When you enroll your child for Cello lessons, you would expect results. But there are many teachers who are satisfied with teaching your child a few basic notes and a song. You need to steer clear of these teachers or academies that do not support your child and encourage them to grow. If you do not think that your child is progressing, then you need to talk to the teacher and find a solution for this. If the teacher is not very helpful over this, then it is a clear indication that you need to change classes. Below are a few things you should ask a cello teacher before hiring them.
Professional experience
You will find many teachers who have impressive degrees but their skills are not quite up to the mark. So, more than degrees and educational qualifications, try to concentrate on their professional experience and see how they do. Try to figure out if they can bring out the hidden talent in your child. People who have professional experience would have made mistakes in their past while learning and they would stop their students from making the same mistakes. They also will have a lot of practical knowledge and be able to pass on non-musical values as well.
Teaching experience
Not all great cello players are great teachers. Teaching requires certain patience and the ability to bond with the student. Not everyone is able to achieve this. Those who do achieve this become really good teachers. So, asking about their teaching experience can reveal a lot for you. Also, ask if you can view a demo class or observe them during their teaching hours.
Style of teaching
This is something that you need to observe and learn first-hand rather than just asking about. Find out if he/she is fun-going, appreciates the hard work put in by the student, correct mistakes properly, etc. Students would be always more comfortable with a teacher who is fun and makes the cello lessons enjoyable. They would be able to communicate better, learn more and thus, progress faster.
Goals and plan structure
Have a proper pre-planned lesson structure which you can show the parents of children or the prospective students who visit you. This is one of the main questions you will be asked. So, it is always better that you are prepared, in which case you can answer with confidence which will also help in impressing the students and their parents. Along with the lesson plan structure, also create short and long term goals for your students. Keep in mind that beginners might need different goals and more advanced students will need to go by different goals. Remember that speed of progress differs from person to person so you need to give time for that as well.
Make sure you exude confidence and try to build a rapport with the student at their first meeting with you. This can stabilize the student-teacher relationship and help you both move forward smoothly.
Now that you know some of the main factors that you need to consider before hiring a cello teacher for your kid’s cello lessons, get started immediately. To know how to improve you cello skill, check out this link: http://cellolessonssingapore.com/how-to-improve-your-cello-skills/. For more on cello, you can refer to www.cellolessonssingapore.com/.