Must-read for all private teachers
I had a chance to read an advance copy of the book from Eloise. I cannot recommend it highly enough and I wish I had been able to read it 12 years ago when I first started my violin teaching studio. It would have saved me immeasurable frustration and helped focus my own expectations, as well as those of my students. Really, it's two books in one:
1) Practical and wise advice gained over decades of private teaching; a guide to enjoying successful private teaching as a nearly spiritual pursuit.
2) Interviews with great violinists and musicians, that rivals "Violin Mastery," by Martens in its candor and depth.
As a successful and full-time private teacher, I've admired Eloise's blog (www.violinteachersblog.com) for some time. Her writing is always very thoughtful and well-reasoned. For the most part, all of us teachers want to find joy in our interactions, spur creative thought, and motivate our students. Teachers as a whole are at least starting to move past the era of strict authoritarian-style teaching. What good does it do to crush a student's spirit, have them enter the studio in fear, or leave in tears? What good does it do to only teach those students we deem "talented?" For teachers: there's a pathway towards finding joy and discipline in lessons without pulling your hair out, becoming an alcoholic, or losing sleep. There's a pathway to finding joy in music with casual students and serious students alike. Eloise makes it her goal in the work to show the way forward. The book should be required reading for every music student at college, and every private teacher, especially those that started teaching accidently, or for the extra income, rather than as a calling. The private teacher and student relationship is often a challenging one to navigate. When should we drop a student? When should we apply pressure or just exercise patience? Private teaching is a long-term commitment, and the perspective of Eloise's many decades of teaching is invaluable. I'm sure that all of my violin students will take joy in
reading the interviews, especially the interview with Chloe Trevor, who is a fantastic role model for young students.
