James Zingara - President, Higher Education Division Things That I Have Learned
During the course of my seventeen years in Higher Education, I feel that I have learned a few foundational educational tenets that I
like to review before every new school year and to also share with my graduating students. I see them collectively as a touchstone to stay grounded and stay on track within the bigger educational picture. As our summer break grows near, I would like to also share these with you in the hopes that some of these ideas may help you, and conversely, that you may share some of yours with me at some point in the future.
Know your stuff. As mainly an applied teacher, I try to make sure that I can find time to teach fundamentals as well as musicality. We often forget to find a balance and may look past a problem area, especially in rhythmic acuity. If we are teaching in a secondary area, preparation time is essential. Nothing gives you more confidence in a studio or classroom than knowing your subject matter.
Be there. By the very nature of the job, we have to be away quite a bit for performances and conferences. Make sure that you are current in all make-ups. Nothing is more discouraging to studio morale than a consistently empty office. The same is true with communication; if you are on the road, quick communication can keep students engaged in your absence.
Never take students for granted. If you are asking for something over and above the academic standard, always offer something in return. Buy them pizza or take them to lunch; offer them a break from the routine. A simple gesture of appreciation can go a long way with students in your studio, ensemble or classroom.
Lead by example. Don’t ask students to do anything that you are unwilling to do. I make it a point to not sit in my office while there is work to be done. To me, good leadership entails the ability to pitch in and get your hands dirty.
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Raise the bar slowly. When coming in to a new situation, give students goals high enough to succeed and increase the standard slowly over time. We need to not punish them for inexperience, but to provide them with a ladder of success that rewards effort and achievement.
No politics. No religion. Students need to come to these opinions on their own; in my opinion, I should stay neutral and leave these subjects to others. This helps make the studio or classroom a “safe” non-judgement zone where only the work at hand matters. I want the student-teacher relationship to be built on the work that is endemic to the course rather than a on set of beliefs that have little to do with the subject matter. All students need to feel that they are included.
Be prepared! Students can smell lack of confidence and preparation; we can’t expect them to display good works habits when they do not see a quality work ethic in us.
Don’t Lie! If you don’t know something, admit it…you’ll score lots of points if you follow up the next day. Again, students have an uncanny ability to detect sincerity, so pretending to have knowledge that you do not possess can undermine loyalty and effort.
Do not blame your students for your own errors! This includes picking music that is too difficult, having unreasonable expectations and asking for information or techniques that were not properly prepared through instruction. Take the blame and move on; if this isn’t a recurring theme, most students will understand and continue to contribute.
Don’t gossip! Do not ever talk about a student to other students or colleagues in a negative way concerning his/her looks, personality or beliefs. Only address those behavioral issues that are relevant to the class. Students need to feel that they are being evaluated only on effort and results.
Do not glorify yourself ! One of the true attractions to these jobs is the hero worship that students will give to you. It is an easy trap
to fall into…do not glorify your performance/teaching past or your standing in the musical community. This hero worship can lead to fear of the outside world and can trap the student in staying many more years at your school or in the surrounding community than is needed. The student will eventually see and appreciate your place within the career field. Let your teaching and performing do the talking for you.
Tell the truth! Again, don’t try to attract hero worship by using superlatives about yourself, the student or the quality of the group on a daily basis. It will hurt them in the long run if they find out they weren’t “the best” at a later date.
Update and keep your syllabus strong. Having a legal course of policy trumps arguments and confrontations every time; especially at the end of the semester.
Bring great soloists, ensembles and speakers to your school. There is no substitute for hearing great players, pedagogues and thinkers in person. These experiences will help enormously towards sparking the students’ curiosity to seek knowledge and broaden their experiences from outside the university walls.
Do the Right Thing. Always ask yourself the question: “What is the best thing for the student?” At times, this may bring us at odds with colleagues or administrators, but I believe that the student’s musical health and academic well-being is central to our purpose and needs to be at the forefront of our daily efforts.
We tend to get caught up in the multitude of highs and lows that occur daily in our teaching, performance and other creative activity. Staying grounded in these guidelines help enable me to stay the course during the rough seas of a busy school year. Hopefully we are all in the part of the year where those seas are calming and I would like to wish you an enjoyable and restful summer break!
May/June 2015
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