When faced with a music teacher you have initially chosen for you or for your children, here are some pointers to gauge their capacity. Some teachers allow you to sit in on their class and this is the perfect time to observe their techniques.
Is the teacher enthusiastic? Does the teacher motivate using stickers and prizes or, even better, by praising the nice thing about the music itself? Does the teacher demonstrate to the student how to practice? After watching the teacher in the studio, ask some questions:
What is the teacher's educational background and training? Is the teacher licensed to teach?
Where does the teacher perform? Good musicians and role models will perform and likewise teach. They will be involved in directing or attending workshops and other activities sponsored by professional organizations.
What sort of students does the teacher have? Does he or she work with novices and young children or just advanced students?
What kinds of goals does the teacher create for students? Good teachers would have both short-term and long-term goals.
What type of performance opportunities does the teacher offer for her students?
How many students does the teacher have? Does he or she teach all of these students in person?
Does the teacher use a single method entirely? Teachers may favor one method over another, but they tailor fit instruction to the student.
Does the teacher give the students chances to play with others? Some instruments, like the piano, can be isolating.
Generally speaking, it is much easier to overcome performance anxiety if one performs often. Not all "performances" have to be recitals. Playing at family parties or at nursing homes can be considered performing experience.
Good music teachers must be good communicators. If they have problems talking with parents, they will not do any better with students.
If a teacher appears more focused about enforcing rules than about determining the skill of the student, find another teacher. Some of this attitude can be learned by asking about practicing. Good teachers are more interested about effective practice than they are about the exact number of minutes spent during practice.
If the student has studied music before, the teacher would want to hear the student play to check where they should begin. A good teacher, however, won't criticize a previous teacher or that teacher's methods.
Teachers who are more concerned in telling you about their professional achievements than they are in learning about a prospective student may be a better bet as a performer than as a teacher. If your child is the prospective student, he or she must come with you to meet the teacher. Throughout this interview, a good teacher will talk with your child more than with you.
