CHOOSING A TEACHER

Pause for a moment and think about the things you already know.

There is often much in our life experience that we fail to categorise as useful when in fact it is a rich source of information and knowledge.

If you have decided to look for an acting teacher, you already know many useful things.

• You know that you need to learn.
• You probably have a fairly clear idea of what it is you want to learn.
• You know how much time and money you have available to spend on the learning process.
• You know a lot about the circumstances under which you learn best.

Stop and think again.

How many teachers have you experienced in your life?

If you have completed your secondary schooling you have probably been taught by more than 50 teachers.

How many of that 50 were really good teachers? In my case I can count them on the fingers of one hand.

This in itself is very useful information. It tells us that good teachers are hard to find. And it clearly identifies that we can tell the difference between good teaching and bad teaching.

We can even make our own list of the qualities that made them good teachers.

In my case the list would include that the teacher,

• Has a passion for their chosen subject
• Wants to share that passion
• Enjoys sharing the passion
• Is able to relate the specific issues of the subject to a broader world that I too can understand
• Understands that not being in possession of knowledge can be a powerless and intimidating position
• Understands that different students have different ways of learning
• As the most experienced and knowledgeable person on the topic, takes responsibility for any failure of the teaching process

Your list is probably completely different from mine but of course it’s the best list because it’s based on your needs.

So if you are looking for a teacher.

Ask your friends.

Ask other actors.

Talk to the teachers and ask them the questions.

But in the end make up your own mind.

Keep in mind that tennis players for example may have different teachers for different skill areas.

You can do that to.

So, good luck.

Keep asking. Keep listening. Keep assessing. And keep learning.

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