Students Who Need to Be “Allowed to Make Mistakes”

The only true passion is trial and error

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As a flute teacher, I often witness a common phenomenon — students are afraid to try, unwilling to make mistakes, and always expect a “correct answer.”

China’s exam-oriented education system is fundamentally a standardized response system that trains students to look for the one ‘right’ answer rather than fostering independent thinking and exploration. In such an environment, children lack the motivation to actively develop their learning abilities and gradually lose the courage to make mistakes. It’s crucial for parents and educators to understand the value of independent thinking in music education and their role in fostering it.

A seemingly small example perfectly illustrates this issue.

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When students don’t dare to try, They only learn answers

In flute playing, TR~ is the notation for a long trill. Almost every student asks me:

“Teacher, how should I play this note?”