Having Courage

So often in learning situations, we may find ourselves with self-doubt. We ask ourselves, "can I do this?" and we are not confident. I find that at the Suzuki School of Newton we often are aware of our students going out of their comfort zone. In other words, children, too, must venture into the unknown with courage.

For me, I have often defined courage as acting boldly in the presence of fear. That is, courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to still move forward while being fearful.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” --Winston Churchill

As we seek to support our students, parents are our present to provide encouragement and support. One of the biggest elements of this support comes from "trust". Children trust their parents, and so when they believe that a new skill can be learned, children make the effort and rely upon that belief. As Suzuki teachers, we build a relationship with the student that also relies on trust. We guide the student through small steps but also in discovering themselves the way to correct playing. We ask of the parents to trust in the teacher as the expert in this process. Our Suzuki pedagogy is so strongly built on long-term learning, that having courage and trust takes so much patience! Do parents fear that maybe their student will not learn the notes on their own or develop the more complicated skills? I think we all experience a sense of fear, and so we may not always be patient to see the process through.

Working at the Suzuki School of Newton, I am so often reminded of this strong relationship of trust. I see it through the eyes of the children and through the parents and also through the eyes of the teachers who share trust with their colleagues. You are all courageous individuals and some more innately than others. Being observant and sensing when a student or when we ourselves need to be courageous and trusting is a challenge! As a colleague shared with me just this week, our allowing our students to learn at their own pace allows them to discover their own abilities. It will last much longer than a student being given the quick solution directly from the parents. It is hard to have this courage and patience, but in the long run, it is how we build true confidence in our students' to actually believe in themselves.

Sachiko