Janielle's Musical Escapades

My Ideal Student

Recently, I started teaching another new student! This was another pleasant surprise, as with my other students. My new student’s name is Ethan. He’s a beginner. It so happened that his mom (somehow) heard that I teach piano, and she actually contacted me through Facebook! Haha, amazing right. :P

So today I taught 7 year-old Ethan for the second time. His mom says that 2 years ago, one teacher said he is not mentally prepared (a very restless boy he was) to learn yet. So now here I am teaching him.

At first I was a bit worried. It’ll be my first time teaching a lil’ boy – and you know, I never had a lil’ bro and I seldom have to look after boys. So I had no idea how it would turn out. What if he can’t sit still? What if he doesn’t like me? What if he doesn’t listen enough to get what I’m saying?

I just committed my worries to God and went ahead with it. To my sheer delight, Ethan was such a wonderful boy to teach! Yes, he’s a tad energetic (what do you expect, he’s a 7 year old!), but he’s also very responsive and a clever boy indeed.

I now realize that the best students are not the ones that sit quietly and listen to & obey everything you say. No, no. My ideal students are those who respond to my teaching by asking me “why do it this way and not that?”, or hard questions that will keep me on my toes. BUT, the great catch is: although they ask questions and may sometimes disagree, they must also be students who know when to ask the right questions and can submit to the teacher’s advice.

To my surprise (and delight), Ethan is one such student. My very first student in Melbourne, Amelie, was also such a student. Unfortunately now she’s gone back to Germany.

I thank God for such a privilege to teach music!