Problem: Teachable Moments
13/02/09 03:06 Filed in: Teaching Philosophy
Thursdays at 4PM… Although that may be the scheduled lesson time, that isn’t the only time that teaching and learning occurs. In fact, students are not always approachable during their lesson time and are, at times, more open to discussing and exchanging ideas outside of the lesson room where they feel that they are on more equal footing.
Facts: First, the lesson room. This is the teacher’s domain. The teacher has the more comfortable chair if the chairs are different and the teacher dictates the pace and, more often than not, the topic of the lesson.
Second, the student’s expectations. Because of the first point, the student takes a more passive role and expects the guidance that he receives to be guitar-centric and/or music based.
Lastly, the parent’s expectation. The parent is flipping the bill and may like to know what this week’s lesson covered. As a teacher, you need to find a balance between their musical growth and personal growth.
Dilemma: Assessing a teachable moment. When is the right time to approach a student? What topics are off limits?
My journey: My pre-Berklee teacher was ex-faculty at Berklee and, subsequently, told me to look up his old colleague to continue my studies. My lesson with Dr. Berklee Bebop professor was scheduled for Thursdays at 8AM. It was January and bitter cold with the wind showing no mercy as it gathered up speed and shot down Mass Ave. I lived a brisk 30-minute walk from campus and, on Thursday mornings in January, I felt like I was hiking the Iditarod trail.
Lesson 1: I show up at 8:05AM and Dr. Bebop shouts, “How dare you get to my class late. You treat this class as you would any professional job and get here on time!”
Lesson 2: 7:45AM… I quietly thaw out just outside of Dr. Bebop’s office. To my surprise he’s already there. Nonetheless I patiently wait for 8AM sharp before I announce my arrival. With the feeling coming back to my hands I knock at 7:59AM without fear of my knuckles shattering. I’m given a sound that I take as an invitation and enter to the irrepressible smells of burnt coffee and stale cigarettes. As I take out my guitar I take in the vibe of Dr. Bebop’s lair. The room is smaller than I’d imagined with a free-standing ash tray within reach of the good doctor’s right hand. Within reach of the left hand is a coffee cup and, a first for me, a single-cup brewing coffee maker. Gently I brush the pick over my strings while I finger some fancy jazz chord.
You’d think that I committed bloody murder. Dr. Bebop shouts, “You’re out of tune!!!” “How dare you enter my room with an out-of-tune guitar?” Once he started yelling, I started packing up. “Treat this class as you…” I didn’t hear the rest as I closed the door behind me.
Lesson 3: 8:01AM, I’m on time and in tune (a lesson that I’ve never forgotten). Dr. Bebop sets the metronome at 120bpm and tells me to open up to page 56. I thought we were supposed to be on page 20. I didn’t have a syllabus and never realized that this was week three and I should’ve reviewed the lesson for week three. I started packing up and as I left Dr. Bebop suggested, “I take my coffee black and am a lot easier to deal with after a fresh cup of coffee.”
Solution: Awareness and Patience I implore teachers to get to know their students both inside and outside of the lesson room. I try to take a little bit of time to find out what their favorite classes are, if they play organized sports, what television shows they watch, etc. I usually have these little conversations while I’m writing out the lesson for the week. This way I learn a little bit about them and then I tell them a little bit about me—like the story above. It shows them that I have a human side too.
Also, they will eventually invite you in when they’re ready and on their terms. And this is okay. You treat this opportunity with respect and they will feel respected. Once they trust you, lesson time will go by quickly, they will begin practicing and be a little ashamed when they don’t practice.
This is important! If a student approaches you with an outside issue, this is a good thing. This means that they’re beginning to trust you beyond the music lessons. Treat this moment carefully because dismissing their question may cause them to become guarded again and it may take awhile to have this opportunity with them again, if at all. However, be careful that they’re not manipulating you into avoiding the lesson.
What happened to Dr. Bebop? Rumors that he was burning out were growing through the years that I was at Berklee. He never seemed to have a full-load of students and was generally avoided due to his abrasive nature. It was also rumored that Dr. Bebop was resentful at not getting the commercial recognition that he felt he was due. I studied with him for only that first semester. Once I learned “the way that things worked” I decided to study with someone else. I never felt like he really cared about my development as a musician let alone a person.
What did I learn from Dr. Bebop? I learned a lot. But rather than list a bunch of mundane musical topics I’ll give you three topics that crossed both music and life in general.
Facts: First, the lesson room. This is the teacher’s domain. The teacher has the more comfortable chair if the chairs are different and the teacher dictates the pace and, more often than not, the topic of the lesson.
Second, the student’s expectations. Because of the first point, the student takes a more passive role and expects the guidance that he receives to be guitar-centric and/or music based.
Lastly, the parent’s expectation. The parent is flipping the bill and may like to know what this week’s lesson covered. As a teacher, you need to find a balance between their musical growth and personal growth.
Dilemma: Assessing a teachable moment. When is the right time to approach a student? What topics are off limits?
My journey: My pre-Berklee teacher was ex-faculty at Berklee and, subsequently, told me to look up his old colleague to continue my studies. My lesson with Dr. Berklee Bebop professor was scheduled for Thursdays at 8AM. It was January and bitter cold with the wind showing no mercy as it gathered up speed and shot down Mass Ave. I lived a brisk 30-minute walk from campus and, on Thursday mornings in January, I felt like I was hiking the Iditarod trail.
Lesson 1: I show up at 8:05AM and Dr. Bebop shouts, “How dare you get to my class late. You treat this class as you would any professional job and get here on time!”
Lesson 2: 7:45AM… I quietly thaw out just outside of Dr. Bebop’s office. To my surprise he’s already there. Nonetheless I patiently wait for 8AM sharp before I announce my arrival. With the feeling coming back to my hands I knock at 7:59AM without fear of my knuckles shattering. I’m given a sound that I take as an invitation and enter to the irrepressible smells of burnt coffee and stale cigarettes. As I take out my guitar I take in the vibe of Dr. Bebop’s lair. The room is smaller than I’d imagined with a free-standing ash tray within reach of the good doctor’s right hand. Within reach of the left hand is a coffee cup and, a first for me, a single-cup brewing coffee maker. Gently I brush the pick over my strings while I finger some fancy jazz chord.
You’d think that I committed bloody murder. Dr. Bebop shouts, “You’re out of tune!!!” “How dare you enter my room with an out-of-tune guitar?” Once he started yelling, I started packing up. “Treat this class as you…” I didn’t hear the rest as I closed the door behind me.
Lesson 3: 8:01AM, I’m on time and in tune (a lesson that I’ve never forgotten). Dr. Bebop sets the metronome at 120bpm and tells me to open up to page 56. I thought we were supposed to be on page 20. I didn’t have a syllabus and never realized that this was week three and I should’ve reviewed the lesson for week three. I started packing up and as I left Dr. Bebop suggested, “I take my coffee black and am a lot easier to deal with after a fresh cup of coffee.”
Solution: Awareness and Patience I implore teachers to get to know their students both inside and outside of the lesson room. I try to take a little bit of time to find out what their favorite classes are, if they play organized sports, what television shows they watch, etc. I usually have these little conversations while I’m writing out the lesson for the week. This way I learn a little bit about them and then I tell them a little bit about me—like the story above. It shows them that I have a human side too.
Also, they will eventually invite you in when they’re ready and on their terms. And this is okay. You treat this opportunity with respect and they will feel respected. Once they trust you, lesson time will go by quickly, they will begin practicing and be a little ashamed when they don’t practice.
This is important! If a student approaches you with an outside issue, this is a good thing. This means that they’re beginning to trust you beyond the music lessons. Treat this moment carefully because dismissing their question may cause them to become guarded again and it may take awhile to have this opportunity with them again, if at all. However, be careful that they’re not manipulating you into avoiding the lesson.
What happened to Dr. Bebop? Rumors that he was burning out were growing through the years that I was at Berklee. He never seemed to have a full-load of students and was generally avoided due to his abrasive nature. It was also rumored that Dr. Bebop was resentful at not getting the commercial recognition that he felt he was due. I studied with him for only that first semester. Once I learned “the way that things worked” I decided to study with someone else. I never felt like he really cared about my development as a musician let alone a person.
What did I learn from Dr. Bebop? I learned a lot. But rather than list a bunch of mundane musical topics I’ll give you three topics that crossed both music and life in general.
- Always be on time and always play in tune. Respect other people’s time and always be prepared.
- He showed me the teacher that I didn’t want to become like. There is something to learn from everybody.
- Boy did I appreciate my teachers after that. The ability to accept guidance and criticism is true humility.
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