Welcome back! Inspiring Confidence in Returning Students

One of my favorite things about piano teaching is the first lesson in the new studio year. For me, it’s the piano teaching equivalent of ‘new car smell’- I truly love it! It’s a time to reconnect after a busy summer, hear about their adventures and new pets, share in their excitement for the upcoming school year, and exclaim at how much taller they’ve gotten over the summer months. 

Disclaimer: it hasn’t always been a highlight. 

I remember dreading that first lesson of the fall semester, knowing my students had slacked off practicing during the summer and would need a full month of refreshing to get back on track. I remember feeling frustrated and doubting my teaching abilities. “Maybe I’m not a good enough teacher. If I was a great teacher, then my students wouldn’t need any review in the fall and we could start where we left off in the spring/summer. What am I doing wrong?”

I truly felt like a failure the first few years into teaching. But then I had a revelation– a bit of a eureka moment- that permanently altered my perspective on the first lesson of the year, and I’ve loved it ever since. 

So, today I’m sharing my eureka moment with you in hopes that it will not only encourage you in case you’re feeling the effects of Imposter Syndrome and having similar thoughts, but also that it will help you lessen the pressure of this first lesson of the school year and truly enjoy it!

The Power of Strengths

One of the mistakes I used to make during these back-to-school lessons as a new teacher (about 19 years ago!) was focusing on reviewing concepts my students struggled with during the previous semester (spring or summer). 

In theory, this is sound logic: “Since my student struggled with identifying intervals and changing hand positions this summer, I should start off reviewing that so I can help them remember what they know.” …right?!

Wrong.

This approach resulted in me (the teacher) feeling frustrated and defeated at how much my students had presumably ‘forgotten’ and left my students feeling defeated, overwhelmed and frustrated at ‘failing’ their first lesson back to piano. Not at all the result I hoped for, but it was accurate. 

When I shifted to focus on my students’ strengths rather than their weaknesses and the areas we needed to shore up or fix, it resulted in an entirely different outlook and change- for the students and me!

I came to realize the great power of positivity in teaching, and the ironic result of using a students’ musical strengths to build up their weaknesses.

The result is quite beautifully profound, and very simple. 

–> What’s your student’s musical strength?

Playing by ear, chords, memorization, rhythm? Use their area of strength in this first lesson back to piano to…

–> help them remember why they love the piano

–> help them feel confident and capable “I can still do this!”

–> help them use their confidence in using a skill they already have to build new areas of knowledge and skills 

–> help them get back into a groove with piano and establish a practice routine 

As the pedagogue Frances Clark so eloquently said, “A student is almost always motivated to practice if he leaves his lessons feeling capable.”

–> If you’re curious to learn more about Strengths-Based Teaching, here’s a blog post with more tips and information.

Even if you’ve already resumed lessons for the new school year, it’s not too late to use these tips with your students! As you plan your lessons, don’t forget to leave time for connecting with your student and helping them remember that they are capable of being a creative, confident musician. 

And don’t forget- all individuals (even adults) feel more creative and confident at the piano when they’re given permission to use their strengths rather than hyper-focus on their weaknesses. Long-lasting growth occurs when students feel capable, prepared and supported as they develop new concepts and skills. 

I heavily emphasize and go into more detail on this concept of strengths-based teaching on my podcast, the Creative Piano Pedagogy Podcast- check it out here!

If you enjoyed reading this blog post, I’d love for you to share it with teacher friends! Here’s to a great new teaching year!

Until next time,

Elizabeth