James Demlow

Posts tagged "teach"

Notes: 2 / 1 year ago

"Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task."

- Dr. Haim Ginott
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2 years ago

Teaching: How do I get my students to practice?

No matter what instrument you teach, finding ways to motivate your students to practice is probably one of the biggest issues for private instructors. Many instructors can get frustrated, or even personally offended when their students don’t practice. It seems like a waste of time for everyone involved. What’s more, you can feel a lot of pressure from parents who don’t see their child putting in a lot of hours, and they in turn will feel like they are wasting their money on your lessons.

So the question is “How do I get my students to practice?”

For the purposes of this article, let’s assume that you are dealing with two types of students; those that don’t practice, but still manage to make progress, and those that don’t practice and are stalling out.

For the first group, it’s important to keep in mind that kids today (yeah, I said it) have a lot going on. Imagine a 15 year old that has a full day of school with three hours of homework every night, football practice after school, driver’s ed and a part time job, not to mention the pull of friends, girls, and Playstation 3. You as a drum instructor can be seen as asking a lot of this kid if you say, “I want you to practice an hour everyday”. This is a kid who really wants to play the instrument, but the thought running through his head is:

“If I can’t give it enough attention, then I’ll just suck, so what’s the point?”

These are the kids who like to practice, or would like it if they had more time and more motivation.

The other group is comprised of the students who don’t want to practice. These are the kids (or adults for that matter) who just don’t like practicing, no matter what the circumstances. “Why are they playing drums then” I hear you asking. More on that issue in future articles, but for right now, let’s assume you can turn them around.

It actually doesn’t matter which type of student you’re dealing with, because the solutions are almost the same (with some minor variations). First things first though, let’s talk about what you DO NOT want to do:

Don’t tell them to practice more

For some of you this may seem obvious. For others, this seems like the worst idea ever. The reason you don’t tell them to practice more is because they will take it like you’re giving them an order, and no one responds well to that. Even if you manage to threaten or scare them in to practicing, it’ll be temporary until they quit. You’re goal is to motivate them, not make them do it.

Don’t try to sell them on the idea of practice

They already know the idea that practice=good, and no practice=bad. That isn’t why they are not practicing. Telling them a long list of reasons why practice is good is asking to be tuned out like Charlie Brown’s teacher, and it isn‘t motivating. They don’t want to hear your reasons.

Don’t make them feel bad for not practicing

Never, ever, ever, purposely make a student feel bad, for any reason. Period.

So, now that we know what not to do, let’s talk about the ways that will turn your ENTIRE roster of students in to dedicated, and diligent drummers.

Tell them to play everyday

Especially if you are dealing with a beginner. It is more important that they play everyday, because that will create a positive attitude toward the instrument. Tell them you don’t care what they play, or even for how long, as long as they are playing as much as possible. They will naturally progress up to a point, and then ask you for help with the materials you have asked them to work on (not told them to practice).

Ask them what they want to work on

If you have an established student that is not very motivated, you need to discover what does motivate them. Have you tried asking? I know. It’s nuts. You just ask them what they want to learn, then show them how to do it. It’s crazy. It also works. Even if you feel like they should be learning rudiments instead of death metal, it is their lesson, and their time with you is best spent in a positive way. If you show them what they want to know, I guarantee you will be able to work in your materials.

Make them feel really good when they do something right

This is basic conditioning. Anytime they do something correct, make a really, really big deal about it. Not a patronizing, pat on the head, but a genuine “Yes! That was it! It sounded awesome! Do it just like that!” People like the feeling of accomplishment and praise. You want your students to feel that a lot in the lesson room. If they do, you shouldn’t really have to ask them to do anything. That is true motivation.

They should always feel in control

This is the most crucial element. Many studies show that a person’s happiness is very much related to how much they feel they are in control of their lives. The more you can help the student choose to play, the more they will want to. The motivation will stem from their desire, and not your orders. Let them create their practice routine. Let them choose between two exercises. Let them choose which rudiment to start with. The more control you give to your students, the more they will want to work on the material. Don’t underestimate them either. Trust that they will do the work if you give them the choice.

So, to sum it up:

DON’T:

- Tell them to practice more

- Try to sell them on the idea of pratice

- Make them feel bad

DO:

- Tell them everyday is more important than how long

- Ask what they want

- Make them feel good

- Make sure they feel in control

Next time, I want to talk about how to explain this whole “I’m not going to tell you to practice” attitude to parents. It can be a tough sell ;o) Feel free to e-mail me at JDemlow@gmail.com with any questions or comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

Teaching: How do I get my students to practice?

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