Over the course of my high school career, I’ve had the privilege of teaching several young (and old) children the fundamentals and beauty of the violin. What began as a request from a family friends, soon grew to become a side job and a source of great inspiration and knowledge. At a young age, I had enjoyed hosting classes for my stuffed animals, and becoming a teacher had been my dream job, so when the opportunity to work with younger children appeared, I was elated. As time passed, I began to realize not only the joys of teaching, but the often overlooked bond that is formed between student and teacher.

Here is what I’ve learned:

1. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and that’s OK

Everyone gets nervous, makes mistakes and forgets to practice. Life happens, and we just have to go with the flow. One bad lesson, or slip up during a performance won’t make or break you.

2. It’s an honor to work with children

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They’re in their most vulnerable stage, a time in their lives in which they are defining who they are, and who they want to become. As a teacher, you’re not only their instructor, but their mentor and role model. With critical eyes, they watch not only what you do, but who you are. They are allowing you to help shape their own identity, and that’s invaluable.

3. Some days are hard, but the end result is worth it.

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Hounding on practicing, or a specific technique that isn’t working is hard. Trying to keep someone engaged and focused for an hour, when the student is having a bad day is hard. Giving a lesson on 3 hours of sleep and mountains of other problems in the back of your head is hard. But seeing the improvement, and the triumph in your student’s eye when they’ve figured something out, or finished a piece makes you willing to go through all that again.

4. Saying goodbye is difficult.

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Just like saying goodbye to a friend or family is tough, saying goodbye to a student is sad. I have had students come and go, and each goodbye is harder than the last. As you spend more and more time together, you naturally begin to grow more intimate as you begin to understand their personality and disposition. For me, passing down anecdotes and learning about what they did at school, or their friends allowed me to understand the deeper obligations of being a teacher.

I have been lucky to be able to teach violin to a wide range of amazing students, The lessons they have taught me, and the experiences I have garnered are extraordinary and irreplaceable. The fact that I am able to pass down my love for violin and music is humbling, and to list all that I have learned from teaching would be impossible.