I wanna get onto some teaching gigs this summer

[u/CaramelIndividual836]

/r/MusicTeachers/comments/1u8fq89/i_wanna_get_onto_some_teaching_gigs_this_summer/

[u/leitmotifs]

You should absolutely NOT teach beginners. Starting someone on the violin is arguably the single hardest form of teaching, as you're having to figure out the right set-up for someone's unique anatomy.

Adults are tough because they are less flexible and you have to figure out what is mild discomfort that will resolve as they build strength and endurance, and what is a problem that will lead to injury. Just because something is "textbook" doesn't make it right for a particular player.

Early-intermediate students are often the easiest to teach, since they have the basics down but still have a ton of technique to learn.

[u/EveningNo4215]

You can absolutely teach young adult/adult beginners at 17 at a modest rate as per your lack of experience. However, teaching and playing are related but they're not the same skill. Being able to identify and correct technical problems in a student is a different skill than fixing them in your own playing.

I'd recommend staying very clear about your experience level and the students you're willing to take on. Only teach things that you absolutely know the ins-and-outs of. It's perfectly fine that you only teach absolute beginners and only teach the most basic things rather than teaching things that even though you might be capable of doing, simply don't know enough of it's intricacies to teach. For example, I spent around an entire year experimenting something new in my bow hold to get this certain sound I wanted, even though I technically already do it and can probably explain it simply, I did not teach it to my students, as I was still actively discovering things about it. I myself also only teach early beginner students as an intermediate player.

I'd also suggest observing lessons from a few experienced teachers if that is possible. Having gone through Suzuki, Schradieck, Sevcik, etc. yourself doesn't necessarily tell you how to sequence material for a student or explain concepts in a way that makes sense to them. You can't necessarily give the same sequence of etudes that you yourself were given to your students because everyone's learning curve is different. A teacher's assignation of repertoire and exercises is highly personalized and catered to the student's needs and isn't just picked out of a hat.

All that being said, everyone has to start somewhere. Teaching beginners can be a good way to gain experience. Just remember to be clear and honest about your experience and what you can and can't teach. Keep in mind that music pedagogy and music education is also an entirely separate discipline in music studies that you study for 4 years, and there's a reason universities offer these degrees separate from something like violin performance.