Planning lessons

[princessmoose]

Does anyone ever plan lessons? Or do you go with the flow. I think it's easier when preparing for an exam as there are specific things that need to be covered in each lesson, but when there is no exam looming, what do you do? Do you have rough short term aims rather than a plan for each lesson? I suppose that could get quite time consuming if one was to plan a lesson for every pupil they saw each week.

[janexxx]

I don't teach (well not music!) but from a pupil's point of view I would prefer my teacher to have some plan of what he wants us to cover in the lesson, BUT also be flexible enough to cover any areas I bring with me. For example if I have a particular problem that I need help with, or if I want his advice on fingerings for a piece I am planning on playing at a (dare I mention it here ;-) ) Forum concert.

[SuzyMac]

I go with the flow unless there is an exam looming and I know particular unmentionables might need a bit of extra attention. I very much work to short and long term aims rather than individual weekly lesson plans.

[janexxx]

By the way I've sussed out how my teacher always asks me to play the piece I have NOT practised. I thought he was psychic, but no...its invariably the one on the bottom of my pile of music as I scoop it off the music stand and into my bag before my lesson.

So now I shuffle them around before putting them in my bag...tee hee...(hope he doesn't read this or I will have to start double bluffing)

[chocolatedog]

I plan every lesson with every pupil, and write notes up afterwards too - which is a lot of extra work, but that way I can plan the following lesson based on what happened in the lesson just gone - eg, if a problem has cropped up I can put extra stuff to help sort that particular problem out......and if I don't adhere to the lesson plan if the lesson goes off at a tangent, then I don't get hung up about it - the plan can either be kept for the following week or adapted again........and it also means I know exactly what I've asked the pupil to work on during the week and what I've already covered or dealt with.....

[annc]

I don't find planning works for me.
Usually I start every lesson with marking last lesson's theory homework, and covering the next bit. Followed by warm up and technical exercises. Then songs. Then sight reading and aural.
BUT, they've forgotten the theory book, or disasters have prevents them doing the homework. The song I wanted fom memory doesn't quite work. Can I help them with a difficult part for choir this week? Suddenly an audition has come up......
Is it me?....
Re short and long term goals - we always seem to be working towards something. If it's not exams, we do four festivals per year, and then there's my party concerts when I hire a local hall, an accompanist, we have a professional buffet and all students who attend have to sing. They pay about a fiver a ticket (non-profit basis), family comes too, and there's usually about a hundred in the audience. Bring their own plonk. great fun, but there's always something around the corner. I've discovered that fewer lessons are cancelled this way, too.

[Steve Hopwood]

I am a confirmed flow goer - I have yet to make a lesson plan that survived contact with individual or small groups of students.

I worked this way even when I taught 'A' level music. No point in trying to give an introduction to Serialism if four of the six students were clearly on the razzle until late the night before, and barely know their own names that morning. ;D

I do have clear short and long-term aims, though, and am able to bring to mind whatever we worked on in the last lesson and what I hope they the pupil will have achieved by the next.

My lessons also follow the same format, unless it is derailed by the sort of events annc described. The kids play everything they have prepared first, then we 'polish' the new piece from last week and prepare a new one for next. Next comes sight-reading and then playing a scale by imitation, time permitting.

Not a lesson plan; more a regular shape that pupils come to know and feel comfortable with.

Steve

[kflute]

It depends!!! I don't get paid for any preparation time, and I have enough admin about instruments and exams and stuff to do for the music service, without losing more of my own life to it!!!

Generally I hear what they've practiced, we learn scales as we go along as appripriate to their grade. I'm getting better now at trying to do more sight reading and aural practice generally so it's not so much of a rush before the exams.

I have 120 students every week, so lesson plans for them all would be a nightmare. A good 50% of them are on tutor books so little planning is needed there................hear the pieces they've praciced and onto the next!!! Add a scale ever now and again when they're ready for it, and odd little supplements like duets ro studies and away they go!!!!

I find if I plan on paper, nothing goes to plan, but if I plan in my head whilst driving to the school, then I get a lot more done!!!

[annc]

120 a week! You must be exhausted!
Presumably some are in a group situation?
You deserve a medal.