How do you deal with an adult student who is trying to challenge your knowledge?

[yie]

As above. As adult students are more judgemental and they 'teacher hop' throughout their piano learning phase and when they come to you, there is a chance that an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge. As a teacher facing such challenging student, how will you deal with such student ?

[bwl_13]

I haven't experienced this yet, though I teach a few adults. I would try to be encouraging of having my views challenged. If a student tries to correct me I'd approach it at face value and either explain why I'm correct or perhaps they caught a mistake. If they're being rude I'm not sure exactly how I'd react, I guess it depends on what's said. It's really something that should be handled with humility, but a boundary should also be drawn if necessary.

[keypeg]

As above. As adult students are more judgemental and they 'teacher hop' throughout their piano learning phase and when they come to you, there is a chance that an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge. As a teacher facing such challenging student, how will you deal with such student ?

Can you give some examples of such challenges to your knowledge - specific things you have taught where the student's response was perceived as a challenge?

I'd suggest that "egotistical" is an interpretation and may not be the actual attitude.  A student might be trying to impress you with their knowledge and think that you want to be impressed by what they know (so they don't appear stupid).  A student might have studied music to "prepare" for lessons, thinking that this is what they're supposed to do, and may have learned something different than you're teaching, so they're confused.  And examples might clear up a few things (or not).

[lelle]

If they're rude, have some boundaries and consider if it's really worth the money to be disrespected?

If they're not rude but just challenge you, then I'd assume you are safe and sound in your knowledge and can just explain to them how it is?

[brogers70]

I think it is good for a student to challenge a teacher, as long as it's not done rudely. If the student has misunderstood something, there's no better way to find out than to have them challenge you about it. If you've explained something poorly, then it's helpful feedback on what was hard to understand. And if you are, in fact, incorrect about some point, it's not the end of the world. You don't want your students to be smiling, nodding, and saying "Yes, sir/ma'am" and then going home without having really understood. My last piano teacher had a few retired doctors among her students and she found she could not get away with sloppiness in describing the anatomy involved in piano playing.  When I taught scientific techniques in cultures with an extreme respect and deference to the teacher, I had to really force students to ask questions, challenging or otherwise. Without that, they'd just sit and write down what I said, and even memorize it, whether they understood it or not. Much better to be challenged, even a little bluntly challenged.

[keypeg]

I'm waiting to hear back from the OP Yie with an answer to my questions. Then it would be easier to help.

[keypeg]

As above. As adult students are more judgemental and they 'teacher hop' throughout their piano learning phase and when they come to you, there is a chance that an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge. As a teacher facing such challenging student, how will you deal with such student ?

Can we assume that this was venting, and not a wish to get feedback or advice?  You have not responded to anyone after posting.

[lostinidlewonder]

Just look at the post history, creates threads but never responds. Also given the history they are not a teacher so would have no experience to give from a piano teachers perspective. Most likely will not get any response back.

[keypeg]

Just look at the post history, creates threads but never responds. Also given the history they are not a teacher so would have no experience to give from a piano teachers perspective. Most likely will not get any response back.

Oh good heavens yes - I didn't think to look.  The OP writes elsewhere about being self-taught.  But they're teaching anyway?

Deja vu: Years ago when I was doing violin I came on a site where an adult learner was still struggling with basic things like how to put on a shoulder rest.  One year in, still struggling with basics, this person decided to start teaching.  A Suzuki teacher thought it was an excellent idea for his learning.  Not long after, this student-turned-teacher wrote almost the same thing - how impossible adult students were.  When he himself was an adult student, and basically still a beginner.  The OP is further along (first post is 2009) but that's not such a long time either.  I returned to piano in 2008, having, as a child, self-taught decades before.

[Bob]

Find out what they're goals are for sure.

Offer what you offer.  If they don't like it, they leave.

[finople]

Say, "Oh really? That's interesting." And continue on!

[brogers70]

Say, "Oh really? That's interesting." And continue on!

Sure, you can say that, but you'll be passing up an opportunity to figure out what the student has not understood yet.

[keypeg]

Sure, you can say that, but you'll be passing up an opportunity to figure out what the student has not understood yet.

Or in this case the "teacher".  Have a look at previous posts, and the one after.  This person is him/herself a learner.
Something feels odd about the whole collection of posts.

[brogers70]

Or in this case the "teacher".  Have a look at previous posts, and the one after.  This person is him/herself a learner.
Something feels odd about the whole collection of posts.

Yes, I agree there seems something a bit off about the OP. Still, at this point I'm just responding to the general question rather than to the OP themself.

[danpiano37]

Yep I think it's still a good question though.
Personally I like it when students challenge me and especially ask questions. I want my students to be comfortable asking questions at any time. If someone is challenging my knowledge, then I usually reply by saying "good question" and explaining the answer to them, and if they don't get it then it's my job to explain it to them in a different way. If I don't know I say "I don't know" And then it's cool and we can find out together.
I've also noticed that adults usually need reasons for doing anything (i.e. "we're practising this way because...") so always try to give them reasons at each stage of their learning journey.

[leigh anne]

Slap him in the face! No just kidding.
I think you should talk to him/her if he/she is rude. You should talk to him/her about manners and focus on learning piano.

[keypeg]

.

[keypeg]

Yep I think it's still a good question though.
Personally I like it when students challenge me and especially ask questions. I want my students to be comfortable asking questions at any time. If someone is challenging my knowledge, then I usually reply by saying "good question" and explaining the answer to them, and if they don't get it then it's my job to explain it to them in a different way. If I don't know I say "I don't know" And then it's cool and we can find out together.
I've also noticed that adults usually need reasons for doing anything (i.e. "we're practising this way because...") so always try to give them reasons at each stage of their learning journey.

If there were a thumbs up or "like", I'd have used one.

[quantum]

I would say, encourage them!

A student that questions what they are taught is the mark of a great student.  These kind of students have the potential to go very far as they do not simply take the lessons at face value - they want to engage with the material.  One reaches engagement when the lessons cease becoming a data dump, and the student seeks to understand the why of the technique, and following that, asking how can this lesson/theory/concept be improved. 

[quantum]

If I don't know I say "I don't know" And then it's cool and we can find out together.

A teacher that is not afraid saying "I don't know" is one that puts learning above personal ego.  It is a fantastic model to present to students.  Saying "I don't know" is not an admission of guilt, but the recognition  that a gap in knowledge exists, and the potential for growth to occur because the gap in knowledge has been identified. 

It is far better to say "I don't know" than to hide behind a facade of confidence in one's past academic credentials - nobody learns from that kind of attitude. 

[lostinidlewonder]

There's a difference between having a discussion over something and a student actually trying to correct you and challenging your teaching approach, this is something no normal person does unless the teacher is obviously bad (but why wouldn't you just change teacher then!)

 Ive only experienced this once in almost 30 years with one annoying helicopter parent who severely overestimated their child's ability level. I did what they wanted after warning how bad it would be and wow who would have expected that the kid ended up hating the lessons and progressed poorly. Good job!! The parent then suggested reverting back to what we were doing before the change and the kid ended up progressing once more at a good rate. That parent was so annoying to deal with even after that occasion. So I wouldn't put up with someone telling you to teach in a certain fashion or outright trying to correct you or challenging your teaching approach.

[keypeg]

There's a difference between having a discussion over something and a student actually trying to correct you and challenging your teaching approach, this is something no normal person does unless the teacher is obviously bad (but why wouldn't you just change teacher then!) ...........

(Re: Why wouldn't you.... )  If you've never had lessons before, what holds you back is that you don't know for sure if something that seems wrong actually is wrong, and often there is a deference for teachers as an authority.  An insecure person who has taken on the role of teacher may also be defensive about ordinary questions, which they see as "challenging their authority".  And by the time that adult student does discover that they were indeed "going too fast", that "pound down your fingers from on high to make them stronger", or whatnot was as harmful as it seems, a lot of damage has been done, and they become the next 'transfer student' who is almost impossible to fix.

The OP wrote about adult students in particular.  I've had the niggling thought that this person actually doesn't teach, but rather is only a student, and was testing the waters about how a doubting student might be perceived - because they themselves had doubts.  It's a shot in the dark, but it occurred to me.

[lostinidlewonder]

(Re: Why wouldn't you.... )  If you've never had lessons before, what holds you back is that you don't know for sure if something that seems wrong actually is wrong, and often there is a deference for teachers as an authority.

This doesn't address what I was talking about though. A student would be crazy if they are CORRECTING teachers and they have never had lessons before in whatever format lessons come packaged in, what they just make up ideas in their head and tell a teacher to do something? Riiiight.... You have forgotten that the issue I was talking about is students CORRECTING teachers, why would you study with a teacher if that is what you do? It is simply logical that if you think you can CORRECT a teacher you have had education from somewhere and have been taught something somewhere, so there is no excuse that having no teacher make you not want to change teacher.

An insecure person who has taken on the role of teacher may also be defensive about ordinary questions, which they see as "challenging their authority".

Well you can talk about that if you want I was specifically talking about a student actively trying to correct a teacher how to teach. You might have not noticed this before but there are actually people who do this thinking that they know better and expect the teacher to teach in a manner that they seem works best. It has nothing to do with someone being overly sensitive over questions. There is a clear difference between questioning and actively CORRECTING a teacher.

The OP wrote about adult students in particular.  I've had the niggling thought that this person actually doesn't teach, but rather is only a student, and was testing the waters about how a doubting student might be perceived - because they themselves had doubts.  It's a shot in the dark, but it occurred to me.

I don't care about the OP they wont even respond to this thread, probably not even a real question that they want to know as I already pointed out.

[keypeg]

I guess that I was staying in the context of the question since that was the question.  In addition, I have seen insecure teachers feeling they were being corrected (or challenged) when that was not so.  It would not be so in your case, I'm sure.

Something came up - can't respond to the rest of it right now.

[lostinidlewonder]

I guess that I was staying in the context of the question since that was the question.  In addition, I have seen insecure teachers feeling they were being corrected (or challenged) when that was not so.  It would not be so in your case, I'm sure.

It was your question I guess not mine or the op. If you read the opening post it says " an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge". This has nothing to do with questioning. So I don't see that any of your excuses for why a student would behave like this is relevant.

[keypeg]

So I don't see that any of your excuses for why a student would behave like this is relevant.

I read back.  I was answering your question where you asked, if a teacher is truly bad, why wouldn't the student just change teachers.   It was about why a student with a bad teacher doesn't change teachers.  I wrote "Re: why wouldn't you...." to indicated that.

I wrote the reasons why an adult student with a bad teacher may not leave the teacher.  Having a bad teacher is not a "behaviour", and doesn't need excuses.  It is a situation.

Since it seems this was not clear before:  An adult with a bad teacher may stay with the teacher because:
- they're not sure if it's really bad, because they don't know what good teaching is like
- because they blame themselves for "not being talented enough" or similar reasons: there's a lot of self-doubt
- not being able to find another teacher
- worry about hurting the teacher's feelings

These are situations that I have encountered.  This is to answer that specific question about "Why doesn't the student leave a bad teacher?"

[lostinidlewonder]

I read back.  I was answering your question where you asked, if a teacher is truly bad, why wouldn't the student just change teachers.   It was about why a student with a bad teacher doesn't change teachers.  I wrote "Re: why wouldn't you...." to indicated that.

You have left out the point that the student is CORRECTING the teachers approach to teaching, apply that to the situation not remove it because that is what I was discussing. If you are constantly correcting the teachers approach to teaching I suggested perhaps the teacher could be bad so why wouldn't you just find another teacher?

Certainly if you have a student who thinks they know it all better and thinks the teacher is teaching them wrong then obviously this student thinks the teacher is no good or teaching poorly (whether it is true or not is a different matter but in this crazy students head they think the teacher is a poor teacher so why would they continue on with this teacher?).

It has nothing to do with a NORMAL student wondering if they should stick with the teacher or not, that is a totally different situation which you were talking about. I have also been teaching piano for almost 30 years and this is a teachers section of the website so I draw from experience knowing what students feel like, I really don't have any question at all as to why a student might not leave a teacher because I know it through and through. Again, I am considering a student who is " an egoistic adult learner that might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge".

These are situations that I have encountered.  This is to answer that specific question about "Why doesn't the student leave a bad teacher?"

Yes but I didn't ask that question isolated from a student who thinks they know better and are correcting the teachers approach. I also asked a rhetorical question, if there is a student who is correcting their teacher constantly why wouldn't they just get another teacher? If they know so much better then why stay with someone they are correcting? A rhetorical question is one where there is no need for any answers and instead highlights a stance on a situation. This pig headed student should go teacher hopping and realise that no one is teaching in their manner and then maybe they will pipe down and practice their listening skills better.

[ranjit]

Well, I have certainly faced situations in which I have been accused of correcting the teacher. It was more common when I was younger, over time I've learned to do it via Socratic questioning to minimize damage, lol.

It happened sometimes when I thought what a teacher was saying was wrong. I think I outright told one teacher "fingers don't have muscles". They got offended, but later on I realized that the teacher wasn't truly wrong, and that I had been swayed by Taubman propaganda lol. I often find teachers say things which are wrong and I want to correct them because if I know a teacher is actively wrong about something, it affects their credibility for the rest of the things they're saying.

I've often told a teacher how I wanted to learn or approach something, because I had certain ideas around the topic.

Nowadays, since I'm more confident in my own knowledge, I have a better sense of which teachers to listen to and which to avoid. As a beginner I faced a lot of issues with teachers, especially online, telling me I was challenging them and that I was arrogant for questioning the status quo without being a good pianist myself.

There are a significant number of teachers who expect deference to their instructions, and if you ask questions aside from obvious ones, they feel challenged by the student. For example, I would attempt a certain technical approach because it seemed interesting, and then show it to a teacher, who would feel like I was challenging their approach.

It's not clear to me that switching teachers for a beginner is as straightforward as lostinidlewonder says it is -- teachers will try to convince you that their method will work in the long run, and blame it on the student for being impatient and not following their instructions correctly, for taking their ideas too literally.

I've seen this kind of situation fairly often on piano forums and so on, it typically happens with resourceful adult beginners who start out by reading C Chang's book or something similar (me  ) and then try to explain to teachers how they want to practice parallel sets etc.

[lostinidlewonder]

Well, I have certainly faced situations in which I have been accused of correcting the teacher. It was more common when I was younger, over time I've learned to do it via Socratic questioning to minimize damage, lol.

Disagreeing on a single point is one thing, but actively correcting a way to teach is another. Correcting requires that you not only disagree but reveal another way which should be done and which this teacher is failing to do.

I often find teachers say things which are wrong and I want to correct them because if I know a teacher is actively wrong about something, it affects their credibility for the rest of the things they're saying.

Though to truly understand they are wrong you need to be an expert yourself on the situation and know in many ways how they are wrong and what is actually better.

Nowadays, since I'm more confident in my own knowledge, I have a better sense of which teachers to listen to and which to avoid. As a beginner I faced a lot of issues with teachers, especially online, telling me I was challenging them and that I was arrogant for questioning the status quo without being a good pianist myself.

I mean questioning is fine it's the act of correcting that I don't agree with. Music education has so many different ways to go about doing it it is quite difficult to actually say something is totally wrong. I think it is fine to say that something isn't working, that is not to say what is being done is wrong just that the particular method is not working for the specific student in a specific situation and that of course is fine and a normal part of musical education and a good teacher will make adjustments if it is judged that that student has made their best efforts to try in a certain manner.

There are a significant number of teachers who expect deference to their instructions, and if you ask questions aside from obvious ones, they feel challenged by the student. For example, I would attempt a certain technical approach because it seemed interesting, and then show it to a teacher, who would feel like I was challenging their approach.

I think teachers who expect students to repect their authority unquestionably create unthinking students which is not a good approach. Questioning is fine but it the act of actually correcting the teacher that is not. Teacher/Student need to hone in on a solution which works best for the student, if one is vetoing a solution (although sometimes this has to be done in parts!) then there is no personal relationship to this cookie cutter, one size fits all approach to teaching. Can a student be so confident to totally correct a teacher without actually taking advice from the teacher into account, so too can a teacher be utterly confident that they will always teach the best without listening to feedback from their student? Clearly not.

It's not clear to me that switching teachers for a beginner is as straightforward as lostinidlewonder says it is -- teachers will try to convince you that their method will work in the long run, and blame it on the student for being impatient and not following their instructions correctly, for taking their ideas too literally.

I didn't express how easy or difficult it is, merely that if you are dealing with a student who really knows it all better and is actively correcting their teacher left right and centre, why don't they just go change teacher where they don't feel like this? Perhaps after teacher hopping they will realize that they have a problem with all teachers and the problem rests on their own shoulders?

So I will give my opinion on the issue here (I did mention what I thought about how to tell if you have a good teacher 14 years ago here which I still predominantly agree with, today I would add some more information but the crux of it is there: https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=30543.msg353574#msg353574), I think many students no matter how smart they are can make an easy choice to leave a teacher if the lessons are boring, if the work they are doing they don't respect or enjoy, if they feel like they are not learning faster with the teacher, if they don't look forward to each lesson etc etc. It mostly has nothing to do with an academic measurement but a personal feeling judgement. This is not always rational but is important. Why would you continue on with the best teacher in the world if you really don't enjoy those lessons for personal reasons?

I've seen this kind of situation fairly often on piano forums and so on, it typically happens with resourceful adult beginners who start out by reading C Chang's book or something similar (me  ) and then try to explain to teachers how they want to practice parallel sets etc.

When I first started out teaching I was learning a lot about teaching and many different approaches. I knew what worked best for me and the many different ways I approached problems, but I soon realized that not everything that worked for me was understandable for others and I had to build them up to it instead in different ways. Now with all my experience I am quite confident to say I do know a great deal more and nothing much can be said which I haven't looked into in depth. So if I now had a student try to challenge me and say my approach is dead wrong and another approach is better, I can measure their suggestion and either dismiss it as being plain wrong, something that has some substance or on the rare occasion something that I actually missed as a solution that might be better (I am getting older is dementia settling in yet?? lol).

If the student is constantly correcting me and it is just plain wrong it is a little irritating to have to try and make them see the light. Instead if they turn their corrections to questioning and be open to what is the best solution this is a better approach on their behalf. This looks like a subtle difference but actually is a great one in reality. Correcting someone means that you believe you know what is better, a student doing this to a teacher is a daring action to take, personally I don't mind it but if it is just constantly plain wrong you wonder, what the hell is this student thinking, why don't they see the good fruits of my teaching and why are they wanting another way?

These students want irrational results and don't realise the hard work that needs to be done NEEDS to be done! They want some kind of short cut which they believe must be there and if the teacher is not showing that to them they must be the problem, it is projecting the problem as lying elsewhere outside of the student rather than them accepting responsibility for the results.

[keypeg]

I have a bit more time now.  I'll go only to this part:

Yes but I didn't ask that question isolated from a student who thinks they know better and are correcting the teachers approach. I also asked a rhetorical question, if there is a student who is correcting their teacher constantly why wouldn't they just get another teacher? If they know so much better then why stay with someone they are correcting?

What you had asked is why a student wouldn't leave a bad teacher ---- the "correcting" part wasn't in there.  Now I understand you meant it rhetorically, and also that this comes together with the "correcting".

It happens that your rhetorical question also came together with  things I've experienced and then seen, so it was not rhetorical.  In those cases, in fact, there was no correcting of the teacher - just things not going well, and not enough knowledge and/or self confidence to be sure the problem was the teaching, and so the student stayed.  You may have gotten transfer students with that kind of background, and a mess for you to clean up.  End of that.

Thank you for explaining your end of it.  I can imagine that there are students who have read "how your teacher should teach you", or "how you should learn", and then try to impose it on the teacher.  That is wrong on so many levels.  Not only is it insulting and frustrating, but it's ineffective.

it seems we crossed wires on that particular issue because I didn't understand the gist of the question about "leaving" as it was intended.

[keypeg]

On this:

Again, I am considering a student who is " an egoistic adult learner that might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge".

We also saw that quote in a different light.  When you read "might try to correct you", that brought out all your experiences.

When I read the opening post --- actually when I read any post --- I also try to get a feel for where the person is coming from.  The first thing I did, besides looking at previous posts, was to ask the OP for examples so as to not assume.  The OP never responded, and that's water under the bridge.

I was looking at the whole post as my context, incl. for attitudes, assumptions etc.  It went:

As adult students are more judgemental and they 'teacher hop' throughout their piano learning phase and when they come to you, there is a chance that an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge. As a teacher facing such challenging student, how will you deal with such student ? 

It starts with a generalization about a class of students - and this is from someone who we can assume has little experience to base this on, given everything.  (judgmental & teacher-hop).  Immediately I'm cautious, because if this person who is teaching has those kinds of expectations, they may have an attitude toward any student of that age group coming to them.  That in itself can affect the interaction.

Then there is "that an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you ...." - the part that you highlighted, with an emphasis on the "correct you".  My attention was caught by the "egoistical"; the prejudgment and assumption on motive and mindset.  if there is defensiveness, assumptions, and so on, then any aspect of the interaction may be misunderstood.  And what kind of correction?  Is it about how s/he is teaching?  Or what?  It could be a wrong thing like G is the Predominant in C major, probably misspoken - a confident teacher would welcome that correction.  Or it could be "you should teach me this other way." or "My previous teacher did it differently."

The "egoistical student" brought me back to attitude and the OP.

[lostinidlewonder]

I have a bit more time now.  I'll go only to this part:
What you had asked is why a student wouldn't leave a bad teacher ---- the "correcting" part wasn't in there.  Now I understand you meant it rhetorically, and also that this comes together with the "correcting".

*sigh* the "correcting part" was not there??? It was ALL there. This is what I wrote: There's a difference between having a discussion over something and a student actually trying to correct you and challenging your teaching approach, this is something no normal person does unless the teacher is obviously bad (but why wouldn't you just change teacher then!)

I said there is a difference between DISCUSSION and CORRECTING/CHALLENGING. I also said that it is not something a normal person does unless a teacher is obviously bad but then why wouldn't you change teacher! Now please put your reading glasses on, it was all there nothing had to be added later on, it's just your own confused reading.

It happens that your rhetorical question also came together with  things I've experienced and then seen, so it was not rhetorical.  In those cases, in fact, there was no correcting of the teacher - just things not going well, and not enough knowledge and/or self confidence to be sure the problem was the teaching, and so the student stayed.  You may have gotten transfer students with that kind of background, and a mess for you to clean up.  End of that.

Again this only makes sense to elaborate upon if I was talking about NORMAL students which I was not. So you could have talked about that on your own but quoting me and thinking that my question had anything to do with normal students is simply a wrong reading of what I wrote.

Thank you for explaining your end of it.  I can imagine that there are students who have read "how your teacher should teach you", or "how you should learn", and then try to impose it on the teacher.  That is wrong on so many levels.  Not only is it insulting and frustrating, but it's ineffective.

Well I wrote what some trait of a good teacher are and I think it would be fair to expect that from teachers. Why would it be a problem to ask a teacher to make lessons enjoyable?

it seems we crossed wires on that particular issue because I didn't understand the gist of the question about "leaving" as it was intended.

Well I don't know how much clearer I could have put it, in fact one sentence you read and read wrongly. I was saying why if a student knows so much better and is correcting the teacher would they stay with those teachers? You have to realise what CORRECTING means, it means you know a better method than what the teacher is currently teaching. It means that you believe you know better than this teacher and that you do not respect the method being taught to you currently. It has nothing to do with questioning which is a more even handed discussion.

We also saw that quote in a different light.  When you read "might try to correct you", that brought out all your experiences.

When I read the opening post --- actually when I read any post --- I also try to get a feel for where the person is coming from.

In my single sentence I didn't bring out experienced I merely laid down simple logic. There is zero need to "get a feel for where the person is coming from" because the general situation is laid out. You quoted me and started talking about why a student might have difficulty leaving a teacher, I pointed out to you you are misreading what I am on about. I am talking about a student who actively corrects a teacher and knows it better than the teacher, these are not common students to come across because why would you have a teacher if you know better anyway?

I was looking at the whole post as my context, incl. for attitudes, assumptions etc.  It went:
It starts with a generalization about a class of students - and this is from someone who we can assume has little experience to base this on, given everything.  (judgmental & teacher-hop).  Immediately I'm cautious, because if this person who is teaching has those kinds of expectations, they may have an attitude toward any student of that age group coming to them.  That in itself can affect the interaction.

You can do all that but it has nothing to do with what I was talking about which is what you quoted, you quoted my post then rattled off reasons why a normal student might not leave a teacher as if that was a question I posted, which it was not. That is the point. You quoted me and then started talking as if this is what I was discussing where it was not.

Then there is "that an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you ...." - the part that you highlighted, with an emphasis on the "correct you".  My attention was caught by the "egoistical"; the prejudgment and assumption on motive and mindset.  if there is defensiveness, assumptions, and so on, then any aspect of the interaction may be misunderstood.  And what kind of correction?  Is it about how s/he is teaching?  Or what?  It could be a wrong thing like G is the Predominant in C major, probably misspoken - a confident teacher would welcome that correction.  Or it could be "you should teach me this other way." or "My previous teacher did it differently."

It is irrelevant what the student is trying to correct. Why do you want to know a specific situation when there is none to analyze? Because of this it is merely logical to discuss it in generalized form which is what I did. There is zero need to delve into a case example. In any case none of this is what you were discussing with me, you took my quote "why wouldnt you just change teacher then" to which you responded: (Re: Why wouldn't you.... ).

[keypeg]

Short on time.  Lostinidlewonder, thank you for explaining.  I have the picture.

[keypeg]

I should have done this in the first place rather than getting in a muddle with LiW by trying to straddle two topic.  This is addressed to Yie, the OP - whether or not he/she comes back to read this.

As above. As adult students are more judgmental and they 'teacher hop' throughout their piano learning phase and when they come to you, there is a chance that an egoistic adult learner might try to correct you or challenge your knowledge. As a teacher facing such challenging student, how will you deal with such student ?

Yie, since in another thread you were asking for help with piano matters, I'm sort of hoping that you're not actually teaching  - but rather testing the waters to see how you might be perceived as an adult student.  If you are teaching, make sure that you know enough to be teaching, and above all, don't take on beginners because it's "easier" because this is where you're laying foundations.

If you're going into teaching an age group with those attitudes and preconceptions about them, then I suggest that you avoid teaching that age group.  You'll do harm.  Your prejudice will colouor how you perceive their responses and your interaction.

* "judgmental" - It is probably a tendency to fear judgment from someone your own age as opposed a child, and it may or may not be there.  Make no bones about it - kids in the schoolyard also talk about their "good" and "bad" teachers - they're also judgmental.  In actual fact, adult students are often terrified of not pleasing their teacher; of being imposters by dint of their age. Insecurity runs two ways, and insecurity can also create defensiveness.

* "teacher hop" - There are also kids whose parents teacher-hop them; possibly the ambitious kind with unrealistic expectations.  Adult students can also get into an ugly cycle of teachers who don't teach well or appropriately (a common problem is rushing the student through with few foundations, or over simplifications, thinking this is expected - or not seeing missing foundations); (another is when good teachers won't teach adults out of principle, and then others 'specializing in adults' woo them on the wrong premises).  Thus it may take several tries to get a good teacher - who by then has to try to fix the messes created by the predecessors.  I've know students who stayed with a bad teacher for fear of being labeled a "teacher hopper"

* "egoistic adult learner" - You probably don't know if that student is "egotistical"  -  attributing attitudes is problematic.  If the student is egotistical, they'll probably be trying to show you how wonderfully they play.  If the student is "correcting" you, it's probably because he has studied things - has a high respect and belief in what he studied; without having the judgment to know whether this material deserves that respect.  If what you teach differs from what he learned, then the music world he built for himself threatens to crumble.  He may be proud of his "hard work" in learning all this stuff, wants you to praise him for it, because you're "the teacher".  None of this is ego.  If confronted with a problem, you must find the source of the problem to address it.

The student might also "correct" you if you made a mistake.  An experienced teacher, solid in his knowledge, will welcome that and roll with it.  If there are misperceptions, he'll roll with it and use it as a teaching opportunity.

If the student wants to impose on you how to teach - that's a no go.  And yes, ego can exist.  Also the attitude that "I paid for the lesson, therefore I'm the boss and can tell the teacher what I want him to do."

To answer your question:
As a teacher facing such challenging student, how will you deal with such student ?

I'm not a piano teacher, though I'm not totally outside of teaching piano and music related things, in general pro bono.  I am a trained teacher however.
(1)  You don't label students.  even "challenging student" is a label

(2) You get at the problem by analyzing the problem, and its source.  You then deal with the problem.

In fact, my first response to you was by asking you for examples.  We (collectively) could then have worked through how to deal with what you believe you're facing.  There's a whole book on that part.