One sure way to learn about yourself is to teach others. Piano teaching offers you the chance to change the lives of others while possibly changing your own life. Here are some of the things I learned about myself through piano teaching: 

Piano teaching taught me how patient I truly am.

Until I started teaching, I thought I was extremely impatient. And in many ways, I still am. I don’t like to wait for things. When I have an idea, I want that idea implemented immediately, whether its for a new business or a new way to organize the kitchen cupboards.

But when I started teaching, I found an ability inside myself that I never knew I had: patience with my students. When I am with my students, I miraculously have the ability to work with each student on their own level and abilities. I am able to wait for the student to discover an answer, rather than quickly giving them their own answers.

I discovered that where my impatience lies is with myself and those I love. Realizing that has given me chance to change that about myself. 

Piano teaching taught me about my own musical faults.

They say that if you want to know what your own faults are, look at your children, and there your answer will be. Well, if you want to know where your own faults are musically, look at your students.

For example, if you have always learned better by ear and struggled with note reading, your natural teaching style will be to teach by ear, leaving note reading as second priority. Most of your students will share your musical faults, unless you are conscious about it and work unbelievably hard to counteract it. 

Piano teaching taught me how to focus on someone else 100%

Few times in life do we have the chance to get uninterrupted, one-on-one time with someone else. Piano lessons provides the opportunity for students to get this much needed individual attention. Many children don’t even receive as much one-on-one time from their own parents. With the amazing gift of individual attention you are able to give to each of your students comes a sacrifice: you have to give 100% of your attention to your students, fully focused, thinking only of them and not of yourself.

Phew! That’s a tall order! You can show your students that you are 100% focused on them in simple ways. For example, allowing the phone to go to voicemail during your lesson shows them that they are more important than a phone call.

The value and importance of individual attention is something I never considered before I started teaching. Luckily for me, I was a fast learner. I gradually learned that I could transfer this concept to real life. The ability to focus on others makes you a good friend, student, teacher, spouse and parent. 

Piano teaching taught me that we teach as we have been taught

Mimicking our teachers can be positive or negative. And its not just our school teachers who have taught us—our parents are our most influential teachers.

I realized this at the age of 17 when I caught myself saying my mother’s famous words, “Because I said so” to my eight-year-old student who had just asked me why she had to do theory each week. Of course, I’ve come up with a few of my own sayings since then, which I’m sure my own children will one day recite to others.

Just as with parenting, a smart teacher will expand on the good they have been taught and remember the not-so-good in order to not repeat it.

Piano teaching has taught me many more personal and professional lessons throughout the years. I can see the positive impacts it has had on my life. My wish is that you will experience the life changes that go along with piano teaching.

Tags: Piano Teaching