{"id":197727,"date":"2021-07-30T06:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/?p=197727"},"modified":"2025-03-10T07:35:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T14:35:53","slug":"guitar-lessons-teacher-fails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/guitar-lessons-teacher-fails\/","title":{"rendered":"On Teachers and Lessons (2\/3) &#8211; 8 Ways a Guitar Teacher May Fail You (Signs of Bad Teaching)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Studying guitar with a teacher can be a life-enhancing experience. \u00a0A teacher can guide learning so that music unfolds with grace in surprising ways. But not all teaching is created equal. \u00a0Teaching is a skill. \u00a0Like music in general, it is learned and developed through practice and study. Below you\u2019ll find ways that teachers can miss the mark or fail in their duties to you as a student. \u00a0Most teachers have failed in the following ways at least once in their careers. \u00a0Ideally, they learn and grow from the experiences. If you keep these in mind, you can recognize where your instruction may not be optimal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is part two in a 3-part series on teachers and lessons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/guitar-lessons-benefits\/\">Part 1: Benefits of a Good Guitar Teacher<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/guitar-lessons-student-tips\">Part 3: How to Get the Most From Lessons with Any Teacher<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n<p class=\"centerc\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gWgCQQoiDbI?rel=0&amp;modestbranding=1\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #1: Lack of Knowledge<\/h2>\r\n<p>A teacher may not know the subject matter. \u00a0For example, classical guitar is a specialized study. \u00a0A teacher may not have the background to teach this well. A teacher may be very accomplished in one area (jazz, rock, etc.), but completely ignorant of another. \u00a0They may not know the best repertoire or studies, the techniques, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/mistakes\/\">the common challenges<\/a>. When choosing a teacher, make sure he\/she has specialized knowledge in the area you want to study.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #2: Lack of Teaching Experience\/Expertise<\/h2>\r\n<p>As said above, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/teach-yourself-learn-classical-guitar\/\">teaching is a skill<\/a>. \u00a0If the teacher has not built this skill, the lessons will suffer. The teacher may be just beginning in their teaching career. \u00a0They may have not yet learned the many skills involved. They may be a stellar player. \u00a0But playing well does not mean that they can teach well. \u00a0The skills are separate and learned in different contexts. The teacher may have the best of intentions. \u00a0 But they lack the teaching experience to offer a quality learning environment.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #3: Lack of Preparation<\/h2>\r\n<p>Perhaps the most common failing, a teacher can fail to prepare for the lesson. \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/5ingredients\/\">An ideal lesson is planned in advance<\/a>. \u00a0It exists within the context of a larger timeframe, such as a quarter or semester. When the teacher does not prepare, they then have to come up with something on the spot. \u00a0This may conflict with previous lessons. \u00a0Or it may derail a trajectory set in motion earlier. This can be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/frustrated-with-guitar\/\">confusing and demotivating<\/a> for the student.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #4: Poor Repertoire Choice<\/h2>\r\n<p>One of the teacher\u2019s biggest responsibilities is to choose music. They need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/classical-guitar-repertoire-program\/\">choose the appropriate music<\/a> for the student. \u00a0They need to present pieces and studies at the right time. \u00a0If a teacher gets this wrong, it can be disastrous for the student. Poor music choices can make daily practice difficult for the student. \u00a0It may be too challenging, too easy (boring), or even distasteful. \u00a0This can lower motivation and create tension in the learning process. Teachers learn through experience and study of pedagogy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/choose-new-music\/\">what music is available<\/a>. \u00a0They learn the pros and cons, applications, and benefits. \u00a0If they have not done this work, they may miss the mark.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #5: Easily Distracted<\/h2>\r\n<p>In the interplay of a lesson, some teachers may become distracted and go on tangents. \u00a0This wastes time and can leave a student baffled. Teachers are more likely to become distracted if they also fail in other ways listed on this page. \u00a0And likewise, if they succeed in the ways listed, they may be less likely to become distracted. Either way, a teacher should have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/positive-agenda\/\">positive agenda for each lesson<\/a>. \u00a0And when the agenda is unearthed willy-nilly, the lesson may not be as effective as it could be.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #6: Lack of Progressive Plan<\/h2>\r\n<p>Ideally, a teacher has a long-term plan for your education. \u00a0The small points, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/guitar-finger-exercises\/\">specific exercises<\/a> or pieces, may shift along the way. \u00a0But there should be a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/constant-improvement\/\">deliberate trajectory<\/a>, with goals and benchmarks. When this is lacking, it can be more difficult to know if we\u2019re succeeding or not. One lesson should tie to the next and vice versa. \u00a0Over the course of a semester, season, or year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/practice-vs-playing\/\">there should be a clear progression<\/a>. \u00a0Skills are built upon. \u00a0Pieces grow one from the next. \u00a0Technique improves and musical understanding expands.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #7: Lack of Lesson Structure<\/h2>\r\n<p>With limited time in a single lesson, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/split-practices\/\">it matters how we use the time<\/a>. \u00a0The best teachers divide the available time between the different areas of study. Time is dedicated to technique, pieces, and more. \u00a0Specific goals are set for the upcoming week. \u00a0And the goals from the last week are confirmed met. A predictable lesson structure can help the student feel secure and well-cared-for. \u00a0Both student and teacher feel confident that the lessons are progressing as planned. Note: In lessons with advanced students, lesson structure may be less prevalent. \u00a0For example, with an advanced student, it\u2019s not uncommon to spend an entire lesson on one piece of music.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Teacher Failing #8: Not Teaching You Specifically How to Practice<\/h2>\r\n<p>Perhaps the most important lessons a teacher can offer are on how to practice. \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/clean-guitar-polish-reverse-engineer\/\">Solving problems is a big part of ongoing musical study<\/a>. \u00a0And for a student to enjoy a lifelong musical pursuit, he or she needs to know how to practice. Some teachers only tell the student what to practice. \u00a0The best teachers show the student precisely how to practice. \u00a0They point out what to look for. \u00a0They explain how to improve through measured challenges. \u00a0They offer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Learn-Music-in-7-Steps-ClassicalGuitarshed.pdf\">methods, formulas, and recipes for productive practice<\/a>. The student develops a set of practice skills they can use in future practice sessions. The best teachers strive to become obsolete. \u00a0They teach the student how to practice. The student is then able to continue learning on his own, without a teacher.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">To Err is Human<\/h2>\r\n<p>Even the best teachers may not completely ace all the above all the time. \u00a0But a good teacher will avoid these most of the time. Most of the above speak to the habits and outlook of the teacher. \u00a0And these are often evident early on. However, even the best teachers can be derailed by certain student behaviors. \u00a0A student needs to let the teacher guide the lesson and structure and time. And there are other ways that you can get the most from <a href=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/online-guitar-teachers\/\">lessons with a teacher<\/a>. \u00a0In the next installment of this series, you\u2019ll find ways to ensure successful lessons. \u00a0You can help a teacher become\u00a0better at teaching you. \u00a0And you can progress more quickly as a result.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Studying guitar with a teacher can be a life-enhancing experience. \u00a0A teacher can guide learning so that music unfolds with grace in surprising ways. But not all teaching is created equal. \u00a0Teaching is a skill. \u00a0Like music in general, it is learned and developed through practice and study. Below you\u2019ll find ways that teachers can miss the mark or fail &#8230; <\/p>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/guitar-lessons-teacher-fails\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":197665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,434],"tags":[363,60],"class_list":["post-197727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-main-content-parent","tag-general-guitar","tag-learning-music"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Bad Teaching: How Teachers Miss the Mark in Private Lessons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Private lessons with a teacher can be great, or they can be frustrating. 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