The role of the Suzuki student is challenging because more often than not the student does not realize he even has a role. Children, especially young children, are aware that they have private lessons and that they must practice. Anything beyond that is not part of how they think.
Whether or not a child is aware of his role, he does have one. It is the job of the student to work with the parent and the teacher. A good but extreme example is if the teacher helps the child to play a note. The child is shown where a finger must be placed and how to pull the bow across the string. The child can be shown but eventually he just has to do it. It is not the job of the parent or the teacher to pull the bow across the string for the child. The student must be willing to contribute to this learning process.
As I said, this is an extreme example and the student's contributions to the lesson environment or highly dependent on age. A four-year-old does not have the same set of expectations as an eight-year-old. The point being that the student understand that there are expectations.
Expectations are not the same thing as frustrations. All students become frustrated with their studies. It is a natural part of the learning process. Therefore it is crucial for a student to understand that he is expected to keep up with his musical studies no matter what. The moment that belief is questioned, the parent, teacher, student triangle breaks down.
Whether or not a child is aware of his role, he does have one. It is the job of the student to work with the parent and the teacher. A good but extreme example is if the teacher helps the child to play a note. The child is shown where a finger must be placed and how to pull the bow across the string. The child can be shown but eventually he just has to do it. It is not the job of the parent or the teacher to pull the bow across the string for the child. The student must be willing to contribute to this learning process.
As I said, this is an extreme example and the student's contributions to the lesson environment or highly dependent on age. A four-year-old does not have the same set of expectations as an eight-year-old. The point being that the student understand that there are expectations.
Expectations are not the same thing as frustrations. All students become frustrated with their studies. It is a natural part of the learning process. Therefore it is crucial for a student to understand that he is expected to keep up with his musical studies no matter what. The moment that belief is questioned, the parent, teacher, student triangle breaks down.
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