Setting Expectations when Teaching Ukulele

Setting expectations when teaching ukulele

Learning to play the ukulele creates a lot of excitement in the classroom. You want to ensure that your music students have clear instructions to be attentive and respectful. Setting expectations when teaching a beginner ukulele class is the first step to keeping your students on track and maximizing their success. This comes even before learning how to hold the ukulele!

Here are some routines and expectations to set when teaching your ukulele class:

For your students

Outline what each student is expected to do when entering the music classroom and what clean up is expected after every lesson. Having somewhere to store your ukuleles makes getting them out and putting them away an easier expectation for students to meet. See my ukulele storage solution here.

Teach students these two positions:

- Playing ready position: the position where students hold the ukulele and are ready to play.
- Resting position: the position where ukuleles are facedown on the lap when the teacher is speaking. By specifying that it needs to be facedown, you’ll avoid any absent minded strumming.

For you

What happens when students aren’t meeting these set expectations? If students play their ukulele while a teacher is speaking, I recommend you give one warning to take the ukulele away from them. Be strict with this! You can return the instrument after a few minutes, but it’s important to ensure that your music students do not play over you while you are teaching.

Allow for only five to ten minutes of instructions. Your students are excited to get going, so teach in small chunks. Then give them a chance to practice individually, with partners, or in small groups. Play along videos can also be used and are effective. Be mindful of the amount of time that you are speaking and how much time students are given the opportunity to play. After all, learning to play an instrument is a hands-on experience!

For more music teaching ideas and activities like these, make sure you are following me @teachfromthestage on Instagram!

Alessandra

My name is Alessandra and I am a Kindergarten-Grade 8 Teacher of the Arts, specializing in music and dance education. Based in Toronto, Canada, I teach 800+ students a week and am a huge advocate for the arts. I graduated with a Bachelors of Music Therapy & Masters of Education, and I am passionate about fostering a quality music education program for every learner.