I cannot believe that my third semester of teaching flute lessons has ended. Where has the time gone? This semester I had a mixture of both old and new students. Most of my students had already been playing for at least two years. I had one beginner this semester who was absolutely wonderful. By the second week she had learned almost all of the notes and by the end of the first month she was able to play both low and high notes successfully! My semester can be best summed up in a series of new lessons that I learned alongside my students. 

Lesson #1: Consistency is important. This was the first semester where I found that I had been teaching some students for three semesters in a row. Other students I had been teaching for two semesters, but I noticed immedietely that these were the students who were excelling the fastest. Especially in music, consistency is important. I did not have to spend extra time introducing myself because many of the students already new my strategies, how I run my lessons and what I expect out of my students. Many of my continuing students showed great improvement over the course of this semester. More time was spent on the actual lesson itself, and I found that the students were truly eager to master new pieces of music and better themselves.

Lesson #2: A reward system is quite helpful. Previously, I discussed my use of stickers. However, this semester I realized that having a reward system is quite useful in encouraging the students to bring their flutes and music to their lessons. Midway into the semester I dealt with a "lost flute" epidemic where students either forgot their flutes at home or lost their flutes at school. Thus, I realized that in order to successfully complete this semester, I needed to do something to encourage the students to bring their instruments and to practice. I decided to set up a "quiz schedule." Every week the student would receive one piece of music that they would become an expert on for the following week. When they came to their lesson they would have to play this piece almost perfectly with very minor mistakes at most. After they passed five quizzes successfully, they could pick out of my prize jar. The results were astounding! Many students who never practice, were suddenly playing pieces that I didn't even know they were capable of playing. Though I am not a huge fan of extrinsic awards, I will do anything to motivate my students to work harder. 

Lesson #3: It is more than just flute. This semester specifically, I came to realize that a lot of my students look at their flute lesson as a time to play music but also to talk about things that are troubling them. A couple of my students were having family issues and so at the end of their lesson we would talk about these problems together to see if we could find a solution. Another student was having a very difficult time with one of her classes and so I worked with the teacher and with her to change her flute lesson so that it wasn't during her study hall but during her recess. I came to the realization that I am not just a flute teacher, but a friend, a peer, a colleague, a tutor and sometimes a supervisor.

I am rather sad that this semester has come to an end due to the fact that I only have one more semester left with my students. Nevertheless, I am eternally grateful for my time spent at The Falk School. I am sure that my next semester will be even more rewarding than this one.