Just Ask Jennifer! Live #2

Just Ask Jennifer, Tips

 

Last week I went live and answered the following questions on Just Ask Jennifer!

Question #1– Lesson Planning: How do you approach this? So I’m always reading about how teachers approach their lesson planning. It seems that many teachers keep track and/or plan for each student individually. As if they create an exact plan (during their non-teaching time) for each student’s next lesson. Is this true? Should I be doing this? I’ll be honest… I never have a “lesson plan.” I feel like it’s not possible to plan in advance because you never know how well a student is going to pickup on a particular concept, etc. The only lesson planning I do is stuff that will apply to multiple students. For example, creating games, purchasing things (that often I just forget about before I “get around” to using them, etc. 

Question #2– On a somewhat related note… How do you structure your lessons to fit everything in? How much time do you spend on technique/warmups, passing off pieces they’ve practiced, correcting things they’ve practiced incorrectly, learning new pieces, correcting theory assignments (which I try to have the parents do whenever possible), teaching new theory concepts, ear training, and games?! I know I’m leaving stuff out… 
My lessons also end up following the same routine: technique, pass off songs, 5 minutes for a game (if time) and/or new theory concept, get started on new pieces. Then the time is up. And lessons are 45-60 minutes. Whenever I try to spend more time on something fun like playing duets with the students, or learning how to notate a piece by listening, or composing/arranging music, it takes the whole lesson. Then the student doesn’t know what to practice all week. 

 

You can hear my answers and catch the recording here. Feel free to add your own comments in the thread and share what you do!

Do you have a question you would like answered?

JustAskJennifer!

 

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