Time to rethink our Practice expectations?

[keyquest]

A blog post that challenges and encourages teachers to reconsider the vital importance of independent learning...

https://pianodao.com/2016/02/09/lets-talk-about-our-practice-expectations/

"I would suggest that responsibility for progress is actually a shared one between the teacher, the student and (where the student is a child) their parents. And success is far more likely if there is a constructive dialogue and mutual respect between these parties."

[bernadette60614]

I responded to what I think was an older post titled "tell me about your first piano teacher."  It made me think about the difference between my first teacher--who assigned me pieces and sat behind me noting my mistakes and our son's teacher.

Our son's teacher teaches in the "Pace style", which focuses on teaching the child not only how to play, but how to "own" the piano by improvising.  During the lesson, his teacher sits at one piano, while he sits at the other.  Every piece he learns includes him improvising, and then her joining in. So, not only is he learning to read music and play, he is also learning the joy of playing piano for another and with another.

I recently asked him what he thought of his teacher, and his reply was:  She teaches me a lot, and I teach her a lot, too.

He'll never go to Julliard (he's way more interested in science), but I think he'll always want to play piano.

[lostinidlewonder]

I agree with much in the article but I think its being too lenient on students who struggle with discipline. It is a constant struggle to improve a students discipline towards whatever work they do. Humans are naturally lazy, we will come up with many excuses to limit our achievement. If learning the piano was like playing computer games I'm sure many young students wouldn't be too tired to do it even after an extremely busy day. Young children learn about discipline and goal setting and failure and success through many means whether it be karate lessons or piano lessons or life lessons etc. Those who strive to achieve accomplish great things, those who just do things comfortably and always in their own time, well they often flounder about and struggle to achieve their potential.

The greatest change I've seen in students is through their approach towards work, how well they practice, do they know how to practice, do they have the tools to practice confidently on their own, are they good at managing their time and so on. Of course you don't expect a 5 year old to organize their work ethic like an adult, we should not have a preconception where each student should be without considering their abilities first, as a teacher we know how to approach each developmental stage individually. There are many things that students "Don't know that they don't know" and if one places all of the students responsibility for their values and attitudes towards work their own shoulders, then you are not assisting the student enough to better themselves imho.