I first started to learn to play the piano at the age of
about 5, having shown an 'inclination' at a very young age. (I used to clamber
on to the piano stool and bash at the keys, but hey, parents will cling to
anything!) My first teacher had been my Dad's. This was unfortunate, because by
the time he started teaching me, he was, well, old. He would regularly fall
asleep during my lessons and whilst I tried to wake him up by playing more
loudly, it didn't always work.
I soon gave up my lessons
altogether.
A
few years later however, I decided to try again. I found a teacher I loved - a
teeny weeny lady, who reminded me of
Mrs
Pepperpot; though her name was Miss Wall. (She'd retained her
'professional' maiden name, which was slightly confusing, because her married
name was Mrs Hall.) An elderly lady, with a baby grand that took up her entire
back room, Miss Wall made learning fun. She encouraged me to learn to play
pieces I enjoyed, and she didn't restrict me solely to the classical stuff. I
may not have always perfected the disciplines of rhythm, or the technicalities
of scales and arpeggios, which remained a chore, but under her guidance I came
to understand phrasing, the emotion, and sheer poetry of music, and I sailed
through my first few grades with great marks. It was only when she too retired,
for health reasons, and my lessons were taken up by teachers at secondary
school, that my progress stalled again. I did manage eventually to just about
scrape my Grade 7, but there was little joy involved in that. My memories of
that latter period of learning are of trying to 'wing it' when I'd not done any
practice and bitterly resenting the teacher who was always telling me off or
showing me 'how it should be done' loudly, and with obvious frustration. Those
latter lessons were all so different from the days when I'd wanted to impress
Miss Wall each week and had thrived on her praise.
Reflecting on these experiences helps me to remember the type
of trainer I strive to be. We can all be that person who gives information,
tells their 'students' 'this is how you must do it' and drills them with
practice until they can replicate us; or we can choose to be a Miss
Wall.
A Miss Wall is the type of trainer who encourages you to
challenge yourself, to make mistakes and fall over, and who reinforces every
step of progress with praise. A Miss Wall is the trainer who builds your
self-esteem and self-belief by showing a belief in your abilities, rather than
theirs. Above all, a Miss Wall is the sort of trainer who thinks learning
should be fun and exciting; something you enjoy and look forward to, and
something that is driven by your desire to learn, rather than their desire to
'tell'.
If you too strive to be a Miss (or Mr) Wall of
learning, then our
Training
Activities are the tool for you. They will help
you become an inspirational leader of learning, rather than a dry source of
knowledge and information.