Wednesday, January 19, 2011

How to Be a Great Student PART 2

Wednesday musings...

How ironic that I have received emails from enquiring singers for lessons since my last writing - some fabulous and some ridiculous.

So we continue that "quest" of how to be a great student...

A great student is prepared.

What does that mean?

A great student needs to be ready TO WORK, and ready FOR WORK.  Indeed, I believe trust in the relationship of student/teacher needs to be earned on BOTH sides,  the WORK has to come first.

Are you ready to work?  Are you ready to drop the excuses and the ego at the door and walk in able and ready to get to work and discover what you need and claim what you do not yet own?

A great student prepares to simply BE AVAILABLE during that lesson time.

A great student doesn't interrupt.

A great student asks questions but doesn't confront.

Confrontation, interruption and excuses do NOTHING to enable a singer to learn.  The space between teacher and student needs to be earned, respected and trusted.  If it is not,  it simply must be dissolved and each must move on.

A great student asks herself/himself WHY they are there.  And guess what? It's okay to say "I don't know" because that is the first step to finding out!

Often, a student may THINK they know why they want to study, and if they remain open to possibility and truth of the process, come to another realization!

Great students WANT to learn.  They want to experience.  They want to be better than their previous selves.  They are willing to learn to laugh,  They are wanting to take their work seriously.

Great students practice.  Regularly.

Great students do not meet every request with an excuse.

Great students do not suck the life out of the room.

Great students RESPOND and CONTRIBUTE.

Great students WANT TO BE THERE.


Great students bring respect,  give respect, and get respect.

Great students know they are not perfect.  They are constantly seeking,  constantly enquiring, constantly discovering.

They lead with something real,  they do not waste time,  they do not waste energy.

They recognize that the space of teacher/student and how it is developed has something to do with them - and what they bring to the space in order to create an environment of trust and discovery.

They know who they stand in front of and respect that position.

They respect the expertise of said teacher and glean what they can from that expertise.

They make a decision to CONTRIBUTE to the energy of the studio and not negate it.

They listen, question, apply,  discover, ask,  and enquire.

When asked, they clarify and DO.

When tasked, they dig in and FIND.

When challenged, they take a breath and PURSUE.

They do not disrespect time, space or expertise.

They do not dismiss possibility.

Great students are willing to embrace, discover and TRY.

When a a great student meets a great teacher - ANYTHING is possible.

5 comments:

  1. I love "they do not dismiss possibility"......I am very prone to this in many areas of my life......thanks for being you Susan:)

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  2. Clunky writing style. Ever hear of paragraphs?

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  3. it's a blog sweetheart. You don't like it, don't read it. And when you have balls, come back with your real name and we can discuss something that's worthy. This isn't.

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  4. @Anonymous - Paragraphs are inappropriate. This is a LIST. DUH!

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