Unconditional Teaching E-Book

Paul Harris

• Herausgeber: Faber Music Limited
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 119

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The full eBook version of Unconditional Teaching in fixed-layout format. Paul Harris's ground-breaking and inspirational new approach encourages teachers to explore and transform how they teach. Paul identifies and reimagines the barriers or 'conditions' that can stand in the way of effective teaching, to allow for the most immersive and positive learning experience. Written in Paul's accessible and engaging style, ideas are tackled from both a practical and psychological perspective, rooted in Paul's renowned Simultaneous Learning methodology. For teachers of all disciplines and learners of all ages, this seminal book will begin your journey towards an unbounded, unconditional way of teaching.

Leseprobe

Paul Harris

A ground-breaking journey towards

a new style of music teaching

Unconditional

Teaching

© 2021 by Faber Music Ltd

First published by Faber Music Ltd

Bloomsbury House, 74–77 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DA

Cover design by Elizabeth Ogden

Page design by Helen Tabor and Sue Clarke

Printed in England by Caligraving Ltd

All rights reserved

ISBN10: 0-571-54217-4

EAN13: 978-0-571-54217-8

To buy Faber Music publications or to find out about the full range of titles available

please contact your local music retailer or Faber Music sales enquiries:

Faber Music Ltd, Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow CM20 2HX

Tel: [phone]

fabermusic.com

Dedicated to all teachers who delight

in teaching with kindness.

Contents

Why I wrote this book and some thanks

5

Foreword

7

1

A moment for reflection

9

2

A few words about some words

10

3

What does it mean to be unconditional?

12

4

What are our own conditions?

15

5

What are lessons for?

21

6

Changing our mindsets

23

7

‘I’ll teach you on the condition that you’re learning’

36

8

Group teaching

43

9

Do learners have conditions?

47

10

Moving forward

52

11

Looking inwards

59

Watch your thoughts, they become your words;

Watch your words, they become your actions;

Watch your actions, they become your habits;

Watch your habits, they become your character;

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

老子

Lao Tzu, Mystic Philosopher of Ancient China

5

The concept of unconditional teaching has been floating around in my mind for

some time. Its first actual outing in public was in a presentation I delivered at

the London Music Education EXPO in early 2020. My wonderful team at Faber

Music (many of whom attended) and one or two other friends encouraged me

to write about the idea in book form – and so here we are now!

I’ve always loved both music and teaching – happily two areas of life that few

could argue are not of considerable consequence. This book is really about my

desire to share these deep enthusiasms and explain the way I think about the

wonderful processes of teaching and learning music. Nothing would give me

greater pleasure than to feel that all teachers and students are also happy, at

ease and taking delight in the process. So I hope you’ll enjoy this journey through

a little self-reflection, possibly resulting in making a number of sometimes

small and maybe sometimes larger adjustments to your approach, in order to

make what we do within this treasured profession even more satisfying.

I couldn’t have done it without the support and significant help of a number

of wonderful friends and fellow musicians and teachers with whom I have

discussed the ideas at some considerable length!

So huge thanks to all of them and especially to Bette Gray Fow, Georgina Lee

and Harriet Wells who have all spent much time perusing and discussing the

text with me in great detail; to Richard Crozier, Simon Dearsley, Pat Hayler,

Brian Ley, Dr Maria Luca, Anna Marshall, Peter Noke, Adam Ockelford, Robert

Tucker and Dr Caroline Tjoa who have all been very generous with their time

and thoughts, and a very special thanks to Emily Bevington, my superb editor at

Faber Music, who has spent many hours with these pages. Many thanks also

to Dr. Maria Luca and Sir Anthony Selden for their kind and generous words.

Why I wrote this book

and some thanks

This wonderfully comprehensive testament to unconditional teaching

informs, invites, stimulates and engages the reader in reflecting on

effective teaching by proposing a humanitarian and interactive style

that moves beyond personal expectations towards a student-centred

approach. Unlike many other books I have read, this is a book with

a heart. If you are thinking of becoming a music teacher, or indeed

you are already in the heart of the profession, this brilliantly written

book, populated with engaging vignettes, invites you to question your

personal values and challenge those rigid obstacles that get in the

way. Beautifully written, spiced up with psychological ideas and richly

illustrated, the book amounts to a concise encyclopedia of developing

a more effective teaching approach. It contains insights and useful

resources tackling fundamental and interesting questions. In fact, it is

an indispensable survival guide for music teachers containing principles

that apply to the teaching of any subject. A gem of a book carried

through with rigour and love.

Maria Luca, PhD

Head of the Regent’s Centre for Relational Studies

and Psychological Well-Being

7

Teaching is one of the most responsible professions on earth. Teachers

mould the lives of their students forever. At best, teachers can help develop

their students’ confidence, help them to think deeply, and encourage them to

make the very most of their innate talents. The profession is understandably,

if excessively, ringfenced with safety procedures which may discourage the

spontaneous, the unusual and the individual. It does not follow, however, that

teaching needs to be bland for fear of causing harm.

Paul Harris’s book is to be greatly welcomed. Teaching is not like being a

doctor, whose task it is to diagnose ailments and then recommend treatments.

The risks of missing a condition, misdiagnosing it, or recommending the wrong

medicine or treatment could be very serious. The medical profession is rightly

hedged by regulations and conditions to help ensure proper procedures are

followed. Teaching, in contrast, has much more in common with being a parent

than a doctor. Mistakes are rarely life-threatening and thus, teachers can be

much more adventurous in their approach, and fuller of joy and spontaneity.

The best teachers in my experience have a deep understanding of the rules but

also an inner freedom and confidence to be themselves. They do not abandon

their personalities in a jar by their front door when they leave for work in the

morning. And their students benefit enormously from being in touch with real

human beings, rather than fraught and suppressed ones who are mouthing

their words in a way that lacks human warmth.

Paul Harris explores the ‘conditions’ that can stymie the free flow of a teacher’s

personality and individuality. He first examines the terminology of ‘unconditional

teaching’ and looks at the purpose of lessons, before reconsidering the

conditions that can define them and offering practical ways of navigating them.

In the final part of the book, he addresses the teaching methods which can

be adopted to achieve unconditional learning, he stimulates self-reflection and

offers encouragement to teachers who want to pursue this approach.

The best books about teaching are those that challenge and provoke the reader

into reflecting on what they are doing and open up new ways of thinking and

being. Forty years ago, when I was studying to be a teacher, I wrote my thesis

about the ‘unreflective practitioner’ – I wish I had access to Paul Harris’s book

at that time. It would’ve made me a much better teacher.

Sir Anthony Seldon

Former Vice-Chancellor of The University of Buckingham,

Educator and Contemporary Historian

Foreword

9

Human minds are filled with a whole host of thoughts, which of course we

acquire and assimilate over time. Some of these thoughts will become the

(often deep rooted) beliefs and values we hold. Subconsciously, some of these

beliefs and values may manifest themselves as conditions that can either help

or hinder our teaching.

Much of this book is concerned with how we consider, manage and become

aware of these particular thoughts. Especially if we find that they do exist as

conditions that may be blocking the flow of effective teaching and learning.

On the other hand, some of the beliefs we may hold can constitute a strong

foundation upon which the very best teaching is built:

•

The belief that

teaching is an important and unique occupation

and the

deeper understanding that just because we can

do

something well (for

example, play the piano), doesn’t mean we can

teach

it well.

•

The belief that

the art and craft of teaching is something worthy of

continual further study

.

Of course, many people do have an instinct that

leads them naturally to good teaching but, through their integrity and

desire to do the very best possible, good teachers are constantly driven

by an aspiration to

think

and

reflect

continually and more deeply

about

their teaching.

•

The belief in

what

we are teaching

, in this case music and, more specifically,

musical performance within a rich environment of real understanding. And

the belief that it can truly contribute to a greater good.

•

Finally, the belief that

all those who we are teaching are worthy of our

teaching

.

If a student turns up for a lesson, then they are worthy to be taught.

If we do satisfy these beliefs (in a sense background requirements or

conditions), we open the way for the most exciting and effective teaching and

learning. We will be able to embark on a journey that will hopefully take us to

a place where our teaching can always flow without interruption, where the

process is always positive and engaging, and to an environment where all our

students are given the very best chance to succeed.

A moment for reflection

1

We can all become exceptional teachers.

And if that

is

our aspiration – and it is one of the greatest aspirations for any

human being – it is helpful if we satisfy certain requirements, or

conditions

.

Hold on!

you might be thinking, that seems ironic for the start of a book

entitled

Unconditional Teaching

…

To make sense of this book, and to avoid any confusion, it is essential that we

agree over the meaning of certain key words that lie at the heart of the concept.

The most important is of course the word

condition

itself. Interestingly, it is a

word with a spectacular number of meanings; here are just a few:

•

The state in which you might find something; the

condition

in which you find

this book, for example, or in broader terms: ‘

What is the condition of our

education system at the moment?’

•

The situation in which we live or work or find ourselves; ‘

My working conditions

are very good,’

or ‘

In these icy conditions you’ll need to dress warmly.’

•

All the factors that affect the way something happens; ‘

Under these conditions

I’m happy to read on,’

or

‘We’ll give you a loan on the condition that you

provide proof of income.’

•

Medical states:

‘Though he suffers from a serious condition, his condition

has improved.’

•

A state of physical fitness:

‘

I’m exercising a lot to get back into condition.’

•

‘For Terms and Conditions tick here’

– in this case we mean the rules which

govern our use of particular services.

•

And there are yet more:

air conditioning

;

hair conditioner

; the list goes on …

For the purposes of this book, the word condition will refer to

requirements

:

1

These are my

conditions

These are my

requirements

meaning

meaning

... and so

I’ll do this on

condition

that

I’ll do this if you meet my

requirements

If my

conditions

(my

requirements

) are met,

then I’m happy and we can move on.

10

A few words about some words

2

1

Which is really its

original meaning,

deriving via the old

French

condicion

from the Latin

condicio

meaning

stipulation. Looking

even further into

the past, both the

words ‘condition’

and ‘teach’ derive

from the same

Indo-European root:

‘deik’ meaning to

show or to point

out. Fascinating!

11

Here are three other connected words that may also need clarification:

•

Expect

or

expectations:

this is what I assume will happen; the word is also

used by some in a stronger, more demanding way: ‘This is what I expect from

you,’ suggesting: ‘This is what I want from you in no uncertain terms.’

•

Intentions

: my aims, goals and objectives.

•

Preferences

: the things I like better.

Spoiler alert

Without entirely giving the game away, we will discover that life is pretty much

dependent upon conditions, we can’t survive without them. So, the fact is, we

can never teach absolutely unconditionally, that is, without any requirements.

Of course, our students may have conditions (requirements) too, which may

play a part in the development of the teacher-student relationship and the

effectiveness and enjoyment of the lessons.

2

However, we will discover that there may be quite a number of these conditions

(which may well be deeply hidden in our subconscious) that might get in the

way and block the flow of effective teaching and learning. The purpose of this

book therefore is to identify and discover to what extent our teaching might be

influenced by those conditions and attempt to find ways of managing, or even

eliminating, them.

2

See Chapter

9 where the

learner’s

conditions are

explored in

more detail.

Being unconditional suggests that we accept the situation in which we find

ourselves and work within it as positively and effectively as possible.

So, should teaching be unconditional? Don’t we in fact

need

conditions?

Wouldn’t life become unmanageable without them?

Why we

do

need conditions

In many aspects of life conditions are essential, and they come in many shapes

and sizes.

They may come in the form of

barriers

or boundaries for purposes of protection

and to ensure safety. For example:

Or,

‘We can have a lesson in this room provided there is nothing in it that will

cause physical harm.’

What does it mean to be

unconditional?

3

3

Musically

speaking, singing a

lullaby, for example,

is unconditional:

no one minds

(or checks) if the

mother is in tune,

or singing quite the

right rhythm, yet the

effect is universal:

the child settles

down to sleep.

‘You can come

into our zoo on the

condition that you

don’t try to jump into

the enclosure with

the animals.’

12

The sun is

unconditional

Doctors are

called to be

unconditional

in the care

they give

A parent’s

love for their

new baby is

unconditional

3

13

Many

laws

and regulations are, in a sense, simply conditions designed to