209 | Student-Centred Voice Teaching with Dr. Shannon Coates
“Student-centred teaching” is a catchy term in education, but the shift from teacher-led to student-led instruction can feel unsettling. For many voice teachers, this approach challenges long-held ideas about their role and identity as educators. In this episode, Dr. Shannon Coates clears up the misunderstandings surrounding student-centered learning and shares inspiration, encouragement, and best practices. Teachers will leave this conversation equipped to adopt a model that fosters autonomy, creativity, and deeper engagement for every singer.
Podcast preview bonus: Nikki also shares an exclusive sneak peek of the brand-new podcast How to Run Your Business Without Hating Your Boss, hosted by Michelle Markwart Deveaux and Sarah Campbell. If you love the FULL VOICE Podcast, you’ll definitely want to check out their smart and encouraging business conversations for music educators.
🔹[10:04] What is student-led learning?
🔹[12:03] Student centered vs student led
🔹[18:52] Educator identities
🔹[23:52] Our experience as students
🔹[29:19] Simple examples of student-led
🔹[38:50] Teach students to know what they need
🔹[45:02] Clip from “How to run your business without hating your boss” podcast
🔹[47:20] Students taking agency over their choices
🔹[50:27] Performance practice
🔹[55:00] Stepping back as a teacher
🔹[1:03:40] Giving Feedback
🔹[1:23:36] Conclusion
About Our Guest:
I’m Dr. Shannon Coates, a Canadian voice educator who somehow turned a career of singing loudly in public into teaching other people how to teach other people how to sing loudly in public. I run The VoicePed UnDegree (because who needs more degrees when we can just DO THE THING), and I spend a lot of time poking holes in compliance-based teaching so we can build something better. My specialty? Helping voice teachers stop pretending they’re the boss of their students and start teaching singers how to boss themselves. Also: lattes, cats, and a lotta hairstyle variety.
website: https://drshannoncoates.com/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voiceped/
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drshannoncoates
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoiceAndTheArtofTeaching
substack: https://substack.com/@voiceped
