I shared a job description for a studio teacher on threads.

We know that work will expand to fill the time that you give it. I could spend all day, every day thinking about teaching. But as I take on more responsibility at ITE I crave a clear definition of what exactly my ‘studio teacher’ role is asking of me.

I parsed out a job description into three levels: basic, intermediate, and fancy. I thought through this as if I were hiring someone to take over my studio for me. Or as if I was describing what I would expect a new cello teacher to do if they joined our school.

Here they are…

BASIC

• Never miss a lesson
• Answer emails/texts
• Take attendance
• Take student lesson notes (post)
• Plan lessons (pre)
• Prepare students for recitals, auditions, orchestra
• Schedule students for summer (in May) and fall (in August)
• Attend school recitals and concerts
• Continuing education (1 training/year)

INTERMEDIATE

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Etude can be a tricky and confusing piece!

I’m going to share how I’ve worked through all of the confusion.

1. Listen like crazy.

My students are listening to Etude 10x in a row every day while they learn Allegretto and Andantino.

2. Develop low 2

I’m working on 4th fingers starting in Go Tell Aunt Rhody and debuting for the first time in Perpetual Motion. That means I have time to start low 2 work as early as May Song or Long Long Ago to be ready to debut for the first time in Etude.

I use ‘Tennis Match,’ Pizza pattern, finger dances, and a collection of low 2 songs [low 2 GTAR, cold crossed buns, Baby shark] to build up the 2.

My vision is for the student to still use prepared fingers in the ‘Red pattern’ (2 and 3 touch) while using a finger frame (1 and 3 set, 2 and 4 lifted) in the ‘Blue pattern’ (1 and 2 touch).

That frame will come up constantly in the G scale, Etude, and the Minuets.

3. Etude Map and Bridges by Rote

When we start learning chunks of Andantino I will preview Etude. My first step is to build them a map of the piece with index cards. I break the piece down in the following way.

A [1st bridge] A [2nd bridge] B [3rd bridge] C

I teach them the notes to the bridges and ask them to practice them in both the Bowling and Baseball practice style. They should be able to play any bridge I ask for first-time, first-try. 

During this period I do allow them to use the bow. This is actually the first piece where they can learn the notes and the bowing at the same time. I have them use the ¼ to ½ mark for all of the staccato notes.

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