There are many reasons why I am aspiring to be a teacher but one of the most important to me is my desire to give others a positive learning experience. Over the years I have learned that teachers are some of the most influential people in the world. A students whole outlook on any given subject can be molded at an early age by someone of influence. Since teachers often spend more time with students than parents they can have a very significant impact.
In regard to music lessons I have learned the importance of having a teacher with whom I can connect. If you don’t mesh well with your teacher personality wise it will be a struggle to practice and perform for this person. It does not mean you cannot learn from a teacher who has a different style than you, but the student will enjoy lessons much more if he or she has a teacher with whom they can relate. I know this from my own personal experience. I hated practicing piano and I left most lessons nearly in tears. It was very stressful. My desire to play piano made me be persistent in taking lessons even though I dreaded walking through my teachers door every week. I felt I could never succeed. There were many reasons why I had struggles in piano, many of which were not my teachers fault, but because she did not understand me, all I received for my efforts was criticism that I was not doing enough. Communication is a key issue. Students must feel that they can talk to their teacher and express their opinion respectfully. Teachers should try to find the root of the problem by asking the student questions rather than making assumptions.
In contrast, I loved practicing for flute lessons. I never seemed to get tired of it. I could easily practice for hours whereas I could barely stand a half hour of piano. I contribute this to encouragement I received from my teacher. She was very understanding of my demanding schedule and personality. She could relate to my fear of performing and helped my to ease into it by playing duets with her. She also made sure to tell me all the things I did right instead of just the things I did wrong. Lessons were upbeat and light even when we were focused hard on a piece. I never felt stressed in lessons. Instead it was a time when I could play my flute and get constructive criticism.
I guess the bottom line is: Be approachable and make music fun! I enjoyed flute lessons because I felt comfortable with my teacher. I hated piano lessons because I was intimidated by and frustrated with my teacher. As I began teaching flute lessons two summers ago I tried to make sure that I keep all these things in mind. A teacher can make a world of difference and be a contributing factor to a student’s decision to play and instrument.
