{"id":4785,"date":"2017-09-03T00:36:03","date_gmt":"2017-09-03T04:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/?p=4785"},"modified":"2023-01-25T13:28:47","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T18:28:47","slug":"motivating-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/motivating-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Motivating Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

To me, music is the absolute best thing in the world. I\u2019ve been a music educator for over a decade now, and I\u2019ve made the point to share this opinion with the hundreds of students I\u2019ve taught over the years. Motivating students, especially ones struggling to master basic technique on their instrument, can be a monumentally challenging task.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Any line of work that involves working with many different people comes with a certain amount of unpredictability brought on by the fact that no two human beings are the same. Every student you interact with comes equipped with their own special strengths and challenges. This means that rigidity is not your friend as an educator. If you want to motivate students, you\u2019ll need to learn what they value and tailor your lessons accordingly. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The importance of communication<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"motivatingDesigning lessons based off of your student\u2019s likes and dislikes isn\u2019t enough to motivate them. Actual learning can\u2019t happen between educator and student without a strong line of communication. Every student is a wildly different human being, so how a student communicates is going to shift depending on the person\u2019s personality and background. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When I started teaching, I noticed a lot students would respond with saying things like \u201cyeah\u201d and \u201cuh huh\u201d when I would ask if they understood the things I was trying to teach. I\u2019d say things like, \u201cSo Jimmy, do you feel like you have a pretty good idea of how to understand the circle of 5ths?\u201d, and I would get an unenthusiastic head nod in response. It took me a long time to realize that head nods and uh huhs weren\u2019t strong signs of communication from my students. Students can\u2019t be motivated if they don\u2019t understand or value what you\u2019re trying to show them.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now, I try asking students different sorts of questions to open up the lines of communication. The sorts of questions I ask change depending on the type of human being I\u2019m trying to teach. All this means that I have to take the time to get to know who my students are.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Empathy as a teaching tool for motivation<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

This might sound strange, but empathy is a powerful tool that educators can use to teach and be motivating\u00a0students. Empathy is simply the act of putting yourself in someone else\u2019s shoes. Choosing to empathetically view your student might be the key to motivating them. Empathy asks us to consider what another person is feeling and why. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is especially applicable for younger students. As adults, we\u2019re often decades removed from what it feels like to be a child. Children deal with a myriad of challenges that adults can\u2019t understand unless they make a point of practicing empathy. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re having a difficult time motivating a 12-year old guitar student who has been taking lessons with you for six months. Rather than going through the motions and silently resenting your student\u2019s lack of interest in their instrument, try thinking about them empathetically. Once you put yourself in your student\u2019s shoes, ask yourself questions that can help identify what\u2019s really behind their lack of motivation. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maybe your student is coping with her parents\u2019 difficult divorce. Or it could be that you\u2019ve based your lessons around music theory and reading and all your student wants to do is learn how to play heavy metal. Empathy turns educators into investigators that look for clues to help them become better motivators. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ideas for motivation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Even the best students struggle with motivation from time to time. If you\u2019ve been teaching a student for a couple of years, you might have experienced someone hitting a ceiling of sorts as far as interest and motivation goes. Over the months and years, patterns and routines in lessons are developed that can sometimes thwart and hinder growth and development. For teachers who want to avoid this problem, it\u2019s essential that they frequently change things up in their lessons. Adding new ideas, exercises and music into the lesson every months can ward off apathy by keeping your students challenged and engaged.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"music<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This means that you will have to expose yourself to new ideas and challenges yourself as an instructor. There\u2019s nothing more damaging for a student\u2019s motivation and interest than an unmotivated teacher. Break up your routines. Do something new in your lesson that gets your student thinking differently about their instrument. Even doing something as simple as changing the order of what you do in your lesson can have a positive impact on things. Maybe this week you skip the warmup with your vocal student and talk about song lyrics instead. There\u2019s no one way to effectively motivate students, but apathy is your enemy, so make an effort to constantly be doing something new and fresh. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The most important thing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"music
Photo credit: Circlephoto \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most important thing about music lessons is, well, the music itself. I know that sounds so obvious, but it\u2019s an easy thing to forget when you get caught in the routine of teaching student after student year after year. Motivating students is sometimes as simple as playing them a piece of music they\u2019ve never heard before. Music is quite possibly the world\u2019s most beloved and influential art forms. There\u2019s songs and compositions about death, falling in love, going to war and the contemplation of what it means to exist in the universe. If your lessons aren\u2019t revolved around the powerful ideas of music being accessible, important and meaningful, it will be a miserable time for you and everyone you teach. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As a music educator, it\u2019s your job to preach the power of music. Music is for literally for everyone. Anyone can listen to, play and understand it if they want to. This all should be in the forefront of your mind when you engage with your students. Your lessons won\u2019t be boring if you can effectively communicate the idea that music is a tool of empowerment for people of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There is no one of motivating students, but hopefully these ideas will help you see you and everyone you teach in a new light. For more helpful articles about the world of music, check out the Musika Lessons blog. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To me, music is the absolute best thing in the world. I\u2019ve been a music educator for over a decade […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,335,3],"tags":[154,212,210,110,313],"yoast_head":"\nMotivating Students<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Being a music teacher is a demanding profession, but it's important to make sure your students are learning. 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