Parental Role and Environment, Part 2
TIPS FOR TEACHERS
From the TEACHERS perspective…
As teachers, we have the responsibility to make parents feel welcomed and invited to participate in their child’s musical journey. Oftentimes parents haven’t experienced music lessons themselves and, though willing to be active participants, they are not sure how to become involved without interfering. It is easy for inexperienced teachers to assume that parents know how to be helpful, and in the process, miss an incredible opportunity to turn the parent into your best lesson ally.
Here are some strategies that I have used to successfully integrate parents into my activities at the studio:
My student Kayla and her mom performing together during our 2019 recital.
Create a document that outlines the parent’s role in your studio.
Consider incorporating it into your studio policies or website. Discuss the document with parents during the interview meeting.Ask parents if they want you to keep a Practice Record or Assignment Notebook.
I have seen cases in which the student is not interested in keeping an assignment journal or referring to it during practice. Yet, it was extremely beneficial for parents to be aware of their child’s homework and their progress within the method books. Sometimes the parents themselves have requested that I follow a notebook. I have seen a correlation between this behavior and the best practice results in younger students. When parents are not able to visit the studio often, this can serve as a fantastic communication tool and help bring awareness to behavioral or practice issues before they become problematic. For older students that are successfully practicing on their own and do not want to follow a journal, placing tags on the practice pieces and adding a date to the assigned song can also be helpful, as well as penciling notes directly into the score. Just let the parent know what system you prefer to communicate weekly progress.Ask about parents’ music background.
The initial interview can provide a perfect opportunity for this. Do they still play? Would they like to play with their child during practice, lessons, or even recitals? Would they rather stay on the sidelines, or would they enjoy the opportunity to perform with their child?Let the parent know through your Practice Assignment Notebook when the piece is ready for a duet.
If the parent plays and is willing to actively work with the child, you can let them know when it would be a good time to start playing the accompaniment part with them. Sometimes parents are unsuccessful in duet playing because they might try the ensemble before rhythm and other basic elements are ready. Basic coaching, which can be accomplished in just a few sessions, can provide any necessary guidance so the parent can lead the duet with confidence.Invite siblings to play duets, and let the parents coach!
When you have a studio with multiple siblings, the older sibling can have the secondo, while the younger one has the primo. Moreover, the parent can be invited as the leader and coach of the ensemble to help practice go smoothly.Invite parents who are able to play with the students during recitals.
Make sure that they receive the music many weeks in advance, and practice/coach the ensemble during the lessons leading to the recital. Watching parents perform with their children on stage sends a powerful message to the other families in your studio and provides a unique bonding opportunity for the family. It is extraordinarily inspirational for everyone present.Make sure that parents always feel invited and welcome to observe lessons.
You can also schedule an observation week in your semester calendar and prepare students for a small, but very special, family recital! This often leads to the opportunity to meet siblings, which can help you connect with future students.Consider using a report card or “Lesson Update” form.
This is a very new idea in my studio. In fact, it was given to me by my husband, Ward, after noticing how our son Nico kept feeling bad about his tennis lessons, when Ward and I thought that he had done great! Children often surprise me with outstanding lessons, and simply awarding them a sticker and writing “Awesome job!” in their scores just doesn’t seem sufficient. I want to brag to their parents and share what we have accomplished! However, I may not be seeing the parents that day, so I might lose that opportunity to provide positive reinforcement. On the other hand, sometimes things are not quite spectacular, and I may need a way to give a warning before a behavior becomes problematic. I know of many studios that give report cards, particularly at the end of a semester or school year. These assessments are also a great idea. Yet, one per semester doesn’t seem to be quite enough for my students.At my studio, I have been working on designing a weekly Lesson Update form that is practical to use, will motivate students, and requires very little writing on the part of the teacher during the lesson. I have warned parents that I may not be sending one every single week and that I will only check or complete the areas that were pertinent to that particular lesson. The parents and students that I have shared this document with have loved it. One parent even said that this was “the missing link” to our communications.
I want to share this document with you in the hope that it is also helpful in your studio. Please see the PDF for download below. Feel free to print it as many times as you want!
LESSON UPDATE FORM
Click here to download the Free PDF
I hope the suggestions above help you with new ideas on how to improve communication and parent participation in your studio. Please send me your feedback on the Lesson Update form or share with us some of your studio tactics to engage parents. We can learn from each other and collaborate to create a resource list that helps us benefit our students. I can’t wait to hear from you!