Lesson Plans

[tubabernie]

I am just throwing this out to the private tuba teachers. I am to the point where teaching privatly is my full time job with my school district. They are requiring lesson plans each week. I have done them for general music and I have also done them for high school but never private lessons. Has anyone else ever had to do this and if so how do you go about writing one? Any adivce would be great.

[djwesp]

I think I would probably divide your students into 2 or 3 (maybe four levels). Then make a syllabus for each level and repertoire/capstones to reach the next level.


This would mean that you always have a chronological order and a progression process for each student (one that can be applied to new students over and over).

[dfear]

How do you tack the progress of each student? Do you give a weekly assignment to be completed at the next lesson?

You might see if your record keeping for each student can translate into an acceptable form of lesson plans?

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

I think breaking down the students into 3-4 groups is a good idea. I would include scales (adding tempo/ minor keys/ etc.) along solos (determined by the number of solos a student learns and the level of difficulty), in addition to the various types etudes you have them play.

I would find some sort of level of consistency within the music for each group and have the difficulty/ expectations increase each grading period. This is similar the system used at the conservatory I attended, but I am sure it can be altered for middle/ high school players.

TMB

[davet]

All right- I'm not a teacher of private lessons. I'm a public school teacher. BUT I've spent thousands on private lessons (cello, piano, violin, classical guitar, voice, flute) from elementary school through university level for my own kids.

The great teachers come to each lesson with a specific goal to be achieved. (It's usually the one that was most reciently taught and the one on which the student has been focusing during his daily practice.)

That goal IS the lesson plan for the student- easy to write- easily measurable (or progress toward it is measurable) if accountability on the part of the teacher (and/or student) is required.

So if a formal lesson plan is required it becomes relatively easy. Just ask, "What is my goal for this student at this lesson?", and "How will I know whether the goal has been achieved?" Or for fans of Mager (1962) "Minimum acceptable performance can be demonstrated by..."

This approach will be relatively easy for the good teacher since he is thinking this way anyhow, and the school administrator who is requiring the lesson plans will most likely find this approach acceptable.

More importantly- if these plans are communicated to the student and parent--- the student AND THE PARENT PAYING FOR THE PRIVATE LESSON- can both get great, timely, and relevant feedback. Progress toward goals can be documented and Mom feels like she is getting a GREAT value for her lesson dollars!

[LoyalTubist]

I used to do adjunct work (giving private lessons) for a university and they required the same thing. Just write what you think they should be doing every week and try to stick with it. Chances are the students will try to lead you astray. Don't worry about this. Classroom teaching sometimes throws the same punches!