Hi parents,


For those who did PV, can I know when are you being called up? Cos I have recieved a call saying that I am selected for PV duties but since then no more updates. So was just wondering how the system goes? My child is due for Pri 1 in 2014.

Dreamaurora:

I think it may be beneficial for all parents in this forum to have a guideline on how to evaluate a prospective piano teacher for your children. I am writing this as a piano teacher myself. I had my own shares of good and not so good teachers and let me share with you some pointers. Hope these will help:


- The most important quality that a piano teacher must have is that he/she MUST love music and teaching. There are many teachers out there who just teach for the sake of earning some extra pocket money. And there are even those qualified ones who treat the whole teaching thing as just a way to make money. The students will only be motivated and inspired by a teacher who loves piano music. How to find out from the teacher? Discuss on his/her favourite piano music and whether he/she is still practicing piano. Also, if possible request the teacher to play for you. A passionate pianist will always be happy to entertain this request.

- Generally speaking, teachers that teach from home/studio are more qualified and experienced compared to those that travel or work in music schools. Nonetheless, you may luck out and find a dedicated teacher at the start of his/her career who is willing to travel to your place. It is safe to say the most established teachers in Singapore do not travel to students' home.

- A good teacher will have a structured plan to approach his/her student's progression. Discuss with the prospective teacher his/her lesson plans, expected grade progression, etc. Many teachers are often clueless on how to advance a student's ability and also ill-equipped to prepare an actual music exam. Remember, an exam is more than just playing pieces/songs. There are other components such as scales, sight reading, aural, or viva voce. A good piano teacher would have a thorough plan to go through these regularly so his/her students will be all-rounded.

- A good teacher will also try to organise more activities beside the usual weekly piano lessons. Masterclasses, duet classes, concerts, are some of the activities that will be very beneficial for the students. One of the best ways to assess the teacher's capabilities would be attend one of these events. If a teacher has a student concert/masterclass, you can politely ask to attend. Most of the time they will oblige and you can see for yourself how the students are playing

- On matters of qualifications, it is hard to determine the teaching abilities of the teachers from the certifications he/she has. Note that there are even teachers with degree/master qualifications who are clueless about the art of teaching. Having a certificate simply means you are certified that you are capable to perform at that level. The only exception is if the certification is of teaching nature e.g. DipABRSM in Teaching. The exam boards are quite strict in awarding these teaching diplomas and generally speaking teachers having these teaching certifications are quite safe to get.

Well said! I am glad I found a good piano teacher of this calibre too.

cookieandmonster:

Hi,


Anyone going in June to Gold Coast?

For those who have been there, please advise on the must-visit places?

Just back from Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast when the tsunami strike Japan. It was not affected in anyway. Not exactly that there are must visit places, but some of the places of interest would be Sea World, Warners Bros, Country Paradise (small attraction with kangaroos and koalas and farm shows), further away will be near Brisbane called Koala Sanctuary. Apart from that, spend lazy days at the beach etc. U doing self drive?

Thanks all for Yr advice and saved my day. Will go to a travel agent since so much cheaper and feel more confident! Thanks again ya.

Hi,


For those who did F & E by yrself, did u apply the VISA on yr own too? If yes, did u apply straight from Aust embassy online? I am looking at this website http://www.australiavisa.sg but not sure if it's reliable. Anyone use them before? TIA! :lol:

Thanks for Yr advise! Tat really good strategy din think bout tat. But u have any idea wat is the withdrawal procedure like if I sign up pei chun then wanna sign up at Poi Ching? Do I need to go pei chun to cancel my application and any charges to that ? Thanks in advance!

Hi all,


I am staying at Pasir Ris and hoping to enrol my 2007 child in Poi Ching thru PV. I saw from past records that doing PV is rather safe and no balloting. But if still feeling uneasy on the what if scenario if cannot get in. My hubby is ex-student of Pei Chun Public school in TPY but it’s quite far and not logistic wise to attend. Any advise which should I go for?