I deeply believe in the power of curiosity and discovery in learning. As a teacher, I avoid telling students what to do, but instead, guide and challenge them to find out why and how. When addressing a musical challenge, I encourage students to consider all the possibilities they can think of and discover the best solution for them. In my experience, students will learn more effectively when they learn from hands-on experience with the guidance of their teacher.

From a teacher’s perspective, I must assess how each student is unique in their own way of understanding concepts, feeling music, and learning modalities. Depending on each student’s ability, I evaluate their individual progress by assessing if they are able to follow the practice recommendations weekly and if progress is being made. If a student is falling short, I would first discuss that week’s practice, including time, frequency, and methods, then reassess if the repertoire or the goal needs to be modified.

I teach students with the hope that I am not only sharing music, but also other topics that will have positive impacts on their lives. I am confident that the students who learn to be curious and to be their own teacher will pass along this idea of learning to the next generation. As an educator, I challenge myself to continuously step out of my comfort zone to explore more possibilities in education. In this ever-changing society, to constantly learn and evolve is the key to being an excellent teacher.