Information About Stephen - Basingstoke teacher -

(1 review)

Personal Description:

I started playing the piano when I was five years old. I went through the grades and completed my Grade 8 when I was 15.
After secondary school I went on a Specialist Music course in Hampshire where I got my Music A Level and gained a place at the prestigious Trinity College of Music. At Trinity I studied piano performance and gained experience working with ensembles and playing for Ballet Classes where I did a years apprenticeship as a Ballet Musician at the English National Ballet School. At the end of Trinity I graduated with a Bachelor of Music with Honours (BMus(Hons)). After Trinity I focused on getting more teaching experience and continuing my own personal development and additionally gained a Diploma of the Associated Royal Schools of Music (DipABRSM) and am currently working towards a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM)

Tutoring Experience:

After Trinity I decided to try and become a Primary School teacher. I had previous experience working in my local school and enjoyed and engaged with it so I successfully gained a place on a PGCE course. When on this course I gained a lot of experience teaching children and having to use various techniques to make sure they engaged with the learning. During this time I also had a couple of piano students, one who's house I visited. I worked with him and used the various techniques I gained from my PGCE and this meant that he had a lot more of ownership of his learning. Whilst I made sure I pushed him to the next level I always made sure it was a partnership on where he wanted to go. Throughout my time I discovered that I would do better having a more music focussed teaching career than General Primary so I changed my focus. However that course taught me several valuable techniques, how to manage behaviour, how to keep children engaged and how to make sure they progress.

Tutoring Approach:

I always see teaching as a partnership, between the recipient and, as Vygotsky would say, 'the more knowledgeable other'. This means that as a teacher you need to listen to the student so that the learning is engaging and tailored, or differentiated, to the students needs. I cannot just blindly teach the way I teach for all because everyone is different and you need to adapt otherwise they will learn nothing. I do this by using another technique that is considered good which is questioning and allowing that questioning to lead the learning. This gives the child ownership. However, they still need direction and that comes from the teacher and I always focus on both the techniques for the technical and musical. Using questioning means that you can continually asses the students understanding. I also follow the opinion that quality is better than quantity. For example, I would rather have a student learn four bars well than a whole piece badly. Through this approach it often means that the students themselves are keen to do the grades.