Teacher Discussion Goups

The world of private music teaching can easily get very lonely. Sometimes we need to talk about the triumphs and frustrations of our work with each other. NNMTA’s Teacher Discussion Groups offer the perfect chance for teachers to ask their colleagues questions, or to simply come, listen and learn.

There are four discussion groups per year. Please see the Calendar for details. Although they are all scheduled from 10-noon at Steinway Gallery, each one is scheduled for a different day of the week so that hopefully no teacher’s weekly schedule conflicts will prevent them from attending all of the meetings.

The meetings run through a pre-determined series of topics at whatever pace teachers feel is best. If one topic is hot enough to span three meetings in a row, or if three topics in a row are only worthy of 45 minutes of discussion, so be it! The five “up and coming topics” will be printed in newsletters before each meeting, and all of the upcoming topics are listed right here.

Also, in order to address immediate needs that teachers have, the last 30 minutes of each meeting will be devoted to question/answer time. Teachers are asked to stick to the topic agenda for the first 90 minutes. After that, anything goes!

Complete List of Upcoming Topics

  • After ten pages or after two measures: Finding the best time to correct a student
  • Tricks of the trade: Sharing ways to fix weird hand positions
  • The role of YouTube, iTunes, DVDs and CDs in our studio (and at the students’ home)
  • Knuckle-rapping, bribing, screaming, blackmailing and other strategies for getting students to practice
  • Teaching philosophy and focuses: what kinds of “themes” can be found almost every day in your teaching? What do we aim to beat into our students’ heads the most?
  • Method books: Which one(s) do you use and why?
  • Strong repertoire: each teacher picks out 3 or 4 pieces that they feel really good about teaching and shares with other teachers various strategies they have used in teaching those pieces.
  • Weak repertoire: each teacher picks out 3 or 4 pieces that they have never had much luck teaching and opens it up for discussion so other teachers can share teaching strategies.
  • Do we write in students’ notebooks, or do we mark their music? Both? Neither? Do we do the writing, or does the student?
  • Purchasing music for students or having students buy their own music and other business type policies
  • Each teacher describes one trouble student in their studio and has other teachers brainstorm other strategies for dealing with the student
  • Beyond method books: How and when to use extracurricular pieces to help speed things along
  • Comparison of business policies and payment methods
  • Videos and discussion of our own teaching

Go to the Contact page and send an e-mail to the Teacher Discussion Group chair if you’d like to add topics or request that a topic be moved higher on the list.