You have the right to not remain silent

When you are in a lesson or coaching, and have a question, ask it! Never be afraid to try to improve your understanding. Even the most articulate, thorough, well-spoken, right-as-rain teacher will say things that are not easy to understand at first. Sometimes that amazing teacher will make a mistake. The more you probe and explore the process in which you are working, the sooner you will understand whether a lesson is valid for you, and if so, how to make it your own.

Don’t nod at everything the teacher says, regardless. The speed with which you learn is not a measurement of anything. If you need a restatement, a repetition, or simply disagree, politely ask for what you need in order to proceed. Complex problems sometimes require complex solutions, other times simple ones. You can’t know in advance which is which and they can morph into each other. One of my favorite teachers, David Christopher, said in my lessons “Singing is easy once you know how!” How true. But getting, there, ay!

You, as student or coachee, are exactly half, no more no less, of a process. Claim it, and work it thoroughly.