The Music Place is proud to offer qualifed students (ages 14 and up) the opportunity to develop teaching skills through our intern-apprenticeship program. This consists of supervised instruction by skilled master teachers who, along with supplemental video training, mentor and co-teach with young (or inexperienced) teachers until they have reached a level of proficiency that the master teacher trusts them to teach without supervision. Student teachers must be at least 15 years of age, complete (and pass) a technical interview, and obtain a work permit before being offered a paid apprentice position.
NOTE: Although in most training programs there is a distinction between intern and apprentice, at The Music Place we use the terms interchangeably. This article contains answers to the following questions about apprentice teachers:
- What is an apprentice teacher?
- Is an apprentice teacher really qualified to teach?
- What are the main advantages of choosing an apprentice teacher?
- How long does the tuition remain lower?
- When does the tuition reduction end completely?
- What other educational advantages do apprentice teachers bring to the table?
- What are the potential challenges of having an apprentice teacher?
- Why are there differences in prices?
What is an apprentice teacher?
A. Apprentice teachers are gifted musicians (usually young ages 15-20) who have completed their initial teacher training at The Music Place, but who have less than 500 hours of teaching experience.
Is an apprentice teacher really qualified to teach?
A. Yes! An apprentice teacher already has many years of personal individualized training before they enter The Music Training Program. Once they are accepted, they spend many more hours studying experienced teachers, choosing and interacting with a master teacher, as well as administrative training about how to prepare invoices, interact with the parents of their students and interact with our admin staff.
In addition they use our DVD training library to study specialized concepts like how to use a wide range of teaching methods (Suzuki, Kodaly etc.) or work with students with various disabilities.
What are the main advantages of choosing an apprentice teacher?
A. Youth. Lower Cost. Enthusiasm. Relatability. Weekend Availability.
Children respond well to big brother or big sister teachers who can inspire them by their age proximity, and of course there is the 15-20% discount built into the tuition. Most apprentices are enthusiastic and anxious to teach, so they not only work hard, they are frequently more available on weekends than older teachers who may have established families.
Lower Cost. Tuition charged for apprentice teachers is 15%-20% lower than our already lower-than-market tuition for tenured teachers. Many families realize that at the beginning of their child's learning experience, it may not be necessary to employ a higher-priced teacher, especially if the apprentice is well-trained and the young student is inspired to learn from him/her.
NOTE: A younger teacher is not limited to teaching beginners since many have extremely high levels of skill and may actually be more comfortable with more serious advanced students.
How long does the tuition remain lower?
A. Tuition changes for apprentice teachers are more frequent because they are based on the number of teaching hours they have accrued. ( i.e. Apprentice pay and charge rates are slightly adjusted at increments of 50 -100 hours of teaching, so for busy apprentices, this will occur more frequently than older, tenured teachers.)
When does the tuition reduction end for good?
A. When the apprentice either reaches 500 hours or completes their college degree. After that, the tuition charged is reviewed annually and usually adjusts every two years depending on effectiveness and reduced need for support from our teacher training staff.
What other educational advantages do apprentice teachers bring to the table?
A. Because most apprentice teachers are still studying their craft, they are a little closer to current educational methods and trends in pedagogy. In addition, for many it is their first employment which often motivates them to work harder to please their clients by doing a great job.
What are the potential challenges of having an apprentice teacher?
A. Schedule. Youth. Longevity. Less Experience.
Apprentice teachers are more likely to either leave the area for college or graduate school. They may also reduce their teaching after as they complete their degree and secure full time work. This means their commitment may be more short-term than a tenured teacher. When we know these plans in advance, we do our best to keep parents informed of any upcoming changes so a plan can be in place for that transition.
Schedule Changes are more likely. In addition, although most try to keep their teaching schedules consistent, as their school schedules change each semester, it sometimes requires adjustment.
Youth. Although their youth is an advantage in relatability, it also means apprentice teachers have less experience helping more challenging students or communicating goals and expectations to parents after a lesson. Parents and staff can work together to help if these are issues.
Why are there differences in prices?
A. Because we train outstanding pre-degree teachers, we do not feel it is ethical to charge the same rate for these intern teachers as for teachers who have achieved higher levels of education and/or experience. Therefore we charge differently based on the following:
1) The number and type of degrees,
2) Total years of education and
3) Teaching experience.