Commitment is difficult to achieve, isn't it?
Many of us probably make New Year's resolutions, but how many of them do we keep at the end of the year?
I'd been trying to lose weight for three years and hadn't succeeded until I returned to Japan for the summer holidays! It happened because it was too hot and I was too busy to sit, eat, and relax! I was very motivated because all of my clothes were too small and I didn't want to go up a size, but it didn't happen until the condition forced me!
This is the reality.
Even a well-motivated commitment cannot last for long, and this is not due to laziness.
So, why do we always talk about commitment and motivation when taking piano lessons?
First and foremost, if one does not want to learn an instrument, it will be challenging to do so. But who, exactly, should be committed and motivated? And where do these feeling come from?
"Motivation" and "commitment" seem to be heavily commercialized these days. It's almost as if we couldn't sell anything without them. We are drawn in by a tempting image and a catchy sentence that encourages us to enter the heavenly realm. However, we realize that what we get does not match our expectations.
This frequently occurred when our expectations did not match reality; what we saw was overrated unconsciously; simply, we did not think deeper before diving, and so on. We can find numerous reasons why.
However, when it comes to our children, we find it difficult to accept.
Let's break it down: what are the "commitments and motivations" behind piano lessons?
Passion, in my opinion, is the most straightforward way to express commitment. A strong desire to achieve something. Willingness stems from joy, excitement, and other positive emotions that make me feel good, happy, and fulfilled.
But, even though I am truly committed, I find it difficult to maintain to strong motivation to keep going.
My question was, "Why at this point?"
Have you ever experienced unreasonable procrastination? It doesn't have to be about motivation; it can be anything. I did, and I am still experiencing a lot.
I wanted to figure out why.
I had no idea how to go about it.
For the past year and a half, I've been studying with an excellent pianist and pedagogue. She is also a certified Alexander Technique instructor. Her approach is versatile and broad. Under her coaching, combined with AT, I discovered so many hidden stones beneath a carpet that I had no idea I had placed them there! Many of them have nothing to do with learning or teaching music, but they have had a profound impact on who I am as a whole. Many unconscious conditions were successfully treated through discovery, recognition, and care. I feel lighter and more solid right now. Do not be surprised. Even when I'm writing an educational post for everyone, I uncover something from my deeper self.
It's amazing how fascinating humans' minds are!
It's a process of delving deeply into our emotions, looking for them, and searching even deeper. It takes time, but once identified, we can gradually deal with it. Most of the time, it's a slow process (sometimes it comes like a bomb to blow us away),much like peeling off a delicate, thin layer of onion skin.
Adults are likely to find it more difficult than children.
But it will happen eventually.
So now you may be able to see some of what I wanted to tell you all.
Commitment and motivation are not things we can give; rather, they exist within us from the start.
No. 1: We must make piano lessons enjoyable for every child.
I do not mean that we have to give our students everything they want.
We need to communicate effectively with them while also enjoying the piano together.
We can only do something consistently if we genuinely enjoy it.
We also enjoy doing things that are "easy."
No. 2: Avoid giving too much at once.
We all want each lesson to be productive and to see positive growth in our students. However, humans cannot handle too many things at once. That is why we say, "Make a priority." When we only give them one thing to learn, they learn it. Of course, it will be necessary to repeat until it becomes established. As a result, we concentrate on a single theme for an extended period of time. Another way to say it is to make the learning curve shallow or to take small steps at a time.
No. 3: The student's first lessons
As teachers, we want to give our students the best possible education, but we are overly focused on giving. We need to take a step back and ask what they really want and how they feel. Regardless of our age or level of experience, we all have an instinctive sense of accomplishment. Trust your instincts and let your student decide whether they are okay or not. Even if we believe we can go further, if your student is content, simply move on.
When the time comes, they will find it on their own. That is the most important aspect of growth. We all don't do things because other people think they're good for us unless "we" think it's good for ourselves.
We spoon-feed our students too much!
After a while, our students discover their commitment and motivation from within. They only need our and their parents' support. Parental involvement is another important aspect of creating productive environments for our students, which I will discuss separately.
So this is my conclusion:
Both commitment and motivation should come naturally from within us, rather than from outside, and when we find the right ones, we will succeed.
At last but not least, learning music is enjoyable! BeIng able to play an instrument is such a fun things to do!
Comentários