I believe that educational institutions have one primary purpose: to help students grow personally through the instruction of course content. In terms of personal growth, I am referring to my belief that schools should instil confidence within their students. A child that only understands a textbook will not be successful in all aspects of life. For example, a soloist may know how to play at a professional level because of a university course they took — but if they are too scared to play in front of an audience, they will not thrive as a professional musician; in fact, they will fail miserably. Therefore, teachers must treat the retention of course material and the personal growth of their students as two interdependent ideas. This ideology contrasts most classroom environments that grossly prioritize course content over real-life skills. This model may be challenging to execute in a classroom setting as educators will ask: how does one achieve such a balance between these ideas?
In my opinion, the answer lies in building meaningful relationships with one's students; an organic connection between the two parties, where students view the teacher as a helpful mentor rather than a soulless grader — a teacher who focuses on continual improvement of their students through concentrated feedback, rather than using their level of academic achievement as a hallmark of their success. Educators can achieve this through constructive language — that is — speech that does not give students sugar-coated advice that distracts them from the purpose of feedback: to help them elevate their performance.
For instance, if my student, Nancy, plays a piece so badly that there are no positive attributes to her performance, I would say: "more musicality in your playing is needed; a more robust tone, more dynamic contrast, and a more secure rhythmic pulse is what you need to develop. Given how hard you work, I know you can achieve this goal." Note that I instilled confidence in her by encouraging her to refine her technique — I did not give her undeserved praise to create a false sense of achievement. Through this conversation, Nancy objectively understands what was incorrect about her playing. This experience also bolsters her confidence.
Furthermore, I believe that music courses provide students with skills that may extend beyond the music classroom. The process of playing a piece with other musicians is similar to collaborating with one's coworkers in the workplace; a music ensemble decides on how to perform a composition (e.g., the group decides to play a passage staccato instead of staccatissimo). Even if students do not realize it, they are developing skills applicable to whatever career path they choose.
For this reason, I believe educators must take advantage of these crucial learning opportunities in their lesson plan — they should be seeking ways to instruct course material in a manner that promotes the acquisition of these skills. One example of this is the circle-based classroom used by my professor in my class. The hallmark of this style is that the instructor and students sit in a circle. As everyone can see one another, this departs from the typical static lecture style that often fails to engage students. This organizational structure allows for a more open dialogue between students and their peers, allowing them to develop their communication and collaboration skills — essential skills for the workplace. Ultimately, educators must teach the curriculum in a fashion that enables students to comprehend a given subject while building these vital interpersonal skills.