What I do as a teacher before each term
This week marks the beginning of term 3 and as much as I enjoyed two weeks off from tutoring, I am looking forward to seeing all my students again and making music with them. There are always a couple of things I like to do before each term begins and in this post I’ll show you how I prepare my term as a harp and piano teacher.
Do lots of admin
I usually start by what some might consider the “boring” stuff. I make a list of all students who are enrolled for the new term and update my mailing list accordingly (I have a special mailing list for current students). This ensures any emails I send will be received by all enrolled students. I also schedule in my students’ lessons into my online scheduler and create invoices.
Plan each students’ goals
Before each term starts, I like having some kind of idea what I want each student to achieve over the term. This could be a broad goal such as “finish a book” or a more specific goal such as “play a C major scale at tempo”. The goals relate both to their playing and to theory and aural. I go through each student individually, assessing what they have been learning up to this point. I find pieces I would like them to learn and write them down. Then I often do a trip to Officeworks and print out a tonne of sheet music.
Follow up or plan any students’ exams
If any students are working towards an exam, or express an interest in taking one, I will spend the holidays researching which exam is best suited for them. I make a list for myself and for the student’s parents of what the student is required to prepare for the exam. This way during the term I always know what to work on with the student without having to pull up the syllabus each lesson.
Brainstorm fun activities to do during the term
Each term, I like to incorporate a “long term” fun activity for my students. For instance, the fun activity this month is for my students to compose a short piece of music. Each week, the students work on a specific task for their composition, leading up to me filming them in the last week of term. This activity not only encourages creativity, but it also breaks up the routine a little.
Start organising the semester concert
If I intend on hosting a student concert, I will start organising it as soon as lessons resume. I will research different venues and get quotes for each, start thinking of possible dates and making bookings. I will also design the concert programme and communicate with parents about the concert.
So that’s about it! When all of that is underway or even done, I feel I can sit back and really focus on teaching my students. If you are a teacher, what do you do to get ready for a successful term?
Eliza
