Klarinet Archive - Posting 001092.txt from 2000/01
From: "Patricia Smith" <david-patty@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Why?
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 09:53:03 -0500
Lelia, you put forth some good questions and points on teaching adults.
"How many teachers want to teach adult amateur students?"
Some teachers specialize on either youths or adults, but others take on all
comers.
What fulfills you as a teacher? Why do you teach?
I think this is an excellent question to ask a teacher. Sometimes, they
might have to think a little about it. I know I do it because I enjoy the
interaction with other people, adult and younger, I enjoy sharing the
clarinet and fostering learning in others, and, the money does come in
handy, although I certainly could not do it for a living, so I don't try.
What are your goals for your students? To what extent do students' choices
of goals and students' progress toward their goals affect your self-respect?
I think that each student will have different goals. For example, some
students want to do better at the district and all-state level; others
simply want to improve various aspects of their playing. Adults tend to
take lessons because they want to improve their overall level of playing -
kind of an inner goal, if you must.
As far as the teacher's self-respect, I would be cautious of any teacher
whose ego is too tied up in the performances of his/her students. One must
be objective and detached enough so one can truly help one's students - If,
for example, I am too emotionally caught up in whether or not my students
are reflecting what I am teaching them and allowing all this to affect how I
feel about myself, then I am way too attached to results on the emotional
level, perhaps to the extent of being too emotionally immature to teach to
begin with.
This does NOT mean that I do not make objective judgments about what I hear
coming out the end of the horn - one of the most important things a teacher
should do is give detailed appropriate feedback to the student, and foster a
dialog so s/he can be sure the student understands what is being aimed at.
The teacher SHOULD be a fairly good performer - again, s/he does not have to
be in a symphony orchestra, but a joy of playing and a communication should
come out of the end of the horn...kids like to hear their teachers "show
off", and they respect someone who has obviously paid their dues.
"Some of us are clarinet beginners, but we aren't children. We won't
respond
well to teachers who treat us like children."
I would not want to study with someone who did not treat me with respect.
Even children need to be treated with respect although limits do need to be
set in their cases. Although some folks (per Neil Leupold's earlier post)
do like the hyper-critical, temper-tantrum approach, I find that such antics
belittle the person who displays them for the most part, no matter how well
they may play or how famous they are. (It is no wonder that the individual
he mentioned was dismissed from his post - 'does not work well with
colleagues???')
"Most of us have more patience and self-discipline than children, along with
a better work ethic and a better ability to understand instructions..."
I believe this is true, and it is one of the true joys of teaching adults.
"...but we learn more slowly than children. We are less malleable than
children. "
I think this depends entirely upon whether or not the teacher know how to
communicate with the adult student in such a way as to take advantage of the
existing structures in the mind which the new skills and information can be
built upon (see Piaget's theories of how people learn; also, Neil Leupold
mad some excellent comments on communication of ideas).
"As teachers, do you find yourselves bored and frustrated with adult
amateurs
such as these? Do we seem like hopeless cases and lost causes? Does it
seem like a waste of time to teach people you know probably "won't go
anywhere" with our music? Do you accept us as students for the income, even
though you would rather not bother with us?"
Any teacher who only wants to accept students for income or only wants to
teach "promising" students is unacceptable - I for one believe that there
are always surprises around the corner, and the person who plays for fun is
every bit as deserving of a good teacher as the next Drucker is. Lelia, you
sound as if you have had some terrible experiences with private teachers.
Here's to hoping you will find a teacher who will accept who you are and
where you are with the clarinet. Someone who has your mind would be a joy
to teach.
Good Luck,
Patty Smith
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