Re: teaching

[Cathi Norton <cathi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 3 Mar 2004, fjm wrote:

> 
> Cathi Norton writes:
> 
> >  Joe Filikso once told me that the secret to teaching is to stay connected
> >  .... don't ever give the student too much at once...etc.

> So how do you go about doing this?  I'm a rotten teacher of harmonica. I
> know too much and I'm unable to discern what's reasonable to impart to a
> given individual.  I just start talking and don't shut up.  You're
> absolutely right about Joe and teaching of all his various skills it
> might be the one I'm the most impressed with.  Anyhow how do you figure
> out what someone needs to know right now so they can move forward in
> their playing?  I've pretty much given up any attempts at teaching even
> though it's a frequent request.  People figure if you can play harmonica
> well you ought to be able to teach.  You've hit the nail on the head
> though, that's exactly what I do wrong.  My reaction has been to just
> not even try anymore but I've got a 2 month old phone message on my
> answering machine from a relative of the bass player in my band asking
> for lessons.  You've rekindled a glimmer of hope for me.  fjm
> --


Well, I liked what Iceman had to say -- about staying sensitive to how 
your "information" is being perceived.  It's true, as I'm sure many of you 
have experienced, that there is a "glazing over" look involved in learning 
(anything --- but especially with things like languages, math, music and 
computers) that signals all "receiving" has stopped(!).

To take it a bit further...I asked Joe that "how" question too.  He said 
it is easy to misjudge "enough."  What seems to be "enough" for a decent 
lesson's information is probably going to be WAY too much for someone who 
hasn't had your experience.  He starts very low (with guitar, for 
instance--he said--start with a string...get them to pluck one string 
cleanly...or with harp, get them to form one sound).  Build on the joy of 
it -- the way it feels, the way it sounds, and the magic of it.  Mix in a 
second sound (if enthusiasm seems to carry), and voila...twice the 
pleasure! Lesson prep involves building a curriculum that offers 
practice of these primary elements that fall together in wonderful fashion). 
 I have to tell you -- as simple as that sounds, it blew my mind, because 
he started BELOW where he felt the student might be "at" and carefully 
worked up to where the student began to get nervous.

My problems always related first to trying to give the student their 
"money's worth" which was ALWAYS overwhelming, or enthusiastically 
talking/encouraging them into a stupor.  I realized I was force-feeding 
them my OWN joy-of-musical-connection -- not allowing them to find 
their own.  Instead, (or so I interpreted Joe's words), I allowed them 
to find something joyful themselves and then celebrated that with 
them...letting THEM lead.  When opportunity afforded, or they ASKED, I 
would give them another "hint" -- or show them another small thing 
- --always proceeding carefully as to "surf" that interest wave.

I picked up another clue about teaching from Jon Gindick, who it seems to 
me has a special ability to nurture that joy-of-playing in others.  He 
said that it seemed to him that many of his students didn't START OUT with 
lessons to LEARN how to play, but more to "hang out" and "have a good 
time" or "be a part of what they imagined music to be."  So he went with 
that, and it amazed him how, if they could secure a bit of that 
"feeling/sharing" they THEN grew keen on learning.  The hook was set so to 
speak (grin).

>From this I've learned teaching is a communication that is a sub-text to the
actual facts imparted...the second level (or first?) of what is actually 
going on in a lesson.

And another thing -- not to belabor the point (there's that "enough" 
problem again--grin), I think the best teachers I've seen at work work 
have a 
great ability to get themselves out of the way.  I have so often 
observed that whatever baggage the student brings to the lesson (admiration/
awe of the instructor's ability for instance?) or the instructor's 
\self-importance, get in the way of the study.  I pay attention to setting 
a safe, comfortable environment during the "getting acquainted" or 
"determining student goals" portion of the first lesson(s) to 
alleviate/eliminate these.

Sub-text is nearly always as interesting to me as the book itself. 
Learning is going on in both directions.  That was why I was initially so 
disheartened when faced with clear evidence that I was not "getting it" 
as a teacher.  But then...excited to get some kind of handle on why.

Cathi