Marcia Vahl Piano Studio

I just finished my NTCM certification in June 2007. It was really a joyful process for all of us in Minnesota due to the diligence of our mentor, teacher, and friend, Dr. Marianne Bryan. A group of 9 or 10 of us were coached through the process and took the certification test together at our state convention in June. I thought the whole process was enjoyable because we were all doing it together. Not all in the group had college degrees, so some had to do tests in theory, music history, and pedagogy. It was so worth it, to examine my philosophy of teaching and ways to handle various issues in my studio. All of us passed, and had a celebration lunch in September! Get a group together and do this in your state - I highly recommend the process

There are 5 "standards" as you may already know. Our group met about once a month on a Saturday to discuss questions MTNA makes available to mentors for each standard. It was totally enjoyable, and there were different ways of thinking about each question. For instance, the question "what you would consider in setting up a budget for your business?" - I was thinking about what expenses you need to budget and my colleague was thinking more along the lines of what did she want to make and how many students at what rate would provide the income she needed.

The standards are:
* Standard I: Professional Preparation
* Standard II: Professional Teaching Practices
* Standard III: Professional Business Management
* Standard IV: Professionalism and Partnerships
* Standard V: Professional and Personal Renewal

To apply I had to fill out an application and send my college transcript. Those who don't have the college credits required in Music Theory, Music History, and Pedagogy have to take a proficiency test in those areas. It happened I was only short 1 semester in Music History/Literature. A candidate needs 3 semesters and I only had 2, so I took the Music History test in April. Aside from that, I just studied each of the standards we discussed in our group and took the certification test at our state convention in June. I must be weird - I actually enjoyed studying for this test and kept computer files of all I did.

It was so much better to go through this as a group. Last year in MN only 1 person was NCTM certified. She worked with me on our state contest and I can see she's the type of person that might rather do it on her own than with a group - she's incredibly intelligent - but not me! If a candidate has a bachelor's and a master's degree, I doubt that you would need to take any proficiency test, just the certification test. It is difficult to write for 3 hrs. but I'd much rather take the test than do a portfolio, which could take months to put together. None of our group decided to go the way of the portfolio. I highly recommend going through this process.

First step - Send in the application with your transcript. On the transcript they want to see: (Mine were semester credits, they also have a way to count quarter credits if that's what you have.)
1 Music Theory - 4 credits (if I remember correctly)
2 Music History - 3 credits
3 Pedagogy - 2 credits (I think) Any education classes will do, like Ed.Psych. or Adol.Psych. I had vocal pedagogy, piano pedagogy, teaching strings, teaching woodwinds, teaching brass, teaching secondary music, etc., etc. so I had more than enough.

If they look at your transcript and tell you that you need to take a proficiency test in theory, history, or pedagogy, these are short tests. You can probably finish in less than 30 min. They are not essay, but more objective, like T/F, multiple choice, short answer, about 100 points in probably 50 questions.

If you had a college recital, that's all the playing you would have to do. Those in our group who hadn't done a college recital prepared one piece from each historical period and played for a panel of 3 MMTA members who were either college teachers or already had NCTM certification. They got valuable comments on their critique from the panel of 3. I'm sure they were all a little scared since they hadn't done performances for many years. The 3 areas of history, theory, and pedagogy plus the credit for performance (whether college credit for a recital or a performance before the panel) comprise standard 1 so that is totally done and won't be tested on again.

Our group discussed standards II through V in our montly meetings, and the answers to the questions provided for each standard prepared us to take the certification test, which everyone has to take. This is the 3 hr. all essay test over topics like your philosophy of teaching, budget planning for your business, 10 items you want to cover in the student's first year of lessons, 5 ways you could build a relationship with your community, 5 ways you contribute to your profession. This gives you a general idea of the kind of general questions on the certification exam.

I'm well aware that 5 or 10 years ago they just asked you if you wanted to be certified, you paid the fee, and your certification was complete. However, knowing now what I had to demonstrate I knew and what I learned, both about myself and teaching in general, was totally worth it: my certification really means something and I'm proud that I saw the process through.

• Encourages improvement in teaching through continuous self-study.
• Raises the likelihood for a higher level of teacher competency and effectiveness.
• Provides a goal for personal professional achievement for music teachers.
• Increases the potential for earning power for music teachers.
• Improves the level of professionalism within the field of music teaching.
• Identifies for the public competent music teachers.

FOR MTNA

• Fosters excellence in music education through the development of criteria, standards, and guidelines for assessing educational competencies in performance, music theory, music history/literature, and pedagogy/teacher education.
• Assures the educational community, the general public, and other agencies or organizations that the MTNA Professional Certification Program for music teachers has been clearly defined with appropriate standards.
• Provides a national forum for the discussion and consideration of concerns relevant to the preservation and advancement of standards in the field of music and music education.
• Develops a national unity and strength for the purpose of maintaining the position of music study in the family of fine arts and humanities and providing qualified teachers to guide that study.
• Sets a uniform national minimum standard of achievement without restricting the development of new ideas, experimentation, or the expansion of personal standards

I'll gradually get all the questions posted for each of the four standards, II-V, which  are recommended study material for the certification test. Unless you  are going the portfolio route, the certification test will be your last step  to  successfully complete your certification.

STANDARD II - Professional Teaching Practices

Planning Courses of Study -  Competent music teachers plan courses of study for their students on a regular basis using a wide range of music, musical concepts and materials.

Facilitating Music Learning - Competent music teachers foster students’ interest and facilitate their musical learning by using a variety of resources, equipment, technology, materials, methods, music and teaching styles and strategies.

Fostering an Educational Environment  - Competent music teachers provide and cultivate settings that are conducive to learning and performance, and that are inclusive of students and families from varied backgrounds, cultures and capabilities. They provide settings for a course of study that encourages student confidence, independence, teamwork and high achievement. 

Assessing Musical Growth - Competent music teachers utilize multiple evaluation methods regularly to assess and convey the progress of students' musical growth and performance, and to gather data for planning subsequent courses of study.

Questions:

1) Discuss your philosophy of memorization and performance. Is memorization of recital repertoire necessary in your studio? Why or why not?

2) Suggest a curriculum for the first year for an average 8-10 year old beginner. Cite specific books, supplementary music and sets of materials. 

3) List 10 musical concepts you would expect a student to experience/master in the first year of study. (The Uzsler book has good information on this.)

4) Plan a program for a 12 year old boy who is playing Clementi, Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 1.

5) Describe and explain how you include sightplaying/singing skills in your teaching curriculum.

          a) List materials and equipment used.

          b) List and describe ways you evaluate these skills.

Feel free to share your answers or ask any questions you have by email. I'll be happy to answer them.

STANDARD III: Professional Business Management   Competent music teachers demonstrate an understanding and application of basic professional and ethical business practices in their studio and classroom management. These practices include establishing operational and financial policies.

A) Ethics and Business Practices

1) List and describe 5 items or concerns that a professional music teacher should consider when developing a studio or classroom budget

2) Discuss essentials of a studio policy sheet.

3) Discuss your outline for an interview/audition with a beginning student/family members(s) AND a transfer student/family(s) including a list of questions to ask each student/family member(s).

4) Discuss essential equipment needed for a piano studio.

B) Discuss preparing a student for a competition in terms of the following considerations:

2) psychological preparation (before, during and after the performance) 

3) strategies for coping with:

STANDARD IV: Professionalism and Partnerships

A. Contributing to the Profession - Competent music teachers contribute to the professional growth of their colleagues, their studios and schools, their professional associations and to their profession at large.

B. Building Partnerships - Competent music teachers understand and appreciate the unique position that the family unit, colleagues, and the community play in the musical education of students. They actively seek opportunities to build and nurture partnerships with them.

A. Contributing to the Profession

List and explain four (4) topics you could present to a pedagogy study group comprised of other piano teachers.

What are ways you can contribute to the professional growth of colleagues, professional associations and the profession at large?

B. Building Partnerships

Elaborate on constructive ways to strengthen and nurture the teacher/family/student partnership when coping with the following three (3) scenarios:

a) A dependable but unexceptional student informs you that family members have expectations of a concert career for the student.

b) A student has a family member who teachers another instrument and requires the student to study that instrument seriously as well. The student openly prefers your performance area and your teaching to that of the family member.

c) A usually responsible student begins forgetting or losing books, and is poorly prepared for her lessons.