Scenario 1: Quiz Questions

It’s an easy and fun way to get your students thinking about theory between lessons. You post the questions, they reply to your message.

Readily accessible progress scores and (even small!) prizes will help combine to generate interest in your quiz.

*TIP* Use "Send to group" to ensure that quiz questions are appropriate to the level of the student. So the quiz in the example on the right might be "Intermediate Theory Students".

You could create another quiz with easier questions, and send to "Beginner Theory students".

*TIP*  Your students can also create and send questions of their own - ideal for music trivia.

MRS HENDERSONS THEORY QUIZ!

Ok here it is everyone – round two. Reply to this with your answers, and I’ll post the progress scores on the NewsTicker. This week’s theme: Theory Teasers

Q1: Name four keys that have at least 5 sharps in the key signature

Q2: What time signature would best suit a measure with two dotted quarter notes?

Q3: Which note would be in the third space of the alto clef?

Q4: What note would be a minor third above Ab?

Q5: Which notes would make up the second ascending tetrachord of E Melodic minor?

Q6: Which note is the odd note out? F, E#, G#,Gbb

Scenario 2: Just before the Big Concert...

One of your students has a competition on the weekend. It’s her first, and she’s feeling nervous about the whole thing. Make sure that words of encouragement are fresh in her mind by sending her a message a couple of days before Big Event.

Messages like this should be just about automatic whenever there is a concert coming up. It probably only takes you thirty seconds or for you to send it, but they go into the concert then knowing that you are in their corner.

*Tip* If you have have several students all appearing in the same concert, you can save time by sending a Group message to them.

Katrina,

I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be thinking about you on Saturday – you’ve worked hard for this. There is no way of knowing exactly what the adjudicator will be looking for, so I want you focusing on how you play, not on what the result is.

I’ll be there cheering you on, and will send you a quick message with my feedback afterwards.

Go well!

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 3: Post Concert Feedback

You’ll go over it all at the next lesson anyway, but sometimes you need to intervene sooner than that. Our student from Scenario 1 had a memory lapse in her concert, and was clearly upset. Time for a quick note.

The advantage of the message over a phone call is that you can find exactly the right words, and it doesn't put the student in a position where they have to respond straight away. (The student may well want to be left alone!). Your words can sit there, and when they are ready, they can absorb them.

*Tip* Because your student's Performance Manager will allow them to record details of the concert - warts and all - it might also be worth pasting a copy of your message in the "Details" section of their concert description, before they fill it with phrases like "colossal disaster" or "Humiliating exhibition of hopelessness"...

 Hi Katrina

It happens. Every student, every teacher, every performer – beginners, professionals, children, adults – everyone – has concerts where they forget what they are doing.

Here’s what I want you to do. Take some time out from anguishing over what you forgot, and be proud of how you played what you remembered. In your performance of over 200 measures of music, 190 of them were filled with EXACTLY the focus on control and sound production that we have worked on so hard this year.  I was there. I could hear the audience being drawn in by what you were doing.

There’s a reason that that tiny minority of 10 measures came unstuck. We’re going to discover it, recover it, and send this piece to new heights.

All you need to hear from me at the moment is that while I am disappointed by what happened, I am not at all disappointed in you.

We’ll catch up on Tuesday.

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 4: Congratulations!

There’s a lot more going on in your student’s lives than just music lessons.  Take the time to make a fuss about their non-musical triumphs, and they’ll burst with pride – and be all ears at your next lesson.

In this scenario, one of the parents in your studio happened to mention that one of your students had a soccer triumph on the weekend. Don't just sit on the information. Drop him a quick note, and let him know that you know - and that you're proud.

Hi Simon

I just heard from one of my other students (I’m not saying who, but they’re in your class at school), that your soccer team ended up winning the grand final on Saturday! You sounded pretty excited last lesson to be even in the grand final, so I can’t imagine how excited you must be now.

Did you get a medal or something? Could you bring it in and show me? I’d love to see it J

Well done, and see you on Wednesday

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 5: Happy Birthday!

 You shouldn’t forget your mother’s. You shouldn’t forget your spouse’s.

 And you really should remember your students' too!
 

*Tip* Use your Deadline Manager to keep track of your students' birthdays.

*Tip* You can use multiple colors in your messages by selecting the color you want from the dropdown, and then placing the text between the color tags.

 ***Streamers****  ***Whistles***

Kevin, wishing you a very happy 10^th birthday.

Have a great day, and I’ll see you at your lesson on Wednesday (a year older and wiser? Wow - your Bach should be sounding really good!)

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 6: Reminders

Your life is as a teacher is much easier if your students remember the things they are supposed to. In the past, you've have had to chase your students with phone calls...

...now,  a quick message can gently tug at their sleeve with a “don’t forget!”

*Tip* Don't just send them a message with a reminder - send them a STICKER when they do remember important things, to help reinforce the behavior in the future.

Helen

Don’t forget that your competition entry form is due in next Thursday. I’m happy to post it if you remember to bring it with you to the lesson – the main thing I need is a signature from your parents.

Let me know if you’re not sure about anything on the form

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 7: Shopping Lists

For students, it's a fact of life - there are always plenty of new music books to purchase. Despite this, music teachers seem to spend a lot of time fielding phone calls that say “what was that book I supposed to get again?”

Instead of having to remember everything, parents can simply look up their child's webpage, and then print out the message before they go to the shops.

It also gives you the freedom to say in a lesson "Listen, there's a book I want you to get, but I can't remember the publisher - I'll look it up, and send you a note later"

Hi Samantha

Could you print this out and pass it on to your parents? It’s a list of the books I need them to get for you to bring to the next lesson.

* Wesley: 45 Intermediate Etudes for Flute
* Simpson Flute Classics: Funky Tunes for Funky Flute Players (Book 2)
* TheoryMaster Level 3
* Manuscript book (or you could just print out your own manuscript paper by clicking on the “Manuscript Paper” link on your webpage – but whichever method you use, I need a couple of dozen pages!)

Thanks, and I’ll catch up with you in a few days.

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 10: Notification of Upcoming Absences

Cancellations are inevitable, but can involve dozens of phone calls - followed by extra phone calls from parents wondering "Which Wednesday were you cancelling again?"...

Your Message Center will allow you to cancel an entire day of students with one message, and have the note available for your students if they can't remember the date.

*Tip* You can also use the Message Center to organize make up lessons - include a list of possible times, and have your students reply to the message, claiming times on a first-come, first-served basis.

*Tip* It might also be worth thinking about posting the date on their Upcoming Deadlines chart.

To all my Wednesday Students

Just a quick note to let you know that I will be adjudicating a competition on Wednesday Aug 4^th, and so there will be no lesson on that date. We’ll either credit the lesson towards next semester, or make it up at some stage.

Keep your eyes out for new practice instructions – I’ll send you all a fresh set of instructions after that Wednesday (I’d hate you to be wondering what to do)

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 11: Apologies

Sometimes you’ll say things in a lesson that you’ll regret as soon as the lesson ends. A simple apology can rescue things, and ensure that the next lesson gets off on the right foot.

It can also sometimes be easier to rescue things with a message than with a face-to-face meeting or a phone call - you can phrase things exactly as you mean to, and the student is not compelled to have to have an answer ready.

Amy – I was thinking about that exchange we had last lesson, and I wanted to apologize. I was out of line, and should have let you finish your explanation. In the couple of days since, I had a quick chat with your dad, and now I know what you meant.

You should have told me the full story earlier…I absolutely would have understood.

I think we can still rescue this recital, and I’m hoping you’re still speaking to me enough to want to!  Let me know if you are…I’ve actually had a great idea for how you could learn that second page in half the time.

Mrs Henderson

Scenario 12: Lost Property

The next time students lose something in your studio, you can put the call out to every studio member to find out where it might have ended up – or you can track down the owner of a mystery item.

To all students

A blue coat, size 6 was left in my studio last week – no name inside, and I’m not really sure who it belongs to. If you think it’s yours, please reply to this!

Thanks!

Mrs Henderson