Music for life base your teaching on relationships.

The foundation of teaching should be close relationships. The better you know your students, the more inspired you will be to give them your all, and the better teacher you can be as you discover how they learn best, what inspires them and what upsets them. Students who feel understood and supported are more open to new things and to criticism. Kids need to be able to confide in a trusted adult outside the family--someone they can learn from and depend on, and you will enjoy getting to know your students.

Take time from every lesson to talk. Some teachers may believe this is a waste of time, but it will pay off in the end with students who are more committed to you and their music. Be genuinely interested in what they're doing--even if it's that dreaded soccer that eats up their practice time. Students may think they just come to learn about their instruments, but they will also learn about such life skills as setting goals, handling disappointments, perseverance after failure and keeping commitments. The skills they learn from these talks and their music will serve them the rest of their lives.

You should get to know parents, too. Parents can provide insight into their children, and parental involvement almost always boosts student achievement. Even disruptive parents can be "tamed." Starting lessons is hard for children, and parents can support them and you. When parents see what a good teacher you are, they will do everything to encourage their children to practice and keep taking lessons. Invite parents to lessons and recitals, chat with them at performances, hold music social events where they can be included and communicate regularly through a monthly letter or e-mails. You're missing a valuable resource if you don't use parents as part of your team.

To create mutual trust, let your students know you, too. Be a real person. Laugh at your own mistakes, relate anecdotes about your life and recall your struggles learning music so your students will see you not as just a teacher, but as a mentor and friend whom they will work hard to please.

Deepen your student-teacher partnership by making students feel important and appreciated. Take time during every lesson to compliment, even if it is about the cool book bag or the cute hair clip. Every compliment is like money in the bank that can be withdrawn when the student faces a problem or criticism. When students do something especially well, give them a huge compliment. Write little notes in their manuscript book, compliment them in front of other people or let them overhear your praise. Run out to the car after a lesson to say to parents, "He deserves an ice-cream cone on the way home!"

Enjoy Your Role as a Teacher

Being a music teacher isn't just a profession, it is a passion. (You know we're not in it for the money!) Have fun at the lessons and show your ...