Pedagogy- What is important to you?

Pedagogy- What is important to you?

My students and I have been discussing and educating ourselves about pedagogy. I  started by asking them to write about what they felt was important about pedagogy and what they felt was their flute pedagogy...  So I  thought it would be good to do the same.. So here are some of my ideas about pedagogy and what is important to me. It is something that is always alive, dynamic, in continual motion...  Love to hear some of your thoughts too..~ Jennifer 

• To teach all students in a positive, informative, open, creative and artistic way as individuals with the potential for growth, for creating beautiful music, and for personal success.
• To teach with a balance of fundamental educational structure, organization and artistic creativity and freedom that is tailored to meet the needs of each student.
• To encourage questions, creative thinking, emotional connection to music, holistic observation and artistic listening skills and to foster an open environment to explore the teacher and the students ideas.
• To teach the student as a whole person in a professional, kind and interactive way.
• To trust and believe in yourself and in your students. 
• To be a fine teacher and student and know that we continually learn and grows as individuals and from each other. That feedback is an important part of the process.
• To develop the students sense and trust in their natural musical instincts, non habitual - free movement and unique voice on their instrument.
• To inspire through my passion for music, teaching, playing, performing, listening and the care of each student. 
• To be able to explain and teach an idea in a variety of ways via: knowledge, metaphor, imagination, creativity, language, movement and through the highest possible demonstration on my instrument.
• To realize that it is important to be authentic in one’s communication as a teacher. To also consider that what you do not say, is as important as what you do say. 
• To teach the art of listening and constantly question what that is and how do we open, expand and refine it. 
• To teach about practice in a way that encourages home play/practice: freedom and structure, thought and curiosity, detail, depth and delight and to use modern technology in useful and creative ways for each students enjoyment and progress.
• To give students opportunities to play/share/perform their music for a variety of audiences.
• To teach about the unity of practice and performance. To give students many ways to explore their response to performing and develop ways to gain performance confidence.
• To share with my students the beauty, power and importance of music and the arts in education,in the individual and in the world as a teacher, student, performer and music lover.
• To know that it is all a process ... that is dynamic and in a continual state of vitality, of living... learning, growing and educating yourself and the student... together. That there is no end and that there is always enough time - a lifetime.