Supporting Educators • Promoting Learning
Written by ANDREW EALES
“It’s hard for us to understand that we can be compassionate and accepting while we hold people accountable for their behaviours. We can, and, in fact, it’s the best way to do it…
We can confront someone about their behaviour, fire someone, or fail a student, or discipline a child without berating them or putting them down. The key is to separate people from their behaviours – to address what they’re doing, not who they are.”
Brené Brown, Ph.D, LMSW
The Gifts of Imperfection (Hazelden Publishing, 2010)
Online forums see daily requests for advice and support from teachers who are struggling with tricky pupil and parent relationships.
For piano teachers, the problem often seems to stem from a lack of agreed boundaries around issues such as prompt fee payment, lesson attendance, punctuality, respectful behaviour and effective, regular practice.
How do we balance on the one hand enforcing contractual obligations and appropriate behavioural expectations and, on the other hand, offering compassionate support, putting musical learning needs first, and positively enthusing our pupils?
I would suggest that the only effective balance here is to give 100% to both.
Continue reading Compassionate Boundaries