After such a bleak post, I thought I’d talk about the more positive side of teaching. Without a doubt, the best part about teaching is getting to know the students. I love talking with and spending time with my students. Having a teaching job at a school, like I did for the two years after I graduated, provides a lot of opportunities for meeting with students outside of scheduled class time. I frequently had students come in to my room to practice for upcoming auditions, eat breakfast, study, hang out, meet with small ensembles, or just to stand around the piano and sing. So much fun!
A few of my students felt comfortable enough to just come in and chat with me, while others never quite got past the “but-she’s-a-teacher” mindset (meaning they wouldn’t even smile or make eye-contact with me in a deserted hallway). I was never very offended by that kind of behavior, though, because there’s a lot of “figuring out” that’s going on in middle school and high school. I feel like if I saw some of those students a few years from now, they’d be more than willing to strike up a conversation with me. I have confidence that they’ll grow up as they get older.
Teaching private lessons is definitely a shift from teaching classes of 25-70 students. I love what I’m doing now, but it was exciting to see the result of so many individuals working together to create a beautiful final product. That’s a thrill that is different from any of the satisfaction that comes from helping an individual succeed.
I’m so glad that my current position allows me to have face time with individual students. Like I said, the best part of teaching is getting to know the students. Private lessons are very conducive to this aspect of teaching, so I’m glad to be doing what I’m doing. But I hope my A-town students know that I miss them.
Posted in Teaching
