Cello Unit 1

This Online Unit 1 Training is designed for teachers who want to build strong, confident beginners from the very first lesson—using teaching strategies that are responsive, practical, and deeply grounded in how students actually learn.

Rather than focusing only on repertoire or abstract concepts, this course emphasizes engaging teaching ideas shaped by the learner’s needs from Day One. You’ll explore how to observe, diagnose, and respond to students in real time—so teaching feels purposeful rather than reactive.

What makes this course unique

• Teaching ideas rooted in real learning needs
  We will focus on how to engage students from the very first lesson, helping them feel successful, motivated, and secure as foundational skills are introduced.

• Extensive trainer lesson videos
  The training includes curated lesson videos featuring students of a wide range of ages and technical challenges. These examples allow participants to study concrete teaching decisions, troubleshooting strategies, and pacing choices that can be immediately applied in their own studios.

• Weekly participant teaching videos with feedback
  Active participation is a core requirement of this course. Each participant is expected to submit one teaching video per week from their own studio. These videos will receive direct, timely feedback from the trainer, supporting real growth in teaching clarity and effectiveness.

• Hands-on teaching props for deeper learning
  Each participant will receive a package of teaching props, which will be used throughout the course for in-depth discussion, demonstrations, and application. These tools support kinesthetic learning and help bridge abstract ideas into concrete teaching actions.

Participation expectations

This is an interactive, practice-based training, not a passive lecture course. Participants should be prepared to:

• Attend sessions live whenever possible

• Teach actively during the training period

• Submit weekly teaching videos for feedback

• Engage openly in discussion and reflection

By the end of the course, participants will leave with clearer sequencing, stronger diagnostic skills, and greater confidence in teaching beginners—along with practical tools they can use immediately.

You must be logged in to your SAA account and have Active Membership to join the course roster and pay the nonrefundable $20 deposit, below.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to the enrollment box, click “+”, then click “get tickets”. Follow the prompts to enter your payment information and answer these questions before joining the roster:

• Do you have a music degree? 
• In your best estimation and using this rubric, are you able to play the Basic Audition repertoire?
• Describe your teaching & performing experience on the instrument.

After getting tickets below, you’ll receive a confirmation email from the SAA with details on how to pay the balance of the course tuition. Check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.

If the enrollment box is not visible and you only see the waitlist option, it means you are missing the course prerequisite of ECC on your training profile. Please join the waitlist while you complete that requirement. You can verify your waitlist status from your profile: https://suzukiassociation.org/person-profile/

If you have any trouble enrolling or if your profile needs to be updated, please write to [email protected] with the details. 

All transactions are final and non-refundable.