“Man can learn nothing except by going from the known to the unknown.”
Claude Bernard
Learning requires moving into the great unknown. It might be scary at times, but without making the risk we don’t have much to gain.
What’s an example of a time when YOU’ve made a move into the unknown?
Published by Joy Morin
Joy Morin, MM, is a teacher, pianist, composer, speaker, and writer of a blog at ColorInMyPiano.com. A devoted teacher and lifelong learner, she teaches students of all ages at her independent piano studio near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Joy is a frequent attendee and presenter at conferences and workshops, and enjoys connecting with fellow piano teachers through her blog and beyond.
View all posts by Joy Morin
4 thoughts on “Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom”
I do this every time I teach. You proceed from what a student knows and connect it to the next piece of information. It’s my teaching motto.
Yes! An important part of being a teacher is being aware of what the student doesn’t yet know and how to build on their previous experience. I love that this is part of your teaching motto, Marie!
I am going to start teaching a 5 year old who was born deaf but at 12 month got cochlear implants. I have been teaching for 40 years but this is something I haven’t encountered yet (the unknown). Her mom says she hears at a normal level but hears differently than we do. I am excited to teach her as her mom says she is excited to learn. But if anyone has experience with this I would welcome hearing about what you “know” that may be a help as I work with this new student. Thanks!
Hi Annette! Good for you for taking a step into the possible unknown! 🙂 I don’t have any personal experience to share, but I think in this case I would probably keep my approach as I would any student, while being in lookout for any signs of her possibly not getting something due to hearing things differently. In other words, I would assume competency unless there are signs indicating otherwise. The other thing I would definitely do is consult one of the many piano teacher groups on Facebook to see if there is any advice or shared experience on the topic there!
Every student brings their own challenges! Stepping into the unknown keeps life interesting and fun, doesn’t it?! 🙂
I do this every time I teach. You proceed from what a student knows and connect it to the next piece of information. It’s my teaching motto.
Yes! An important part of being a teacher is being aware of what the student doesn’t yet know and how to build on their previous experience. I love that this is part of your teaching motto, Marie!
I am going to start teaching a 5 year old who was born deaf but at 12 month got cochlear implants. I have been teaching for 40 years but this is something I haven’t encountered yet (the unknown). Her mom says she hears at a normal level but hears differently than we do. I am excited to teach her as her mom says she is excited to learn. But if anyone has experience with this I would welcome hearing about what you “know” that may be a help as I work with this new student. Thanks!
Hi Annette! Good for you for taking a step into the possible unknown! 🙂 I don’t have any personal experience to share, but I think in this case I would probably keep my approach as I would any student, while being in lookout for any signs of her possibly not getting something due to hearing things differently. In other words, I would assume competency unless there are signs indicating otherwise. The other thing I would definitely do is consult one of the many piano teacher groups on Facebook to see if there is any advice or shared experience on the topic there!
Every student brings their own challenges! Stepping into the unknown keeps life interesting and fun, doesn’t it?! 🙂