Answer # 3

For this answer, I was still focusing on what makes a good teacher.

My 3rd answer would be to tailor your approach to suit every individual student, since no single student is the same, and working with them individually will let them get the most out of your lessons.

I began to piece this together from a website that had various teaching methods on it, musiced.about.com. It also said that a teacher should use methods that best suit the current student's needs, to never focus on one method and even develop your own separate method on your own later on.
When I asked my service learning instructor how to make an efficient lesson, he told me that one of the things he did was ask the student what general direction they wanted to head in, in doing so, it kept his students constantly willing to learn new things. This was always different for each student he had.
My 4th interview also said something similar. I asked him whether he individualized a lesson for each student, and he said he had a general introduction when first starting lessons. Then, he gradually moved into what the student was interested in, and began applying what they learned to what the student wanted to do.




Sources:
1. musiced.about.com
2. Cruz Vargas
3. Jason Chavez (Interview 4)

Fourth Interview Questions

1. What is a teacher to you?
2. What makes a good teacher?
3. What do you define music as?
4. When did you first realize you wanted to be a teacher?
5. Why do you teach music? (as opposed to other subjects)
6. How often do you add new things to your teaching methods?
7. Were there any people that influenced the way you teach?
8. Where does professionalism come in as a factor in teaching music?
9. Do you feel there are any misconceptions in being a music teacher?
10. Has becoming a teacher change the way you view music?
11. How do you make sure a student actually learns from your lessons?
12. Are there any goals you still want to reach as a music teacher?
13. Are there any areas to study outside music that can help you improve as a teacher?
14. Does the music you work with have an influence on the things you teach?
15. How hard do you have to discipline a student?
16. How do you deal with a student being confused with your material?
17. Have you ever taught a student to be able to perform effectively?
18. How has your approach to music itself changed over the years?
19. What kind of preparations do you make before each lesson?
20. Do you make a plan for each individual student when you teach them?