I've been growing increasingly disenchanted with Corporate America over the past few years, and lately I've been fantasizing about how nice it would be to try giving piano lessons. I live in an area with lots of children and not so many teachers. It's also a fairly affluent area, which helps too.

I've been playing for about 30 years, but have never tried teaching. Does anyone have any advice on how I could go about becoming an instructor? I would only want to teach if I knew that I was really doing a good job. I would never want to become some hack who winds up doing more harm than good!

Thanks for your input.

A good starting point would be looking at the MTNA requirements for certification.
http://www.mtnacertification.org/certification.htm

Anyone can teach piano, but it means something if a teacher meets the requirements of certification. Of course there are plenty of bad teachers who are certified.
At any rate it might help you if you look at the competencies listed, and compare them with your background and experience.

Hi,
As a music teacher with 25 years experience, I can honestly say that it is a very gratifying job and a quite complex one on the policy side. Be sure to talk to other teachers with experience to get all of your policy together before jumping in-it will save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

I say start attending the local PMTA meetings. You will learn alot about how to organize your studio, what to study to develop your methods and techniques, but MOST importantly - you will learn what it is really like to teach for a living.

It can be fun and rewarding, but also grueling and frustrating at times.

My 2 cents,

Thanks for all the good advice given so far.

I was afraid that everyone would be telling me that it was a totally crazy idea to even think about becoming a teacher at the advanced age of 42.

I have read about people who go back to school late in life to become doctors or lawyers, so I guess it is in the realm of possibility for me to go into piano teaching. Realizing that it would entail a great deal of study and work on my part.

Rich, I'm hoping that my D will be so good... no, make that GREAT, once it comes out of Cunningham's that I'll get students just because they want to play it!