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 How do I teach? Whom do I teach? What do I teach? What is the Suzuki Method? |
Teaching Philosophy Teaching, for me is, passing on knowledge, self-discipline, effective work habits, and confidence in one’s ability to pull together components of previous learning to solve a present challenge. Example: run by the computer on your shoulders how you got the tone you liked in the study we just did and how you could get the same tone in this passage and then show me. How do I teach? I believe that I teach with love for the student and love of music. I teach by showing an example of what I want the student to do, how to do a technique, how to shape a phrase, etc. In short, I play, now you play. I teach by breaking down the challenges into small more easily mastered pieces. In short I teach by the Suzuki method. Whom do I teach? I teach boys and girls beginning at age 4 or 5. I take on students all through grade and high school ages and I have taught adults. Some of course, are beginners, others range up through high school orchestra levels. What do I teach? Well, violin! But I hope that the student is also learning how to listen to himself and others appreciatively, so as to be able to learn from those around him. I also hope he develops the finer side of the human being, which is often displayed in the arts. I use the Suzuki method for teaching younger children. What is the Suzuki method? Well, it started with Dr. Suzuki’s wonderment at the realization that all children learn their native tongue very well and naturally. They hear it around them a great deal. Then when they try to say a word, their parents are delighted and encourage them. From this realization about language acquisition, came Dr. Suzuki’s basic tenants of thought and action in teaching music to children. He believed strongly in the importance of the environmental influences on the young child. The two main influences, which he emphasized regularly, in connection with young children learning music, are: # 1, the constant repetition around the child of the sounds of the music to be learned by listening to a CD, # 2, the praise and appreciation of the child’s efforts as spontaneously expressed by the parent and teacher. These elements naturally encourage the constant repetition of his or her efforts by the child. The repetition of the sounds as they are produced and used in everyday speech, or the sounds of whatever piece of music the child is working on, form for the child the goal of his efforts. And so these are the building blocks of the Suzuki Philosophy: #1 Rich saturation of the environment of the child with the sounds which he is striving to imitate, #2 Sincere praise and appreciation for his efforts, #3 Encouragement to continue many, many repetitions of what he is striving to master. |