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Minimalist Teaching

Teaching accessories are a slippery slope. Walk into any teaching store or browse through any specialty education website and it’s almost too easy to drop an entire year’s worth of income on supplies. It’s totally worth it if it makes the job easier for you and more fun for the students, right?

Maybe.

I’m always toying around (pun intended) with how much is too much when it comes to accessories. Like is that cute panda clip for the bow tip really necessary? Or can we get the same job done by only using the bow itself?

I tend to favor “simple” when it comes to teaching accessories. I dislike having to spend lesson time setting up some elaborate game. While these types of games can be effective, I can’t help but feel that more moving parts means more distraction. I want the students generally focused on their instruments and not which color of magic wand they are using.

Now this is not to say that I never use extra stuff during my private and group lessons. I just have a preference for keeping the number of items to a minimum and avoiding the Mary Poppins bags of tricks.

But I would be interested to see what others have to say on this matter. Do you agree that simple is best? Or do those extra accessories really help your lessons stick?

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