I don’t know how many times I went into a piano lesson when I was young, that my piano teachers just told me to play this and that, correct me when I was wrong, asked me to go practice more, and that was a lesson.

So when I first started teaching piano, I didn’t know what to do. I was 16 or 17. I started teaching how my teachers taught me, going through song after song, study after study (because, who doesn’t like Hanon or Czerny piano exercises, right?). I corrected students when they played wrong, and asked them to go home and practice it. That was it. I did try to encourage my students, as I had one great Teacher who opened my eyes to different kinds of piano playing and teaching.

When I was in college majoring in piano performance, I took a course called “piano pedagogy”. But it was more on the academic side, that most we did was to study about history of piano teaching and playing, so that was not much of an application to real-life piano teaching.

It was not until when I was in graduate school, that I discovered the beauty of real piano teaching. Since I already took a course in piano pedagogy in college, it was not compulsory for me to take it again. But I decided to do it instead (as I felt I really didn’t know how to teach effectively). I am so glad I did it. I learnt so much from the lecturer that the information still applies today.

One of the things I tell my piano teaching students is that they must have a plan. Do not go into a lesson thinking they’re just going to “wing it” (after many years of teaching one can do it naturally but there is still a plan involved in general). When a teacher takes in a student, there must be a conversation about the goals and expectation, with the student, and the parents if the students are young. Review the plan from time to time during the year to make sure they are on track. Schedule on the yearly calendar performance opportunities such as concerts and music gatherings/performance classes, and when suitable, exam and competition opportunities as well. 

Communicate with the students and parents regularly to see if there’s any concern regarding practice and progress. Understand if they have any problems with their playing and practice.

Teaching with a plan is going to give the teacher, students and parents a lot of confidence, assurance and accomplishment in this music journey together.