Re: [Harp-L] Elements of good teaching

[Pierre <plavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi David,

I did not word my post very well, I meant to support your views and add a 
bit. I said:

> From the student side, I would say that a teacher must praise you and not 
> be critical at all;

I overstated the terms "praise" and "critical"  as I doubt any teacher would 
be overly critical and the term "praise" is a just too strong. This is more 
what I wanted to express.

One of the most important thing is to make a student comfortable
> > when playing. Its hard enough playing badly in front of someone as you 
> > are learning, if you are not at ease then you can forget it.

When I took lessons (around the time I learned to bend), I would sometimes 
play what I had practiced and when I did I always focused on my teachers 
body language to see "what he tought". Luckily, my teacher was one of those 
happy, optimistic people. I never saw him wince or grimace, actually he 
smiled most of the time - it was just his nature. Anyways this really 
helped.

Typically I always played badly in front of him compared to when I played 
alone, probably not warmed up and also self-concious as the time or focusing 
on his body language.

Pierre.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Priestley" <drmidnight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Pierre" <slavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 8:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Elements of good teaching


> HI pierre
>
> For a teacher showing a student the area in which they need to work and to 
> what end that work needs to be done and why it is best done that way, if 
> different from being "critical". YOU ARE NOT FOCUSING ON WHAT THEY HAVN"T 
> DONE RIGHT> the first thing you should focus on is praising the parts that 
> areright, I then ask them to make a self assement, students my be learning 
> but they'er not stupid ( or at least mine havn't been). In the self 
> assemnt we will both come to a understanding of the areas that need work. 
> As a teacher, with a knowlage of how realization occures, I can offer 
> advice built on an outside viewpoint. When you are learning it's quite 
> frustrating enough just knowing that you can't do what you want, A good 
> teacher can help a student 'see the wood for the trees'.
>
>  I agree that a teacher should not undermine the students confidance, if 
> they want the student to learn well and happly
> On 21 Mar 2005, at 12:47, Pierre wrote:
> > From the student side, I would say that a teacher must praise you and not 
> > be critical at all; the goal being to make a student comfortable when 
> > playing. Its hard enough playing badly in front of someone as you are 
> > learning, if you are not at ease then you can forget it.
> >
> > Pierre.
>  All The Best David Priestley, a Data Processing Disorder survivor, So 
> please excuse my odd spelling