“…our trainer created an atmosphere of such camaraderie, respect and understanding that, when the time came, I felt confident and relaxed. It was clear that everyone was there to learn, not to judge.”
—Sarah Bylander Montzka“…the feedback from both the teacher trainer and my peers was helpful, and it was given in a manner that was supportive and encouraging.”
—Suzanne Greer
We interviewed a couple of Suzuki teachers who recently completed the Practicum. We wanted to know why they took the course and what their experiences were like. One of our interviewees is Sarah Bylander Montzka, a violin teacher from Illinois, and the other is a piano teacher, Suzanne Greer from Minnesota.
The SAA Practicum Unit™ is a short-term unit developed to enhance the SAA’s system of short-term workshop training. While unit core training mainly focuses on Suzuki repertoire and instrumental technique, the emphasis of the Practicum is on honing the art of teaching. Topics include communication skills, teaching strategies, diagnostics and observation. In a nurturing and supportive environment of peers, using video footage from their home studio and on-site teaching, participants practice self-assessment skills to identify their strengths in teaching and those areas in need of improvement. In keeping with the SAA’s commitment to life-long learning, the Practicum provides teachers with an invaluable opportunity at any stage in their development. At the end of this article, please find a list of SAA approved Summer Institutes that offer the practicum for specific instrument areas.
Why did you take the Practicum?
Sarah: “I am a training course enthusiast! I keep returning to training courses for many reasons: to learn new skills, to become a better teacher, to hear another’s perspective on our common literature. But mainly, I’m just fascinated by the art of teaching and enjoy being a student! I was drawn to the Practicum because of its content. It’s basically a masterclass for teaching. I was excited about a class that could offer such personalized and direct information.”
Suzanne: “The course was recommended by several colleagues that I respect, and I felt that it would offer me the opportunity to get some feedback on my teaching skills and help me to become a better teacher. I had also heard that the Practicum might be a required course in the future, so it seemed like the right time to take it.”
Do you think it was the right time in your career to take the course? Why?
Sarah: “I had been teaching roughly nine years when I took the Practicum. It felt like good timing, because I felt I had a reasonable grasp on the technical teaching points in the literature, but wanted to improve the less tangible aspects of my teaching: communication, patience, empathy, parental involvement. Since the course wasn’t attached to any specific book, there were many opportunities to discuss these issues.”
Suzanne: “Yes, I chose to take the Practicum before I took any more book levels. Currently, I am registered through Book 5. I have a lot of beginning students and wanted to make sure that I was on the right track.”
How did the Practicum affect your teaching?
Sarah: “I returned to my teaching energized and excited to try out new ideas. Specifically, I felt challenged to begin sequencing technical skills even earlier in the literature than I had before. I also felt inspired to improve my non-verbal communication skills.”
Suzanne: “The course helped me to pinpoint the areas in my teaching that needed improvement and gave me specific ways in which to improve. I also learned that I have many teaching strengths. Now, when I have difficulties, I refer back to my notes from the course to help me through.”
Was there an opportunity to teach students as part of the course? If so, what was that like for you?
Sarah: “At first the idea was a little nerve-racking. It had been a while since I had taught in a situation where I felt I was being evaluated. But our trainer created an atmosphere of such camaraderie, respect and understanding that, when the time came, I felt confident and relaxed. It was clear that everyone was there to learn, not to judge.”
Suzanne: “students who was also at the institute where I took the practicum. I was very nervous teaching in front of not only a teacher trainer whom I admire and respect, but my peers as well. However, it was a good experience. The feedback I received was very useful…”
Did you receive feedback about your teaching? If so, how did that affect you?
Sarah: “The feedback was encouraging and honest. I left feeling uplifted and ready to work.”
Suzanne: “Yes, I received both positive feedback and ‘areas for growth.’ Again, the feedback from both the teacher trainer and my peers was helpful and it was given in a manner that was supportive and encouraging. I felt empowered to continue to improve my teaching. It was a very positive experience.”
Did you have the opportunity to ask questions that specifically applied to you?
Sarah: “Everyone in the class had the opportunity to ask questions about their own specific challenges. These sessions were more like brainstorming or problem solving tasks as a group where everyone shared ideas.”
Suzanne: “Yes, always. I came with specific questions and those were answered adequately.”
Were you happy with the choice of video examples you brought to the course? If not, what would you do differently?
Sarah: “The sneaky secret of the Practicum is that the course really begins during the taping process. I taped many hours of lessons in preparation for the class, and as I watched them—trying to decide which ones to select for ‘public’ viewing, I found myself thinking, ‘Oh my goodness! Do I really say Wow that much?’ Watching those videos was a learning experience in itself and improved my teaching immediately. It is tempting to bring in examples of the ‘best’ lessons, but I actually learned the most by sharing the lesson of a chatty 4-year old. Sometimes I feel a little clumsy in my teaching of very young ones and the advice I received was priceless!”
Suzanne: “Not entirely. Since I felt like I needed the most help with beginning students, I chose to bring videos of only beginners. If I were to take the course again, I would bring a wider variety of levels to the course, and I would spend a lot more time carefully considering which videos to bring.”
What would you say to others who are planning to take the Practicum?
Sarah: “To those planning to take the Practicum, I say ‘Right on!’ More importantly, to those who have not yet participated I say, ‘Check it out!’”
Suzanne: “I would strongly recommend taking the Practicum for anyone. Start videotaping early in order to have a few videos to choose from, and choose a variety of students and levels. The videos are a very large part of the class, so it is important to make sure you have good quality (microphone helpful in order to hear clearly). Show different angles of student, teacher, parent, etc. Before taking the Practicum, assess your teaching and make a list of questions you have in order to better your teaching. Keep an open mind!”
Requirements specific to SAA Practicum Units™
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The Practicum, not being repertoire specific, may be taken at any time after completing ECC and registering Book 1.
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Participants must bring videoed lesson segments of their home teaching. Criteria for videos:
- A complete 30-minute lesson.
- One 30-minute segment containing materials of their choice. (Possibilities are consecutive lessons of the same student, a group lesson, a reading lesson, a challenging student, lessons at different book levels, etc.)
- More footage can be included on the video, but video viewing will depend on time constraints, class size and other factors.
- Angle of the camera must show the student’s hands.
- The closest possible camera placement should be used which includes the student’s entire body.
- The teacher should be visible during much of the lesson.
- Whenever possible, include the parent as well.
- Video must be VHS format or DVD-R.
- For best quality sound, an external microphone is recommended. (Requirements specific to SAA Practicum Units™)
The practicum is being offered again this coming summer:
