Need help choosing a piano teacher

Hsc

Hi, i am very slow at typing chinese so will write this in english...:)

My daughter is 4 years old and she wants to learn the piano. I've taken her to two separate teachers for a trial and she loved both teachers and lessons. Now i cannot decide who to choose! I need your help!

Teacher A is a russian lady in her early 30s. She lives 5 minutes drive away (10 including parking). I think she just moved to sydney last year so she only only got a few students, but she has 12 years experience in total. She is very nice and enthusiastic and is happy to answer all my questions. She is comfortable at teaching my daughter and suggest a 30min lesson a week, following the music for little mozart programme. She graduated from a piano teaching degree in a moscow music univerisity.

Teacher B lives just 5 min walk from where we are so very convenient for us. She is in her late 40s (aussie) and teaches at the local public school. She is experienced at teaching 5 year old+ so my daughter will be her youngest student. She is very nice and gentle towards my daughter but is colder towards me. I think she is the type of teacher who knows what she is doing and therefore doesn't like the parent to ask too many questions.

They are both good in diff ways and my daughter likes them both. I find teacher A easier to get along but i am worried that she may move house (she is renting (a townhouse) for now) or even leave australia after a while. I don't know if it would be impolite for me to ask her about her plans...

On the other hand, teacher B lives so close and comes across as having more experience!

I would LOVE to have your suggestions!

Hsc

One more thing on teacher B, maybe because she has more students, or maybe she thinks 4 years old is too young, whilst she is nice and patient towards my daughter, i feel that she is not as keen to teach my daughter as teacher A. That makes me worried a bit. She suggested a 20min lesson.

Btw, my daughter sat thru both lessons and smiled or laughed most of the time. She was attentive to both teachers, so in terms of attention span and interests i think she is definitely ready.

canberra2011

感觉第一位老师更愿意和您沟通交流，这点很好。小孩子学琴家长的参与配合很重要。老师暂时学生不多会更尽心些，不知两个老师的学费怎样？会不会搬家可以侧面问问他。:)

Hsc

Thank you! I will ask her today!

Hsc

Teacher A charges $35 for 30 min, teacher B charges $20 for 20 min, so almost the same.

家有小猪

如果是我，更加倾向teacher A, 那么小的孩子学琴，家长参与程度还是很重的，交流是必不可少的。如果教学上没有很大区别，找个比较容易交流的老师比较好。我家老大4岁半多点，也是刚开始学琴，老师建议30分钟课，个人感觉20分钟不一定够。还个琴，说个theory就要10分钟了。只是个人意见哈。

jenn123

I prefer teach A, the Russian lady.

fifiwoo

我倾向于teacher  B. 个人感觉俄罗斯老师比较正统，可能就是按部就班的教你弹琴。local 老师更倾向 音乐性，或许不会一开始那么严格要求你指法什么的，但是比较会培养孩子的兴趣，对aural，理论方面的东西说得更多些。。当然发觉local 的确实不太喜欢教太小的孩子，她们比较随意，觉得孩子太小不用学得那么辛苦。

Hsc

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I decide to go for teacher A. I will call her today. I think because i can play the piano myself, sometimes i am more 緊張 than an average parent and i do have more question...

Hsc

fifiwoo 发表于 2012-10-16 19:03
我倾向于teacher  B. 个人感觉俄罗斯老师比较正统，可能就是按部就班的教你弹琴。local 老师更倾向 音乐性 ...

Thanks. I had that supicion before i met teacher A too. But after i met her, i found her less strict and formal than what i had imagined. She said she lived in the usa before. Maybe that's why. But that was a good point. Thank you!