Five Things I’m Loving This Week– February 12, 2016

This post was originally published on the Plucky Violin Teacher Blog on February 12, 2016 so links and resources may not be current.

Five Awesome Resources for Violin Teachers from around the Web!

1. I loved this blog post by Heather Figi titled “The Brain is Not a Computer (Ask, Don’t Tell.)”  It’s all about the power of asking questions.  Our brains are problem-solvers, not data storage.  Asking questions is a great way to engage the brains of young learners.

2. I am re-reading Nurtured by Love by Dr. Suzuki for this month’s book club pick.  Every time I read it I am struck by the love that Dr. Suzuki had for his students, and for children all around the world.  What a beautiful philosophy.  I’m so grateful to be part of it.

3. I’ve always admired the great violin teacher, Dorothy Delay.  I read her biography a few years ago and became her biggest fan.  The Strad published a bite-size collection of her teaching views in this article.  Here’s a couple of my favorites:

“One should never say to a pupil, ‘that’s wrong’. Instead one should say, ‘that’s fine’, and then find easy steps towards the discovery and correction of the fault. Pupils can develop areas of ‘withdrawal’ and fear, so the teacher must work on these gently and with tact.”

“The audience arouses ‘dragons’ if passages haven’t been practised properly.”

4. Limiting screen time AND motivating kids to practice? Here’s a great tip from Lara at The Overstuffed Life. Scales before screens. Brilliant.

5. I also loved this post about smiling through violin practice sessions by Paula Bird of the Teach Suzuki Violin Blog. My favorite part is her story of when she ran away from home as a child. Make sure you read to the end so you don’t miss it!

​I hope you enjoy these violin teaching resources. Thank you for being here, I really appreciate it! If you have a favorite violin or music teaching resource, please share in the comments!