Teachers?

[betricia]

 :)Just saw a comment on a thread about a bad teacher.  How does an early learner know how good their teacher is?  Mine seems pleasant and helpful but I don't know what I should be learning or if what I am learning is in the right way. 
It matters too I imagine.
Thanks
Patricia

[pianonut]

good teachers should help you progress in a steady observable way (whatever their technique).  if they can explain details and answer your questions, they are probably helping.  if they cannot (like some doctors) explain what they are doing and why - you should go to someone who talks more and is less clinical.

depending on how old you are, you can take lessons for a good price through a community college or university and know for a fact that you have a good teacher.

[m1469]

For the initial question from betricia, the problem I see with correctly deducing whether or not a teacher is "good" is that I think ultimately, opinions like this are probably entirely subjective.  A person may learn more about music from closely observing an anthill than from a formal piano teacher, but this does not necessarily mean that the teacher is "no good". 

How does one measure exactly where or from whom one learns what?  Sometimes things just click, who knows what kind of preparation came from where in order for the click to occur.   Sometimes things just don't click, but who really knows why or who it is that is at fault?

I think ultimately it depends on what this person is doing for you.  Not just an overall impression (although you may have personal feelings about an overall impression that make it so a teacher does not work for you). 

For an individual who is comitted to music/piano study for a lifetime,  one will be looking for and needing different things at various points in one's overall career.  It really depends on what the student is needing at that specific time as to whether or not a certain teacher could be considered "good" at the time.   All of my comments are, however, somewhat ethereal and maybe not so practical.

For the sake of practicality, I will pick on myself for a moment.  I am a "piano teacher".  I do what I can for my students, and I do what I have learned.  There are gaps within my own understanding, however.  Yet, probably if one looked at the biographies of the people I have studied with, one who does not know any better would assume that I must know what I am doing.  For people such as these, perhaps I am as much of a teacher as they need at this point in thier lives.  I know for certain that I am not the teacher I can be though, and a student who is looking for what I am not, would most certainly be able to discern what is missing.  For these people I am not so helpful at this point.

Now this:

 

...you can take lessons for a good price through a community college or university and know for a fact that you have a good teacher.

Just because a person is in a college or university, does not automatically mean that they are some kind of a superb teacher.  In some cases, they may be accomplished pianists who have trained all of their life for performance (perhaps not even by their own choosing) and simply ended up there, teaching.  This is not a call to doom in and of itself unless they have very little enjoyment with the instrument and the profession in general.  Then there can be problems, big problems.   People in this situation do not have the desire to really think through the teaching process and what kind of effort it may take from them to help their students learn.  This exact thing happens with private teacher as well.

There are some fabulous teachers in Universities and Colleges.  I am simply stating that for sure, the mere fact that one is there is not by any means a guarantee that they are a "good" teacher (although no matter what, it is a probably a good indication that at some point in their life, they have worked hard and probably do have something truly worth sharing). 

Also, a teacher may be absolutely excellent and not be affiliated with any kind of music institution at all  .  But this is not new information, it's just my two cents.


m1469

[Hmoll]

    How does an early learner know how good their teacher is?  

Listen to his/her students.

[pianowelsh]

Question to ask yourself! What makes a 'good' teacher? (bullet point it) and you have a check list

[pianonut]

dear m1469, and all,  i agree with what you said about the teacher's interest and enthusiasm.  i have rarely met any piano professors who did not have to go through rigorous piano training/pedagogy who teach at a university, but private lessons (at their studio) can be expensive.  Lessons through a cc or university are for the whole semester and much cheaper!

then, asm1469points out, you can find out what students are wanting to learn.  if you are a capable teacher (without being a university professor) and are creative and spontaneous, you may be just the right 'match' for someone who wants this!  some adult students (too) are just interested in finding out more about piano in a relaxed manner and feel intimidated by someone they think will expect more than the time they have to allot for practice.  some parents only want a relaxed manner of teaching for their children - and some children thrive on the creative side more.

i personally started teaching when i was 16 or 17 (some very young students).  i tried to 'copy' the type of teaching i was getting through my private teacher who was also a community college teacher/ and then my university teacher.  i had enthusiasm and learned quickly that you have to let young students 'do' and not just talk talk talk.  my method is pretty much the same, generally, getting piano students to play a lot during the lesson. 

*teach relaxation
*teach touch/tone related matters
*teach how to count rhythms
*teach listening to oneself
*teach not being too hard on oneself- for those who are perfectionists - and to just keep practicing (it's not life or death)
*and for students who are lazy - teach how to be disciplined and get the most out of each lesson
i suppose the list could go on and on.  hearing a particular teacher's students is probably the best way - i agree! 

[pianonut]

having a set standard is good, though.  ie. music teacher's association plaque on the wall doesn't hurt  OR if you see that your teacher will hook you up to another teacher when you are ready - and is not 'possesive' of your talents - but wanting the best for each student in terms of progression.

i 'specialized' (if you can call it that) in the first couple of years of lessons (1-4) and then would refer my students to another teacher.  now that i have taken more lessons, i feel prepared to take students to a higher level (1-7) probably.  when i finish a doctorate (if i do) i would say - even then, you have to know your strengths.  some people play better than they teach.  i know myself (so for the younger grades - i have no difficulty explaining what i am doing).  it's just the higher you go, you really have to show proficiency in choosing repertoire (so students don't get frustrated - playing one thing really easy and another terribly hard).  it should be an even progression (like a ladder) from one step to another.  i don't like the idea of big jumps
or of trying to show off what your students can do.  it's not about 'showing off' but actual learning.

one last thing, too, i think is that having recitals is a great thing to start doing at any age.  no matter if you are in mtna or not.  you can have 'party recitals' with the little ones and have prizes and games.  this went over very well for me, and it kept students motivated and learning (to play for each other).

[BoliverAllmon]

look at your teacher. Does he/she have a good track record. I mean have they proven themselves and developed good musicians previously? If you have a teacher that only has students that play pop and little diddly classical pieces then you probably want to switch. More than likely that teacher isn't going to push you real hard to get to the more difficult music. Do you feel like you are progressing? if you are not progressing, then is it your fault or is it the teacher's for not pushing you? just take a good look at the whole picture.

boliver

[elongar]

A good teacher will make you enjoy the music. If he/she is teaching you well, you should want to continue; you should enjoy the music. If a teacher is wizzing you through grades and telling you that your making awesome progress but your bored to death and you can't even stand the sight of a piano anymore, then you may not have found your teacher.

Having said that, at an early stage, you may find it boring for the simple reason that the pieces are not as interesting as those which are more difficult (granted, there are quite a lot of beautiful, not so difficult pieces out there).

The best way is probably to talk to your teachers other students who are around your level to tell what they think.