If you were not dependent on teaching-income, would you change how you teach ?

[m19834]

And, if so, how/what would you change ?  I have been realizing some things along these lines !

[musicrebel4u]

And, if so, how/what would you change ?  I have been realizing some things along these lines !

Karli,
This is a very interesting question!
I am classically trained musician and used all the traditional approaches for many years. Students were coming and going, some were taking places in competitions, some were struggling with 'Mary had a little lamb'.
All the time (for 30+ years) I was trying to improve my ways of teaching and eventually changed the approach radically: In 2002 I started to teach my students through computers.
I didn't lose my income, even got opposite because:

a.   When your students and their parents SEE the results of your innovation, they have their faith in you
b.   When you position yourself as a professional, you don't ask – you tell
c.   Reasoning – you always tell why you doing this way and how is it going to benefit your student.

Best  regards!
 

[lostinidlewonder]

I don't believe it would change anything. If I wanted to do a job for money I would have done a different job.

[dan101]

Nothing should drasitically change, unless you have a personality change due to the sudden independence.

[nyonyo]

In general, people will keep only students who are fun to teach. However, some people, for any reason, like the painful feeling by keeping hard to teach students.

I myself used to depend on teaching, but for the last 11  years I am free from teaching....!
Therefore, I keep only students whom I like to teach. The rest...ta...ta...

[ptmidwest]

Musicrebel4u, please tell us more about how you changed your studio, and what your teaching setup is now! 

[quantum]

I don't believe it would change anything. If I wanted to do a job for money I would have done a different job.

Ditto

[m19834]

I appreciate these responses. 

Let me be more clear about a few things.  I would like to teach complete beginners everyday, my leading fear is that parents will not want to bring their children to their lesson everyday and will therefore decide that because of this, they will not sign on with me when Suzy down the street offers lessons once a week for half an hour -- not nearly the "bother" parents will think.

Yes, if I wanted to be making millions I would be in a different business, however, that doesn't mean I don't need income !  I do depend on the income that I make from teaching, to live.  If that is not true for you, then you can't actually answer this question, I would think, because of course nothing would change since your scenario is already what I am asking about.

Simply put, if I am not pleasing parents/students, I do not get income and my doors close as a piano teacher.

I am curious what it would be like to take the entire issue of pleasing parents/students out of the equation.  I think I would be more bold in what I ask as a teacher.  Nobody can relate to this ? 

[ptmidwest]

One of the pedagogy teachers here talked once about a similar situation.  She had a full studio, and among her students were the children of almost all the professional musicians in the area.   It was a wonderful time, she said, because she had the support of the parents, no matter what she did, and they had told her how their kids were going to be in piano lessons as part of their lives.  Period.  She said that the taking away the leverage from the kids, the choice, left them free to handle the lessons and the learning very well.  Like schoolwork.  It's there, has to be done, just do it, make the best of it, and enjoy the parts that are juicy.

Of course, she was a really good teacher, and we know she was much loved by her students.
I suppose if she had been an ogre the kids would have been miserable.

So, in a way, she was completely free to do as she saw fit with her students, and not have to please or explain things or justify to the parents.

[m19834]

It was a wonderful time, she said, because she had the support of the parents, no matter what she did, and they had told her how their kids were going to be in piano lessons as part of their lives.  Period. 

(...)

Of course, she was a really good teacher, and we know she was much loved by her students.
I suppose if she had been an ogre the kids would have been miserable.

So, in a way, she was completely free to do as she saw fit with her students, and not have to please or explain things or justify to the parents.

So, all a person needs to do is gain the support of the parents and please the children, and then they don't have to worry about having the support of the parents or pleasing the children ?

I *think* I understand what you are talking about, but I can't help but feel as though there is more to be imagined with regard to all of this.  I want to take those things out of the equation as some kind of starting point. 

What do I feel is necessary as a teacher without worrying about the reaction of others ?  That kind of thing.  And yes, of course having students actually enjoy their time is necessary as part of the learning environment and essential to their growth, but I don't want that to be what keeps my doors open as a teacher and food on my table, so to speak.

I would generally like to let my imagination dictate more of what I do without factoring in the "convenience" for the parents.  At least as a means to build from.  I guess I can't make myself clear enough.

[keypeg]

Karli, I almost PM'd you.  The teachers must compromise on what is necessary in order to keep the students.  Those students who do care, but don't know what is necessary, don't get to find out what that necessary thing is.  They are in the minority, but they exist.  Or they care, but think something else is necessary and lack the wherewithall to judge, and so might not accept what a teacher might have to offer.  The most frustrating thing is that those things are often the "obvious, unimportant" (so they are seen) things so the boat is missed in any case.  They remain in blindness.  There is a gap, where those who would teach a certain way, and those who would learn a certain way, don't meet.  The gap is further, that those who would learn that way, still miss the boat because they don't recognize the instruction, which part is important, if they are not from a musician family already, and so do not have the lingo or "culture" to cross the threshhold.  With young children, as long as parents are supportive, it is easier because they are still unformed.  With adults it's harder.  But at the moment, from what I'm seeing, there are frustrated teachers who are not teaching as they know is optimal, and a few frustrated students wandering around who know vaguely that something is amiss or wrong, as they are given "what parents and adult students accept or want", but don't have the key, don't know what exists, don't know what to ask - and if they ask, don't know what to do with the answer.  It is a most perplexing thing.

I surmise that this compromise is in part what the question is about?