Adolescence is not a disease; coping with the challenges and taking pleasure in teaching "average" teenage piano students

American Music Teacher, June-July, 2002 by Yu-Jane Yang

(9) Document their progress in a "measurable" manner. Potential tactics include: (a) setting specific and attainable short- and long-term goals with clearly indicated completion time; (b) documenting weekly progress of various musical skills with visually stimulating charts or graphics; (c) keeping a video/audio recording at the first lesson and the last lesson of each semester/year; and (d) designing lesson grading criteria for self-assessment.

(10) The teacher is an important source of the teenager's inspiration. Students need to experience success during their lessons. Sufficient guidance and interactions should be provided in the discovery process, with enough direction and hands-on experiences to warrant their success at home. Additional means (visual, aural and tactile) need to be suggested to guide the students' self-assessment.

(11) Offer a more creative and engaging practice guide to ensure effectiveness and success. Recommend effective practice strategies that allow them to make the most out of their limited time. Show them how much can be accomplished within a limited amount of time if they know exactly what to do and how to do it. Demonstrate a step-by-step practice sequence on how to diagnose and analyze problems, design and implement a practice plan, and then assess the outcome. Encourage them to keep a practice journal to document their progress and concerns. Provide opportunities for them to discuss their concerns and share effective practice strategies with their peers in a group setting. Promote the concept of being "goal-oriented" rather than merely "time-oriented" when practicing. Advocate concentration and focused listening to achieve success and effectiveness in practice.

(12) Be sensitive and innovative. Know what the students need when they walk into your studio. When needed, change the lesson routine. Remember, if you are bored, they are bored. Use success to bring more success. It is as important for the students to repeat the parts they can play beautifully as to revisit the parts that need improvement. Be sure to begin and end their lessons with something the students can do well, and that will make them feel successful. Provide incentives to reward their effort and accomplishments. Make good use of music technology as a motivating teaching tool.

Finally, be sneaky, plot ahead and make a deep musical impression at any cost! Enjoy and treasure the opportunity to really make an impact on their lives with the power of music. The possibilities are endless.

NOTES

(1.) Yates, Susan A. And Then I Had Teenagers. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2001.

(2.) Gage, Rodney. Why your Kids Do What They Do: Responding to the Driving Forces Behind Your Teen's Behavior. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.

(3.) Ibid., pp. 12-31.

(4.) Yates, Susan A. And Then I Had Teenagers. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2001; Orin, George H. Understanding the Adolescent. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 1995; and Gage, Rodney. Why Your Kids Do What They Do: Responding to the Driving Forces Behind Your Teen's Behavior. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.