“Time for flute!”…and your child is sitting in the middle of a mountain of legos. Or maybe they are playing outside and don’t want to come in. Perhaps they are in the middle of a major meltdown. As teachers, we have seen it all and we get it! Transitions are really hard for kids.
Parents pay good money for music lessons and want those finances to be put to good use. But, that pressure to get started right away can actually be a huge turn off and send the child further from focused.
We could all use a good reminder that the non-musical transition time at the beginning of the lesson is so incredibly valuable. It allows the teacher to connect with the child, hear about their day, and meet them where they are! This is actually the time where the bulk of the relationship building happens. And we all know, a deep, trusting relationship between teacher and student is not only essential for learning, but can also be life changing! Having at least one adult role model (outside of family) is so important for children and the benefits far pass musical instruction.
So, the next time your child is in the middle of reading a book and gets upset when you say it’s time for a lesson, don’t panic! Give them a few minutes to show the book to the teacher! It will help connect the two activities and ease them gently from one thing to the next. And who knows, maybe the book can even be used in the lesson!
Twenty minutes of solid, productive lesson time is always better than thirty minutes where nothing is accomplished. Take that transition time, it’s where the magic happens!