3. On Showing the Door

The job of a teacher, I believe, is to convince students to find a door, enter it, and experience the way—their way. The teacher knows it’s worth finding the door and points to where it is.

As a violin teacher, I usually have about three months to convince students that entering the door is actually worth it. I call this period the Initial Wave of Enthusiasm, because after about three months, they learn the truth: learning requires effort. Learning the violin is school, not a hobby. Netflix is a hobby.

Why embrace a hard hobby when you could Netflix? I like this answer: because any kind of serious training resembles life, and developing skills arms you to be better at living it.

Some will say: But life is difficult already. Here’s my answer: learning a skill and making it your hobby is far healthier than consuming crap. If you’re having a rough time, by all means, go rest. Don’t take violin lessons. Don’t learn anything. I’m not promoting cold showers or dumb asceticism. I believe discipline gives back. More importantly, I’m saying that you have a choice to make—let me explain.

I used to believe that the teacher’s job was to inspire students. I don’t anymore. Here, inspiration is often used as a synonym for motivation, and I’ve learned that motivation is not really the teacher’s job; it’s the student’s. As a teacher, I’m here for those who want something—anything—but you’ve got to want at least one thing from me, and I have to be able to give it to you. Motivation cannot be forced because it is intrinsic. Students must want to want.

I show the door. I guide those who wish to be guided and invite the hesitant to taste what is possible. I refuse to overgive where there is no receptivity. Teaching, then, is not about giving equally to all. It is the art of discernment: challenging the motivated, sparking curiosity in the ambivalent, and respecting the boundaries of the unwilling.

My mission is to prove that active creation is worthier than consuming crap. That all you need to bring is a bit of willingness, so a teacher can guide you somewhere worth your time. And that by going through that door, you’ll likely learn far more than the price of admission.