Taylor studio - Changes for Fall

The ideas are still forming, but here is what I think so far:

No levels=technique grade in each lesson. Since levels have been removed, this forces some changes in our procedures. Each lesson gets two grades: technique=15% of the semester grade, repertoire=40% of the semester grade. Rounding out that 100% is jury=25%, writing=10%, technique exam=10%.

Blogs=notebooks become unofficial. You should still bring a lesson notebook to your lessons, but this will become a venue for you to take notes. During each lesson, I will type my notes directly into your blog, including the grade.

Grades will sometimes be deferred. I am uncomfortable with grading every lesson, because when playing an instrument I don't think we learn in one-week chunks. Occasionally, I will defer a grade to the next week, and then that grade will count as the grade for both weeks.

Clarinet talk - Introduction

One thing I have noticed about my teaching, is that themes come in waves. In two week to one-month periods, I find myself emphasizing specific things in lessons. Of course, I do my best to hear each person openly, and think about what is the best, individualized focal point for each lesson, but somehow, those focal points get aligned somewhat. Makes sense, since clarinet playing is pretty simple in concept, and we all face the same challenges.

Today's Grade: B+ (OK content, but is too general, unpragmatic)