1. Notes: 4 / 1 year ago 
   "There are three things to remember when teaching: know your stuff; know whom you are stuffing; and then stuff them elegantly"
   - Lola May
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   • teacher
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2. 2 years ago 

   Teaching: Patience in Teaching

   I want to talk about a basic quality that I think all drum instructors should have. While this is a quality I think everyone should have anyway, it certainly applies to teaching drums, and other instruments in a very practical way. This also applies to teaching styles. Some people are better suited to learn from certain types of instructors,  but everyone who teaches should have certain traits in common, no matter what their teaching style is.

   The quality I’m talking about is patience. All teachers should be patient. It is the most basic skill for anyone trying to disseminate information to anyone else. I have never had a student say to me, “you know man, I really like learning the drums, but I just wish you would be a little less patient with me. I wish you would get frustrated a few times during the lesson. Maybe curse out loud even. Ask me to stop wasting time. That sort of thing. Thanks!”. Get my point? You can be like Bob Ross, or like Jillian Michaels. You can be rough and gruff, or a big teddy bear. Whatever your style, you have to have patience if you want to teach people how to play the drums. It is a requirement. NOT AN OPTION.

   Now, someone reading this may say, “Dude, I had a great instructor growing up who I liked a lot, and they were not very patient with me. They were hard on me, and it really motivated me to get better. All the arguing  and frustration made me the player and teacher I am. Why would I change that?”.

   Let me start by saying, if this is you, you make up a very small percentage of people who had an instructor who was not patient, and actually walked away with a positive experience. I would bet money however, that you also had a bunch of really crappy experiences. You may have even quit the drums a time or two…or ten. Wouldn’t it have been better to have had those same experience or learning an instrument without all the frustration and garbage? Wouldn’t you be an ever BETTER instructor today, who could show even more people how to play, and affect their lives in a positive way?

   “No. Why should I care about whether my students are happy or not with their lessons? As long as I teach them how to play, that’s all that matters.” If this is your response to the above paragraph, STOP TEACHING NOW. Go do something you like. Your students are not the time waster, you are. You are wasting their time by not teaching them. Overall you may be doing more harm than good, and if that is the case you need to take a long, hard look at the way you teach, and work on developing your patience.

   Patience keeps you sane. It keeps you focused. It’s an amazing equalizer, and pretty much everyone who is great…I mean really, really great at teaching percussion is also patient in the lesson room (even if they come unglued outside the lesson room). ;o)

   So think about the ways in which you are patient, and the ways in which you could improve. Remember to breathe and relax while your teaching, and always keep each lesson in perspective, and always, always, ALWAYS keep your student’s wants and needs at heart. They are your student, but as the instructor, it’s not just your job to inspire and motivate, but to help your clients achieve their specific goals, and desires on the instrument. A patient teacher is one with a full roster of happy kids and adults who can’t wait for their lesson day, because it’s the best part of their week. It’s the first, and most important quality in building a set of skills that will make you an EXCELLENT instructor. Not an ok, good, or even great instructor…but an EXCELLENT one.

   Next time, I want to talk about applying this principle to motivating your students to practice. Something we can all relate to. ;o) If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here, or e-mail me at JDemlow@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you about what you think about teaching, and what your experiences are like. Talk to you soon!

I am a professional musician and private instructor working in the Lansing and Metro Detroit areas. I give drum lessons and am always looking for the best ways to enhance my students' experience.

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