Mark Wilson and Paul Wood, creators of Stringtastic, share some of the benefits of exploring new resources as a teacher.
As music teachers, we are constantly tweaking and refining our teaching methods for every student to keep lessons engaging, productive and enjoyable.
Regardless of our experience, all teachers go through phases where we can become stuck and feel lessons are becoming repetitive. How often have we taught the same repertoire, corrected the same posture problems, or walked into a lesson not knowing what we were going to teach?
In our experience as teachers, one of the best ways to tackle this is by taking a step back and doing some learning and exploring of our own!
Why is it important to explore new resources?
It's easy to settle into a familiar routine and rely on tried-and-tested methods. However, the world of music education is constantly evolving, and so are the needs of our students. By stepping outside our comfort zones and exploring what is out there, we can find so many benefits.
Stay up to date
Educational research and pedagogy is always progressing. New resources, techniques, and technologies emerge regularly. By staying informed about the latest new resources, we ensure that our teaching methods remain relevant and effective.
Broaden our toolkit
Every student is unique, with their own learning style, strengths, and challenges. By continuing to build our toolkit and knowledge base of resources, we can tailor our approach to each individual, creating a more inclusive and supportive teaching environment.
Spark inspiration
It can be so easy to feel stale or predictable at times in our teaching career. By introducing new resources, we can spark our own curiosity and find fresh motivation.
Work out new solutions
As the saying goes, “there is more than one way to crack an egg”! In music teaching, we know that there are many ways to approach the common problems. By studying and testing out a wide range of teaching methods and comparing them with our own teaching, we can challenge our existing approach and discover new solutions.
Find (and fill) the gaps
There is no one perfect teaching resource! Every method book will have areas where a missing tune or exercise could bridge the gap between concepts. Sometimes, this is due to the author assuming prior knowledge of the pupils; other times, it's quite simply due to page constraints within the book. Never feel constrained to follow one linear method book! By exploring alternative resources, we can more easily identify these learning gaps and supplement them with new materials.
Getting started
As teachers we are all busy, and the prospect of continually trying new resources might feel daunting! With that in mind, we have a few final tips to help you along the way.
Start small
Don’t try to do everything at once! Choose one or two new resources to explore that particularly resonate with or intrigue you, and gradually bring these into your teaching as you go.
Use your networks
Reach out to colleagues, friends, or online communities such as the Faber Music Teachers’ Community to find out what resources others are using, how they are using them, and what they recommend. As authors, we love to hear from people, so don't be afraid to reach out to an author of a book and ask a question!
Listen!
As you experiment with new resources, encourage your students to share their thoughts and experiences. A big part of writing the Stringtastic series was the feedback from our students – they are the experts when it comes to determining what is working in your teaching, so make sure they feel confident and empowered to give feedback on any new resources!
We hope this has provided some inspiration and food for thought heading into the new term. As mentioned, we are always happy to hear from fellow teachers – whether to share your own experiences with trying new materials, or to ask a question about how to get started using the Stringtastic series. Don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!