Pedagogy Forum is being introduced to encourage interaction between members of the branch and make the Newsletter even more useful by providing opportunities to exchange ideas and share teaching experiences that will assist others in solving problems such as “How to help small hands play octaves”, ” Learning strategies for ear-training”, “Sight-reading that is successful!”.

In order for the Forum to provide maximum help, YOUR ideas for topics and questions are essential so please feel free to contact me by e-mail at mtickner@zis.net or by phone or fax at (604) 263-1592. All suggestions will be gratefully received!

The flexible format for the Pedagogy Forum means that the discussion of a topic in one issue might include: (1) brief articles on the topic by several of our members, (2) an appropriate article or excerpt from a journal that is relevant to the topic, or (3) a list of short but really super ideas on the topic from our members. The collective teaching experience of our large membership should ensure that we will have an abundance of expertise that will benefit the individual members. Be generous in sharing your wisdom: any teaching tip is a valuable one and is appreciated.

The first topic for the September Newsletter is one that is a constant challenge to all teachers, and is sometimes controversial:

MEMORIZATION AND PERFORMANCE

Things to consider:

Is memorization necessary for performance?
What about using music?
How to inspire the reluctant student to memorize.
Ways to ensure a secure memory.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Mary Tickner, Coordinator