Take note violin teachers out there! Teaching adult students and teaching young children requires two different separate tactics.
There is a certain way to communicate with adult students.
If you treat your adult students the same way you treat your young students, you will definitely face many difficult issues.
1) Stop nagging
As teachers, it is natural to nag at students especially if you see little progress in your student’s learning.
Yes, you will get panicky because you do not want your student’s learning to become stagnant due to insufficient practice and thus this leads you to nag more often.
However, do take note that your adult students do not need to be nagged at by you.
They are adults, they know their priorities. They have their jobs to worry about, some are even married.
They have other greater responsibilities in life. You can give gentle reminders but harping in their ear will not do them any good.
In fact, they might get really annoyed with you. You wouldn’t want that!
2) Quit with the round-about
When conducting lessons, go straight to the point! You don’t have to ask them the same questions so many times.
Young children need repetitions. Adults don’t.
Simply tell them what they need to know straight up and make sure they know what you’re trying to get across.
You do not need to tell them an old wives tale.
3) Habits!
Again, I shall re-emphasize on habits! Just like teaching children, adults also have to be reminded by their teachers on the importance of the correct habits when they play the violin.
Unlike children, there is no need for adults to be hand held.
For example, violin teachers do not have to constantly hold the student’s arm just to hold the bow in a proper manner.
There is no need to hold the violin in place for the adult student.
All you need to do is simply ask the adult students to imitate how you hold the violin in place, the correct standing position that the adults need to be in.
Once in awhile, adjust their arms gently.
4) Homework
For young children, it is best for violin teachers to ask the students to do their homework on a weekly basis so that they are able to recap on things that are taught that week.
However, there is not a need to assign homework for adult students.
Because like I said, there are greater responsibilites for the adults.
You can always make it optional for the adults to do their own homework.
By homework, I mean music theory. Playing the violin on a daily basis, adults and children alike, it is required!
Adult students may seem easier to guide but all students alike, violin teachers must employ different teaching styles for different students.
After all, no students are the same!
If you feel like taking up the challenge of being a passionate violin educator, come join us!