I notice the power of compliments. As teachers, my default is to point out what the student can improve on. That’s just my job right?! However, what I’ve found is that if I’m doing so much constructive feedback without complimenting, the student may just think they are doing a poor job at singing or playing the piano which decreases their motivation to keep practicing. So I’ve now make it to point out what they are doing right or have made improvements on before giving any pointers. This has done wonders. My students feel more motivated to take in the constructive feedback because their efforts and progress are being acknowledged which fuels their desire to want to learn. This creates a positive feedback loop. So if you want to see your student continually improve, make sure you give a lot of positive affirmations on what they are doing right!
