Engaging Young Students

Yes, I googled "flute sword".

Teaching younger students is a double-edged sword: on one edge, they are a, moderately or completely, blank slate for you to work with; on the other edge, you have the responsibility to teach them everything, starting from the very beginning [a very good place to start].  It can be intimidating because any bad habits they develop are partially, if not entirely, your fault.  Well, perhaps they are only your fault if you fail to notice them or opt not to address the issue.

If you are lucky, as I have been, you will be graced with students who are very enthusiastic about learning the flute.  Whether they are perfectionists or extremely competitive, my students are not taking lessons because their parents want them to; they are there because they want to be there.  Great!  But you can't forget that they are still young.  Their minds may wander and they may not understand what you are saying and, worse, may not tell you that they aren't with you one hundred percent.

So, how do you wrangle these young minds?  How do you keep them on track?  Here are my ideas:

1) Especially in the very early lessons, when they are just trying to figure out how to make a sound or building up strength in their arms to hold the flute properly, take breaks.  They are taking on a lot, whether they know it or not and whether you remember it or not.  Think about it.  You are telling them quite a bit of information just to get the embouchure correct.  And they have no idea what embouchure even means!  Overwhelmed minds tend to wander.  Give them breaks and during these breaks talk to them about anything.  In the first lesson I tend to ask them questions about themselves and their interests outside of music.  I want to get to know them and build a relationship with them.  Show interest in them, and it seems more likely that they will maintain interest in what you are saying when you teach.

seems harsh...

2.  Once they know enough notes, whatever that may mean, try giving them fun music to play.  Yes, method books try to put in "fun" tunes, but sometimes what the method book writers think is fun is outdated to the 5-10 year olds you are teaching.  Pull out some Disney, Harry Potter, Star Wars, or what-have-you.  Pop culture music reminds the young student that the more they learn, the more "fun" music they will get to play.  Knowledge is power, right?

3. Similarly, take cues from your student.  Around Christmas time, one of my young students brought her church's Christmas music booklet into her lesson.  For the first five minutes she talked to me about how she likes "these songs"  and how she "could maybe learn how to play them".  Not only did I have her play one or two songs from that booklet each lesson in December, I wrote out traditional carols in keys and registers she already knew and in which she felt comfortable playing.  Enthusiasm is the greatest tool in learning anything.  Take note of and latch onto your students' musical interests outside of lessons.  These interests get them to practice more.  That's a good thing. So is their excitement.

4. If your student is having trouble mastering a certain aspect or technique in flute playing and if they are either ignoring the problem, despite you commenting on it every week, or they are beginning to get frustrated, turn the problem into a game or a challenge.  Today, I sat down and ordered some fun music stickers and made a sticker chart on Word.  It isn't anything fancy, although I enjoyed making it immensely (the crazy things you can do on Word these days), but the basic layout will appeal to young students because the idea is obvious: "on this date, your challenge is..., here is where I will put the sticker when you do it".  And who doesn't like stickers?  And not just any stickers, music stickers?  I had a blast picking them out on Amazon and I can't wait for them to get here so I can start rewarding students appropriately!  If your students act like they are too old for stickers, broker some deal where if they earn 5 stickers, then in the last five minutes of their next lesson they get to choose what they are going to play or work on.  Or maybe they want to try playing piccolo, alto flute, or whatever flutes you've collected from your travels.  The point is to keep them engaged, right?  Everybody wins with sticker charts.

5.  Finally, never underestimate the power of music in live performance.  If you give a recital and your students hear you play, it might inspire them to work harder because they want to play a piece you play at the performance or if they are really young they might just want to sound like you do (never mind the fact that you've been playing longer than they've been alive :) ).  On the flip side, forcing students to set goals also keeps them engaged; host a studio recital in which your students play solos or duets, and maybe you play a piece too.  Giving your students the opportunity to play is good for them for the above mentioned reason, but they will also think it is fun and their parents will love getting to hear them play.  I think it might be about time for the Crecelius Flute Studio to give a recital.  Yes, indeed.

As I am always eager to learn, who else has some ideas about how to engage younger students?  Please feel free to share!