Today, I Confess: Sometimes We Fix Too Much
This week on Beyond Measure I offered a reminder that – despite having notable room for improvement – the kids are alright.
We must be careful not to define our students by their weaknesses. Johnny is more than The Kid Who Always Plays Too Fast.
I know *I* want to be seen as more than my shortcomings, so I try to extend the same courtesy to my students. Their struggles do not define them.
Check out episode 255 for more on that.
There’s another problem that comes from focusing on mistakes: It’s easy to switch into FIXER mode, where we are quick in our attempts to solve students’ problems for them.
…Or give them every advantage we can dream up.
I talk to a lot of teachers who mistakenly believe their role is to help students avoid discomfort in the lesson. I beg to differ.
In fairness, I am forever reminding teachers to tread lightly around feelings of Intimidation, Confusion, and Embarrassment, but I don’t mean to suggest all discomfort at the piano is bad.
…far from it! In fact, the ability for students to sit with uncertainty – and find their way out of it – is quickly becoming one of the most unique value propositions we can offer as music teachers.
(FYI, the aforementioned feelings: intimidation, confusion, and embarrassment are closely tied to shame, which is why they differ from other discomforts and should truly be avoided at all costs).
Too many of us worry that students won’t be having “fun” if they don’t immediately know the answer, so we are quick to come to the rescue as soon as a student stumbles.
In reality, the opposite is true. Our lessons serve as an opportunity for students to explore new ideas – to prove to themselves they are capable – while in the safe presence of an experienced guide who can answer questions along the way.
(that’s you) 😉
If we constantly jump to our students’ rescue the moment they feel unsure, we reinforce fear and eliminate any chance of developing independent thinking at the instrument.
…not to mention the fact that we reduce making music to a checklist of do’s and don’ts.👎🏻
Last summer, I was in the middle of a lesson with a very competent high schooler. I asked a question and when he hesitated, I began to tell him the answer. He threw his hand up in the air and said, “DON’T TELL ME. Let me cook. Let me cook.” 😆
Teen slang aside, the idea of “let me cook” is actually quite brilliant. Students often need more time to sit with their thoughts before forming an answer. In fact, I think all of us would benefit from being a bit slower to speak these days. 🤷🏻♀️
This is yet-another-reason why we need to slow down in lessons. Too many of us try to race the clock, cramming our pre-determined ideas into whatever time we have. This is a recipe for exhaustion… not to mention, lackluster instruction.
Take a breath. Let your students “cook”. You’ll be glad you did.
One last concern about “fixing”: hasty corrections often miss the point.
If your student is playing a piece in E-minor and they consistently forget to play F-sharps, you are NOT going to solve the problem by telling them, “F-sharp!” “F-sharp!” “That’s an F-sharp!” every time they miss one.
Yes, you’re offering temporary fixes, but they’re not learning anything from your constant reminders. The root of the issue is they aren’t connecting the piece they are playing to the “path” of E minor on the keyboard.
Until they learn how the F-sharp functions within E minor, their only reason for correcting the error is “because my teacher told me to.” I don’t know about you, but that’s not good enough for me. 😊
It’s tough because, on the surface, you think you are doing your job. You are telling them to play F-sharp.
…but the real issue is not being solved. As teachers, we need to be slower to fix and quicker to dial-in on the bigger picture. What are our students’ oversights actually telling us?
🥂 May we ALL recommit to letting our ideas “cook” a bit before speaking and encouraging our students to do the same. Let’s be slower to come to their rescue, normalizing uncertainty and helping them realize the fullest extent of their capabilities. 🥂
Now it’s YOUR turn: Leave a comment below and tell me which “Fixer” problem hits you the most. 😊