Teaching intermediate pupils

Teaching intermediate pupils

by Rachel Cook -
Number of replies: 12

Use this forum thread to share your experiences of teaching  pupils at intermediate standard.  

We expect everyone to abide by ABRSM's Netiquette Policy (etiquette on the Net).  Feel free to discuss repertoire, technique, troubleshoot  teaching concerns or share positive news. 

In reply to Rachel Cook

What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Chak Lai Li -

What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?
Here is some info about my thoughts and I made it to infographics:
What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?
What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them? - 2

In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Rachel Cook -
Thanks for sharing! How do you use these in classes? Do you have printed versions that you give to your pupils and parents? Do you make posters for the walls? Which sections do you feel your pupils respond to the most?
In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Deleted user -
This is really clear and very interesting - thanks so much for sharing!
In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Deleted user -
Wow, thanks for sharing these tips! Very interested to put them into practice. Do you have any favourites?
In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Deleted user -
Thank you for sharing this! These can really help some of my Grade 4-5 pupils!
In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Deleted user -
This is great!! Thank you for sharing, I might print this up to stick on the wall in my teaching room smile
In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Cole Bendall -
This is fab! I particularly like the Paul Harris ingredients idea - how do you introduce this idea to students?
In reply to Cole Bendall

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Hilary Smethurst-Evans -
I try to run my lessons like this so my pupils know how to approach working at home without me. It can start in a very simple manner, e.g. playing the scale relevant to the piece, maybe in a rhythm that comes up in the piece and it can go from there.

I love the Simultaneous Learning approach as then the lesson really flows and the 'sections' are not obvious - you can teach many new techniques by stealth this way.

How do you include these ideas in a vocal lesson?
In reply to Hilary Smethurst-Evans

Re: What are good practice habits and how would you encourage them?

by Cole Bendall -
Clear goals as suggested here are part of my planning. If I've led students to practice in a specific manner (certain excerpts, a technical approach, etc.), I can expect them to sound a particular way in the next lesson so I can anticipate issues encountered.

As for applying Simultaneous Learning to vocal works, I run in a similar way to how you propose, Hilary; find technical drills which will relate to musical excerpts. Fricatives (s, f, v, etc.) set up sounds alongside glottal stops and vowels as needed. "Pulsing" style exercises work on rhythm before gradually adding text. If I encourage those as part of general warm up and practice, singers tend to prime regularly with these methods.
In reply to Rachel Cook

Re: Teaching intermediate pupils

by Monica Smith -
I find that sometimes teaching intermediate pupils, who most of the time turn out to be teenagers, can be tricky but thought provoking as I find it requires a juggling act. You cannot be the children's tele presenter that you might have been for younger and less advanced pupils, but you cannot plan and deliver lessons in the same way as you would if teaching at conservatoire.

I feel that some of my lessons for intermediates and teenagers are more reactive than for other age groups as they tend to be going through a lot at that age, and sometimes I become a listener (don't get me wrong I always listen - you know what I mean). I always make sure I have some music with me that can be achieved during a lesson and try to make sure it's something that would appeal to my pupils. I find duets work well here as well as some listening or YouTube clips of great performers.
In reply to Monica Smith

Re: Teaching intermediate pupils

by Marianne Troppo -
Hello to anyone here . This forum seems very inactive and difficult to use. I want to let anyone here know that a lot of the people (both teachers and pupils ) who used to be on the old ABRSM forum have set up a new forum. Everyone is welcome. Please search for the following:

instrumentalists.freeforums.net



Best wishes to all.
In reply to Monica Smith

Re: Teaching intermediate pupils

by Zoë Booth -
These are great ideas Monica - teenagers become more independent by their nature, so adapting to be reactive in this way sounds like it gives them real input into the lesson. Playing duets or sharing listening keeps a 'musical moment' in each lesson too, even when the pieces they are playing might require getting stuck into the details. Thanks for the reminders - it's been a while since I grabbed some duets so they're back in the teaching bag!