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I've been through many teachers in the past and now. I've realised that there are some teachers that don't mind talking and giving more than they need.

There are some teachers that just do their jobs they stay for the allocated time and then they go home. Others, don't mind talking and giving more, not just teaching about piano and music but about life and giving advice. Personally, I really admire the latter.

I just thought I'd start this to hear how teachers feel ... any disagreements or agreements?

Some teachers I know don't like to get attacted and just like to keep to the content of the cirrculum, they like to teach students how to get a certain mark ... others like to teach about life ... any thoughts?

I teach them how to stand and how to walk. Is that about life? I live cheap and work less, so I'm never in a hurry.

"Education is more than preparation for life, it is life itself." John Dewey, American Educator.

Teaching is about the pursuit of knowledge and excellence, loving your subject, and communicating it in the learning style of the student so as to empower him toward his highest capacity.

Having something to say or teach, saying it, and having it received and used is the walk and the talk of it.

Betty

I hear what you are saying Rebekah.

I have an interesting relationship with my students. When it comes to the talk about things outside of piano, I usually limit it to references to the outside experience that I think will help a student understand a concept.

One key point I think you are bringing up is the concept of staying exactly with a cirriculum. I have had teachers who were good at administering a program, but were dreadful teachers. There was no connection, and there was motivation to be great.

It takes a personal connection...it takes a focus on the individual student...it takes a demonstration of the teacher's flexibility and wholehearted will to see the student succeed. This is the platform on which a teacher can become a mentor, and call a student to be great.

BTW...some students just want a program, they want no extra talk, and they want to stick with the game plan with no relationship developed with the teacher. No problem, it's all about keeping in touch with each student and adapting to their needs.

-P-

Thanks Jeremy, glad somebody understood. It could be just the bumpy years I am undergoing that makes me want to spill on the very next person I talk to. Perhaps its because I have the tendancy to want to share my feelings (sorrow, fustration, excitement, motivation, happiness ...) to the world.


Understanding a concept sounds great, I often talk conceptually and I often form these ideologies and theories to different things.

For me it depends on the student. Some like to talk and tell you about what is going on in their lives and some don't.

I try to stay on task and focused on teaching as much as possible. It's not always the most important thing though. I have had some lessons with teenagers (probably similar age to you Rebekah) where not a single note was played. They just needed to talk so that is what we did. Then there are those who try to talk in order to waste time because they haven't practiced. You have to watch out for that one.

kbk, how do you live cheap in London?

Personally I don't actually have the time to get talking to students but maybe that's because more than half of my students are teen boys. My guess is boys don't talk about things or life. They pretty much don't say a who lot now that I'm thinking about this.

And I would agree with Chris that some students will talk to waste time because they haven't practiced in hopes that I won't notice maybe.

Also, I don't discuss issues (problems, parents, troubles) with students because there are always two sides to a story, and I don't like to hear one side and not the other. So to me it's just gossip and I'd rather be teaching because that's what I'm getting paid to do!

I do think that the male teens talk less. I thought it might not be the same with lady teachers.

I will listen to problems, if it is necessary, but I have to be very careful not to take sides, for the reason you mentioned above.

Also, if I'm busy listening to reasons why practicing is not taking place, there is no chance to move ahead in lessons.

The teen boys talk less, but have to mention that each one has a cell phone that would just constantly ring if the boys weren't polite enough to shut them off during lessons! The boys tell me they can be called every two or three minutes from girls!

Probably the only peace and quiet those boys get all week is at their piano lesson!

I'm not sure that some of the girls would not get just as many calls.

This is interesting, its true that males are taught from an early age not to talk. Since infancy this is. In saying this, I notice that within teachers it doesnt make a difference, male, female both listen.