asked A LOT MORE questions then i listed.

4. The quick study was AWFUL!!! When he showed me the piece..... OMG!! 20TH century music.......... It was in D minor...... but there were MOLES (1 mole = 6.023 X 10 ^23!!!!! in chemistry!! ) of accidentals!!!!! Pedallings were also a challenge! There were also some 4 against 3 notes!!!! I remember that i play through the whole piece 3 times in the 5 mins. And also i concentrated on difficult bits. However, the 5 mins passed REALLY quickly!!! I did play it steady when i was asked to perform, avoid stopping and correcting mistakes. I think (i think only!!) i did ok in the sight reading. Please DO really practise sight reading everyday!! "The more romatic pieces" or "Keyboard Anthology" are quite useful in practising grade 6 sight reading.


If there is anything else that you would like to know, please ask. However, i don't know the result of my dip, so i can just share my experience!!!

Matthew