Making the most of your time with your student is of course extremely important. You want it to be fun, productive and engaging. Here are a few points we think will help you to bring the most out of your student and deliver quality lessons every time!
Let them choose!
Give your students a choice of where they want to start in the lesson. What do they want to cover or work on today? This allows them some control over their learning. They're more likely to stay engaged doing tasks that they have decided on. Within this structure, if there's something they don't want to do, explain why they're doing it and the benefits it will have to their playing. For example, some students don't particularly enjoy learning scales. Get them to understand the impact scales will have on their technique and how it will enable them to improve. Nine times out of ten, they are more willing to proceed with them after that. Even if the time spent on each task varies, always try to include all aspects of playing.
Listen
Listen to your students. If they are not enjoying something, ask them why. If they love a particular part of learning their instrument, they'll tell you. You can then tweak the way you do something to suit their request (where possible). The main thing is to let them know that their thoughts matter. It's their lesson as much as it is yours!
Adapt
Adapt parts of the lesson to suit your students' learning style. The way you teach a piece to one student may not work for another. Tailor your approach to different elements of the lesson and this will keep your students engaged. They'll make great progress while enjoying expressing themselves! These things will have a big impact on your students' learning experience. Even if they seem like small things, they can increase motivation and accelerate progress as a result! No matter how much time you have with your student, the quality of your lessons remains high! If you have any tips for other teachers, we would love to hear them! Leave us a comment below!