Re: If you are a private teacher PleaseRead


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on February 09, 2000 at 22:27:43:

In Reply to: If you are a private teacher PleaseRead posted by A Student on February 09, 2000 at 21:41:48:

This is such a hard topic but it is a real one that both teachers and students have to deal with. I wrestle with this issue on a weekly basis when assessing both my high school and college students. So what do you do? If, as you suggest, I shouldn't give my students bad grades how will they know if they have made adequate progress toward their goals? How do I maintain the integrity of the institutions I teach at if I never give bad grades, even in response to bad or no work on the part of the student? But even more important, am I doing the student any good by allowing them to think that inadequate preparation for lessons is okay?

The cold reality of the music business is that it is hard to get a job. If you're just studying for fun, that is one thing. But if you're serious then your approach to the instrument must be serious as well. I'm guessing from your post that you just received a grade worse than you expected from your teacher. Please consider from this experience that your teacher may be trying to motivate you or just plain tell you to work harder. And please look realistically at how much and how hard you work and then compare this to your goals for the instrument. Make sure that what you're doing in the practice room leads to your goals as a player.

I have always believed that straight and honest talk is the surest way to success. My students know that I grade hard and that I make them work for their grades. But when they do the work I reward them with the grade and they get the benefit of knowing that they can deliver when called upon. Sometimes what teachers say may not always be fun to hear but if you listen closely, and with an open mind, every teacher has something to teach. Good luck!


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