Things were going great….until they weren’t.  My students were doing all the things I asked of them….until they weren’t.  It was an important lesson I needed to learn.  As musicians we spend years learning how to listen to what the music says and yet we don’t listen to the things our students are saying to us.  Perhaps not in words, but through their actions.

My good friend James would tell you that the greatest impetus for action is needs, and in order to know one’s needs, you must have some rapport or relationship with them.  It turns out, I was listening to MY needs, and not the needs of my students. This was the beginning of my work with building a student leadership group.  When I learned to meld my needs as an educator with their needs as students, my job became appreciably easier.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to listen to what your students are telling you.  Oh, I don’t mean to suggest that you should give them everything they want, but when you are responsive to their needs, they become more responsive to yours.  Learning to listen to my students was only the first part of my lesson.  The second part was learning to adapt.  Just sayin’!

Make Today a Magnificent Day!

Gary L Rupert

Culture Strategist/Mentor

II:Leaders Creating:II Leaders

LCL Mentors @ Marching Arts Education