I remember my teacher saying to me quite early on in my studies, that her job was not to tell me what to do, but to teach me how to teach myself.
I think we all have that goal in our teaching, but like many things, this is often easier said than done. I mean, how exactly do we teach someone how to teach themself?
In a 2011 study, researchers recruited six music teachers and 45 students, and evaluated a teaching method that does exactly this. They were curious to see if it would lead to better learning and performance results than the "regular" teaching approach.
Spoiler alert: it did.
Click below for all the nerdy details:
A Teaching Method That Creates Smarter Practicers
References
Bathgate, M., Sims‐Knight, J., & Schunn, C. (2011). Thoughts on Thinking: Engaging novice music students in metacognition. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26(3), 403–409. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1842
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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?
If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.
It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.
Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa