Teach With Diane

Supporting great piano teachers

Teaching Prop Picks

Posted on October 11, 2019October 13, 2019 by admin

Here are various props that I regularly use for teaching. Click here to see all my articles and videos about teaching with props.

The next Must-Have is a set of Japanese Puzzle Erasers . I suggest a starting with a minimum of 10, but you can never have too many. (I have at least 100 of them.) The ways to use these are endless and limited only by your imagination. They fit perfectly on the keys. Every student perks up when I bring them out. Yours will too! My students are particularly fond of the Hedgehogs . Sometimes the erasers are available in overstock in bulk . — I can’t teach without a set of Japanese Puzzle Erasers. Start with at least 10, but you can never have too many. (I have several hundred!) Use your imagination and you’ll find endless ways to use them. They fit perfectly on the keys. Every student, even my adult students, perk up when I bring them out. Yours will too! My students are particularly fond of the Hedgehogs. Sometimes the erasers are available in overstock in bulk.

Ladybug Squeeze Toys are the finest tool I’ve ever found to teach hand position. Now available in a 10-pack to keep the cost down, I give one to each new student to help them experience and remember what a good hand position feels like.

Hedgehog Puzzle Erasers

Japanese puzzle erasers including elephant and panda, two student favorites.

I like to give the students the erasers in these cute silicone cupcake holders . They're bright, lightweight and easy-to-store. — I like to give the students the erasers in these cute silicone cupcake holders. They’re bright, lightweight and easy-to-store.

I love using Thumb Puppets in my teaching. They come in all different varieties. Here's a post about how to use Thumb Puppets . — I love using Thumb Puppets in my teaching. They come in all different varieties. Here’s a post about how to use Thumb Puppets.

Giraffe Push Puppets are my favorite because when they collapse it’s SO dramatic!

Here are some Clown Push Puppets that are available as a set.

I recently got an "EASY" button. It's been a hit with the students. It's a delightfully low-tech way to encourage a student. "You can press the easy button after you're played this perfectly." Or simply let them push it when they feel like something is "easy." Loads of ways to use it, always entertaining. — I recently got an “EASY” button. It’s been a hit with the students. It’s a delightfully low-tech way to encourage a student. “You can press the easy button after you’re played this perfectly.” Or simply let them push it when they feel like something is “easy.” Loads of ways to use it, always entertaining.

Here are my current thumb puppets posing with my new EASY button. I think part of the fun with all these things is the physicality of them. Pressing a big silly red button, or making a giraffe dance - these things just plain FEEL good. — Here are my current thumb puppets posing with my new EASY button. I think part of the fun with all these things is the physicality of them. Pressing a big silly red button, or making a giraffe dance – these things just plain FEEL good.

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