Mending Broken Stuff - Part One

I love playing. I love my horn. I love music and being a musician. 

But, you know, I love teaching as well!

I like watching my students grow and figure stuff out. I like telling them things that opens their eyes and help them comprehend playing a little differently. I like the kids, I like the lessons. I like teaching. 

In this phase of my life I'm teaching more than I ever have before. I'm starting to see something that really is making my heart ache: broken kids. 

When I say broken kids, I don't mean kids who suck at the horn. I don't mean kids that have technical problems, ones who are out of tune, or even ones that can't count. 

What I mean by 'broken' kids are the ones who have heard enough of: "NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE" and "That sucked." Or "You suck." (Which is translated from what's really said: "That's/You're not very good.") They've heard any of those phrases enough times that I hear and see the physical result of defeat. Defeat shows up in many ways: kid not practicing in between lessons, kid not playing loud enough, kid not bothering to read the music, kid not even bothering to attempt to play ANY right note at all, the appearance of the kid not caring, kid announcing they're quitting band next semester, the kid not trying at all.

I don't even know where to start. I'll take that as a sign not to rant on for 12 pages. I don't even want to rant for one page on this. I'll just say one thing: cut the kid some slack. 

I listen to Dave Ramsey on the radio when I'm driving around in my car. He says some pretty good stuff about money management. It mostly boils down to behavioral things that I think one could apply to many different areas in life. When recommending real estate agents or people who sell insurance to callers and listeners, he always says, "Find one that has the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman."

What great wisdom! Consider it: teachers have concern for those in their educational care; salesmen have concern for their commission. 

If you're a [music] teacher of any kind, I would digest these words very deeply in your heart. Again, for the sake of not ranting on for a million pages I'll be brief. Do not let your concern for your "commission" (your paycheck) tower over your concern for the students in your charge. If you do, I may suggest you find yourself other ways to make money. Why?

Because it matters. Because you are of great influence to that 12-18 year old. 

I think I'll do a Part Two later in the week. I said that the "NOPES" a kid hears tears them down, and I should address what you can do to work with a defeated kid (one that exhibits something in the list of defeat attributes above) and not be a teacher that tears down... but be one that builds up!

Stay Tuned!