Sticks is in the process of applying for the Richard Carpenter Performing Arts Scholarship. If he were to win it, he could use the money to help with college, help pay for lessons that he’s paying for himself right now, or anything else that would advance his musical education, like jazz workshops and the like. It’s a terrific opportunity.

He’s required to submit a written application which includes 4 essays covering topics such as what he plans to use the scholarship for, what he has given to the community through his talent, how he sees his talent being used in the future, and a description of his particular talent. He also needs to submit a 3-minute performance DVD.

If the screening committee chooses him as a finalist he’ll compete for the top prize at a talent contest in September. The awards are substantial ($5,000), so it’s a big deal.

The essays aren’t a problem, but the performance DVD has given all of us a bit of angst. After all, he’s a drummer. 3-minute drum solos aren’t usually the stuff that talent screeners/judges particularly enjoy. In fact 3-minute drum solos aren’t necessarily the stuff that the general public consumes readily, so the discussion has centered around how best to present his drumming talent without turning the judges off. We have no idea who the screeners are or whether they have any clue as to what makes a good/bad/mediocre/great drummer. We know Richard Carpenter has a clue but we don’t know if he’s one of the screeners.

Since June, Sticks has been studying with a terrific new teacher, having been sent on by his former wonderful teacher to the next level. During the last brainstorm session with Bigdog we suggested that Sticks brainstorm this performance DVD with his teacher.

The result was awesome. Sticks makes audio tapes of all of his drum lessons so he can bring it home and review them later, practicing the material that he learns in each lesson. He let me listen to the session last week where they brainstormed the three-minute DVD to get my feedback about what I thought were the best licks they worked on.

I was knocked out by the entire tape. From the first mention of the DVD, his teacher grabbed the ball and ran with it. They spent the entire hour (actually a bit longer than an hour!) working on different approaches, tempo changes, style changes, things to watch for, ways to keep it interesting and the result was just awesome. Sticks came home with a ton of ideas, but one of the main lessons he learned was to let his creativity come through and not overthink what he’s doing. All weekend long I’ve heard the most awesome improvised 3-minute segments he’s ever played.

This got me to thinking about great teachers. I’ve had two great teachers in my life. Sticks and Dancergirl have a terrific dance teacher and both of Sticks’ drum teachers have been amazing, wonderful influences. Sticks’ chemistry teacher last year was also a great teacher, as were his math and biology teachers. So much negative stuff is written about teachers (especially when parents are dealing with back-to-school and homework and adjusting back into routines) that I decided to write a post about what I think makes a teacher great.

My great teachers were Warren Johnson, my English teacher in my senior year (who I hated at the time but came to love and respect by the end of the year), and Bill Tanner, my 9th grade history teacher who later became my guidance counselor in high school. Both of them saw something in me I didn’t see myself and got me to work harder and better than I ever had before.

All of these teachers had some common characteristics which combined into what I would consider to be the characteristics of great teachers.

1. They approach each student with a caring attitude
2. They inspire through their passion for what they are teaching
3. They’re honest with parents and students
4. They encourage lofty goals.
5. They hold students to a higher standard than the minimum or the average and make them accountable for the stewardship of their individual gifts and talents
6. They find opportunities for teachable moments in times where students misbehave.
7. They value excellence and celebrate their students’ accomplishments alongside them.
8. They reward students with their attention rather than punishing them with it.
9. They aren’t afraid to teach in unconventional and creative ways.
10. They wholeheartedly believe in their students’ capacity to succeed.

What do you think makes a great teacher?

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