Music Teacher Comfort Zone Dilemma
I must admit - I’m someone who appreciates a certain amount of comfort and stability in my teaching. I like knowing what time my students are having lessons. How many weeks I’ll be teaching. When the concerts will be held. I settle into my comfort zone because these things give me confidence and make certain that my teaching is manageable and productive.
At the same time, I’m also aware the more time I spend in my comfort zone, it becomes increasingly likely that I’ll be unable to get out of my comfort zone. And that’s not something I want to sign up for.
Why is it important to get out of my comfort zone? Let me tell you about Ethan - one of my first students who was instrumental in getting me out of my comfort zone. You see, Ethan's musical curiosity and interests (Sean Mendez and Ruth B) seemed light years away from my own musical expertise. Before meeting Ethan, I don’t think I can say I’d ever even heard of Sean Mendez and Ruth B. How could I help him? What would work?
To my surprise and relief, it didn’t take long to find out that Sean Mendez and Ruth B repertoire needed the same kind of musical attention I was accustomed to working with. Tone production. Breathing. Shaping phrases. Paying attention to the pulse. I wasn’t stepping into some kind of great unknown. Sean Mendez and Ruth B were a continuation of what I already knew.
Now many years later - What’s my takeaway from all this?
That leaving our comfort zone isn’t something music teachers do to become more adventurous. We do it because curiosity and continued learning are part of what our students bring to their lessons. Our students arrive at music lessons with interests that music teachers could never find on our own. They are our own best model of curiosity and continued learning. They are our reasons for getting out of our comfort zone.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying music teachers shouldn’t have a comfort zone. Because I think we need one. Our experience, routines, and accumulated knowledge give us a foundation from which we can teach with confidence. That’s a good thing.
The question is whether we are willing to step beyond that foundation—to follow a student’s curiosity, explore something unfamiliar, and see where it takes us. We may discover, as I did with Ethan, that what initially feels unfamiliar isn’t nearly as unfamiliar as we imagined. And sometimes, what we learn along the way becomes something new we can bring to the students who follow.
So, as we begin another year of teaching, it’s worth asking ourselves:
What’s something I’ve learned through my students?
Where have I allowed my students’ curiosity to influence my teaching?
Is there something I’ve been avoiding simply because it feels unfamiliar?
And in the interest of paying attention to our comfort zone - Which student or students might need me to step just a little beyond my comfort zone this year? What’s one small step I could take?
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