“Teaching begins in the heart of a passionate educator.”
Though qualifications of a teacher are what parents are looking for, the most important thing of all is the patience a teacher can have and the different methods the teacher uses to accommodate different students. Let me elaborate.
Time is not just about money
The saying, “time is money” is a very popular saying amongst business people but it definitely applies to people from all walks of life. However, in the case of a private piano teacher, time is flexible and it adjusts to different students.
Certain students of young age might require lengthier time period to absorb the teacher’s instructions or teachings. By rushing through syllabuses, pushing the students for graded piano examinations though they might not seem prepared might endanger their basic foundation.
This in turn would become a problem as the students might not have enough time to adopt good foundation basis of the piano. It is true that many teachers would want to rush students through grades and they might want them to progress at a faster rate but a good piano teacher would always remember that each student is different and it is a must to adhere to different paces for each student.
Too fast…. It would mean too little time to pay attention to minute details. Too slow and the interest of the student’s might be in jeopardy.
It is all about communication
Communicating with the parents and the students are of utmost importance. A good piano teacher would constantly update parents of their child’s progress. With the guidance of the parents, the students are able to be monitored and if parents find that the students are struggling in any areas when they are practicing at home, they would be able to voice their concerns out to the teacher.
During lesson, apart from giving out instructions, a good piano teacher would always take time to ask the students for their opinions and also, explain why certain things are played in a certain way. This would clear student’s doubts and of course would feel like they are communicating both ways instead of being “ordered” to do something.
This applies to both adult students as well as younger ones. On a side note, other than communicating with the student regarding piano, asking about their day or their likes or dislikes can allow the teacher to understand more about the student and this helps gauge their type of personality and this in turns would help the teacher in deciding the various pieces for the students to play.
A thin line between fierce and firm
Let’s face it! Nobody likes to be screamed at and insulted.
A good piano teacher is able to bring her/his points across in a firm manner without having to scream. It is a definite truth for all teachers that there are bound to be incredibly boisterous and playful students that seem uncontrollable but remember that despite that, if the students trust and likes the teacher, they would most likely put in some effort into the lessons.
Screaming and hurling insults at them would most likely not help in any way but would only deepen their disinterest for piano and also increase their dislike for the teacher.
Never cutting costs
A good piano teacher is good for a reason. Personality of the teacher is one but the qualifications of a teacher would also play a part. How are the qualifications acquired? Lessons, lessons, lots of them!
Remember, teachers were once students. To become a teacher, he/she studied a ton in music, practiced day and night for numerous hours. A good teacher would never cut short of herself/himself.
Depends on his/her qualifications, his/her experience, the teacher would have already quoted a standard price for all students under him/her, thus it is not right for the teacher to cut his/her revenue just because a parent request a “discount”.
A good teacher would understand that there is a reason why himself/herself would not give discounted rates just to get students. He/She would understand that the numerous music lessons he/she had is to get him/her to where he/she is now. Unless it’s for special situations such as geographical locations, siblings inquiries, the rates are changeable according to the teacher.
Schedules are set for a reason
As a teacher, there is nothing more important than following set schedules on a frequent basis. By saying that, a good piano teacher would always plan holidays in advance and allow the parents to adjust certain lesson timings so that the students do not miss too many lessons and hinder their progress.
If the teacher is sick, it is always a common norm to give makeup lessons and work out a suitable schedule with parents. A good piano teacher is one who always put their students as priority before focusing on leisure and enjoyment. Isn’t it obvious? Hah!
A good piano teacher is firm, values his/her students, communicates well with both the parents and his/her students. Most importantly, a good piano teacher is not in it just for money. Teaching is a long process, it is more than handing out instructions, methods, techniques, it is about making an impact on the student’s life and making a difference. Passion is what keeps a good piano teacher going.
Written by
Berlin Goh
