Creative Ways of Teaching

Meet My Cutest Student Henry!

Henry is my companion student who accompanies me to lessons with my little ones. He plays a variety of roles in my teaching. Initially, he is always a welcoming friend for new students and later sometimes a competitive fellow, or sometimes a slow learner who needs the help of my students. Piano lessons are a journey for all ages, one which helps students improve focusing, and to learn to be more patient until they can watch their own fingers play themselves as if they are moving beyond or without the students’ control. Naturally, sometimes it is harder for children to focus on music for a given amount of time.This is where the idea of ‘Creative Ways of Teaching’ steps in.

Henry Watson became a tool for me several years ago when I was looking for new ideas for teaching. I usually write the letters HW on my students’ books, meaning ‘Home Work’. One of my students, who was seven years old, told me that she didn’t like homework. So I said, “In that case, let’s call it Henry instead of HW! Henry Watson, for example. We both laughed and she asked who Henry was. My yellow egg-like buddy was a mascot I had been given at a fair, and he had been on the piano for some time. At that moment I quickly decided to call him Henry Watson. Thus he came by his name. Since then, Henry has always stepped in whenever I needed his help. I ask my students to help Henry learn, as he often plays wrong notes, which sounds funny. Students take the role of teacher and whisper to me to ask for help as they become excited and eager to learn in order to teach Henry. At other times, Henry invites my students to a challenge where, of course, my students always win. So we play games, laughing and having fun. As a result, learning takes places easily and in a pleasant atmosphere. Students not only develop musical skills, but also skills in focusing, listening, playing and actively engaging, all the while improving their self-confidence.

The list of creative teaching methods is endless, and teachers should always be on the lookout for more. I use the advantages of educational technology a lot and will write more about this topic soon. I believe in individualized education and thus  I draw a road map designed specifically for each student. This requires close observation during lessons and many years of teaching experience. Most important of all in my work with students is to help them build a relationship with music, along with a love of all the arts. I tell stories about the lives of composers such as Mozart and Beethoven, and help them feel the secrets of their great music. For adult students, I use a similar approach and ask them to use their imagination in approaching music, and Henry does not play a role. This is a different story about which I will be writing more in the near future. For now, as an example, I ask them to close their eyes while they are playing and learn to become the audience and let their fingers become the performer. It truly is not that difficult. If you are one of my students reading this post, could you please share in a few words your own experiences with other readers?

“As an artist/educator who has a childlike soul, I both feel and sense life, and reflect this through my art; teaching is the best way to share and convey this understanding to younger generations. Revealing students’ spirits with the love of music and helping them to use it with passion while making music” is my main philosophy in teaching.”

Dr. Tem

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