In one of my grad school classes we are discussing the materials to compile for the hiring process and for our own professional development, such as the professional (and the working) portfolio. I liken the portfolio to the senior project
of a music performance degree candidate. Each have both visible components and active components. The written composition (lesson plans, etc)
can be performed by another, but the individual performance of the material is
also a basis for assessment. If even a highly-skilled individual chooses a format or material that is inappropriate for their unique
situation (personal strengths, student needs, specific concepts, their instrument) their
“performance” may be sour. Likewise, even the best-laid lesson plans or an idiot-proof piece of music in the wrong hands can be ruined.
There is no one-size-fits-all style of teaching. That is why "style" is such an appropriate word for what we do. We must constantly reassess and refine our style as we progress, mature, and get different students with evolving needs so that we do not become teachers that just go through the motions because we already know how to play the notes. To lose our passion and our own desire to learn, to refine teaching methods, to better understand student needs, and to build up others in the profession would be to lose the magic behind the music. Teaching is more than mastering content and methods, just as much as music is more than notes on a page.
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