Walk the Line

Alright folks!
It's time to...
 Walk the Line 

This is game has worked so well for my students.

These are the rules for the game
( I spread out the numbers so they actually take a step)

• Choose a practice spot (measure 12) or a technique (making bow holds)
• The student starts on zero
• If the practice spot is done correctly, the student takes a step towards the positive numbers. If it is wrong, he has to take a step towards the negative numbers. 

The student knows the goal. He knows what he has to do to get there.  In my experience, it takes some kids a while to process the idea that if they just buckle down and do it, then they can be more efficient and productive in a shorter amount of time.

I have 2 success stories with this game that I want to share...

• A girl that I teach that is very emotional. I'm always nervous I'm going to say "let's do this spot 5x in a row" at just the wrong time and then the rest of the lesson we have tiers. Yesterday was a new story. I told her she was going to get on the number line and her goal was to get to #3 ( I started with a small number so that I wouldn't overwhelm her). She started out just fine and did the spot correctly 2 times, then... it went down hill. The lowest number she got was to was -1 and then started her come back to the positive numbers, but she got stuck going back and forth from zero to 1. I braced myself for what was to come next - those big alligator tiers. To my surprise, she didn't have any tiers. Only laughter! Crisis averted! 

• Teenagers are hard to read, but I have one that is so unpredictable. She will come to the classroom I'm in and talk to me one day like we're best friends, and the next day when she comes for her lesson I'll be her worst enemy. It's rough. I never know what to expect or how to plan for her lessons. This was the 2nd week in a row I had her do the number line. Last week it didn't go over to well - it was too elementary. This week I was going to give it another shot because I KNOW this activity will help her see HOW she needs to practice. She is one of those who needs to be held accountable and needs a "babysitter" to do things. It's not that she isn't capable, it's just that she's a teenager and knows how to do everything and is always "right." Her lesson this week was THE BEST. I didn't have to be the big, bad, mean teacher that has the student practice the spot once they get it right. 

 The reason I LOVE this game is because I'm not the one that is saying that the task needs to be done again. The students can see for themselves that when they do it correct, they are improving and when they stop thinking about the task at hand, they have a lot more work ahead of them to get to where they want to be.

Most Important

Take a moment to think about what is of most value in helping your child this learn to play an instrument...

"I need to remember that the number of songs Carrie learns, or the speed at which she learns them, isn't the most important part of what we are trying to accomplish together. The process itself is the most important: the day-to-day discipline, the day-to-day attention to detail, the day-to-day awareness of beauty in the world."

A Suzuki Parent's Diary or How I survived my first 10,000 Twinkles - By Carroll Morris

Videos of Dr. Suzuki

I was looking for information that my AMAZING mentor, Pat D'Ercole suggested I look at and I came across videos of Dr. Suzuki when he was at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point!

I never got to meet him, but I love the man. I remember the day that he died. I was in 8th grade just leaving my locker to go 2nd period. My friend Anne (who was/is also a violinist), asked me if I had heard that he had died. My heart sank. What a legend. Definitely one of the most influential people to mankind.

Dr. Suzuki at Stevens Point 1964