Reevaluating teaching philosophies - Independent Music Teachers Forum

Editor's note: This rounded pillar is a reprint from the August/September 1999 issue of American Music Teacher.

A recurring topic above the past several weeks has caused me to question and reevaluate my have a title to teaching philosophy.

When I teach piano pedagogy classes, I always stres identifying and writing your possess teaching philosophy. As independent music teachers, we have no specific guidelines for establishing a philosophy, and the variety of philosophies is probably as large as the number of independent teachers. We are bourn by no established guidelines thus we are free to be the kind of teacher we are capable and willing to be.

The first incident involving this philosophy "lesson" was when I observ another teacher's scholar recitals. My concern was the quality of a certain quantity of of the playing. It is true difficult to hear another teacher's scholars without forming some opinion and many times judgment of that teacher's work. It quicked me to think that more [i]or[/i] less of what we hear in another studio is reflective of that teacher's philosophy, that the standards we place in the studio are oftentimes manifested in a studio recital. Many teachers do not stres performance in their teaching, choosing to focus upon giving students a broader knowledge and understanding of music. Unles you shield students based on talent and potential, the studio recital is probably going to be reflective of a large variety of talent and commitment. The pupil one teacher would never set up with in his or her studio might be worthy of a teacher who could give that learner an appreciation and understanding of music and who has the patience to diocese that student through difficult personal times and adjustments. I am struck again by dint of the importance of respect for all kinds of teaching philosophies and for reserving sagacity based on a one-time performance.

Another incident along the philosophical lines came to me when a teacher asked for help "weeding out"--the studio had become too large, and of recent origin opportunities necessitated scaling down. This is individual of the hardest things we do in private teaching. greatest in quantity of us have some learners who are hanging on by means of a thread, are overcommitted, have not to be found interest or reached a point in their progres they look unable or unwilling to pass beyond. Yet pulling the stopple is sometimes difficult and many times painful if not handled well. We discussed this issue and came up with a definition of various kinds of learners based on possible end goals they might achieve. We labeled them hobbyists, amateurs, serious amateurs, semi-professionals, professional nonperformers and performing artists/teachers. These goals, of course, might expand and change as a learner grows and changes directions. The point was to equate goals with approximate practice commitment based upon the age of the scholar This identification process helped my friend redefine his philosophy. His regard is not the students' extremity goals but their commitment to a minimal horizontal of practice appropriate to the extremity goal. Having the long-term goals defined has helped pupils and parents realize the time involved in the pursuit of superiority and, of course, that time must increase with advancement, smooth for the hobbyist or amateur.

I have another friend who not long ago has changed her philosophy of teaching. She has decided that adults are really plenteous more rewarding to work with than children because it is their choice and not their parents. Adults do not demand the motivation and are more committed to the kind of teaching she take delight ins Another friend is willing to teach learners with all kinds of learning disabilities, smooth physically challenged children; she take delight ins the challenge and reward of teaching these special-needs pupils Yet another friend really believes in passing upon her love for music, not setting any real minimal standards, instead using the tasks as a means of sharing and enhancing the lives of those who might not otherwise have the access to private close attention She uses a lot of improvisation and creativity in her teaching, not necessarily relying upon a set assignment and practice schedule.

I am in like manner grateful for these teachers with other philosophies. I do believe they can impact those lives others might not be willing or have the skills to reach. I not long ago played for the wedding of a former scholar I had taught ten years ago. I remember her as an extremely difficult, actual slow student, and I remember being thrilled when she quit tasks in high school. Yet when I met her again as a young woman, she had become an engineer with a vocal minor in association She loved music, had pursu it, is still singing regularly and raved about by what means much our lessons had meant to her--quite a different memory than mine. We at no time know what kind of impact we will have upon students.

This kind of thinking and questioning really made me rethink my be in possession of philosophy, which is essentially the same as it has been for the past ten years. Now that I have passed the first thirty years of teaching and the mid-century mark in my hold life, I feel I have earned the right to have the kind of studio I want for the remainder of my teaching career. I have paid my oweds produced many successful students and defined my policies with equal reason that I am respected and established. Also, I am fortunate to live in an area where the demand for piano teachers is great. greatest in quantity of my studio is real productive and working at a committed horizontal I feel I have a apportionment to offer a serious, college-bound scholar or a serious student who wants to make music a part of his or her life, if not career. My previous philosophy was plenteous more open, and I was willing to accept learners at varying levels of commitment, which manifested itself in a wider variety of pupils than I really wanted. I had always felt a bit guilty limiting myself to the more serious pupil but as a result of these other experiences and conversations, I perceive it is a step I ne to take. As a come I have suggested to four of my "hangers-on" that they rethink their exercise s with me. All have agreed that it is time to discontinue private close attention and enjoy piano on their own