Music Teachers PART 1
May 24th 2009 13:24
We hear it over and over again: So-and-so is a better teacher than mr X. So-and-so's students all passed their exams with A's this year..
What actually makes a good teacher?
First of all, merely playing well does not mean that one will teach well.
Good teachers need to have a wide variety of characteristics:
- Relaxed atmosphere and ability to develop a good relationship with their student.
- Wide knowledge of music available.
- A good understanding of the physical aspects as well as the musical aspects of playing an instrument.
- Ability to communicate abstract ideas well.
WHY ARE SOME MUSIC LESSONS DEARER THAN OTHERS??
From personal experience I would say that the price of a teacher is not the best indicator of the quality of their teaching. I know of international teachers who teach at very low rates (around $45 per hour) and of very mediocre teachers who charge very high rates.
Many beginning teachers advertise low rates because they are trying to build up their student numbers, but are actually more motivated and helpful than others. When considering these types of teachers, it is important to ask what studies they have completed, and where they are currently studying. It is a bad idea to send your child to an extremely cheap teacher is they have only completed an intermediate level of performance, and are just trying to make some money to get through an unrelated degree at university. These sorts of teachers can actually ruin your child's potential by transferring all of their mistakes and worse.
Experience plays a large part in teaching ability. Generally, experience is a good thing: It shows that the teacher has proven to be effective for a period of time, that they enjoy teaching enough to keep at it, and that they have (probably) had exposure to all sorts of students.
MOST of the time, music lessons in poorer areas are considerably cheaper than music lessons in more affluent areas. I think this is true of many things, not only music lessons!
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