The relationship between instructor and student is one that is extremely vital to both parties. Learning on your own can be possible, but nothing equals the kind of help that an experienced expert can provide. There is a large difference between a good teacher and a talented person, however. Just because, for instance, a telluride ski instructor is in fact an excellent skier, does not for certain mean they’ll be capable of giving quality telluride ski lessons. Someone who really knows what they’re doing as both a skier and as an instructor, however, can be an incredibly helpful teacher and nurture skill to an amazing degree.

Three things rely on how well this relationship will go. One is the mindset and skill of the student. This includes not only the skill they were born with and their level of knowledge up to that time, but also their humbleness and desire to lie at the feet of their teacher. Many teachers, while great, may at first provide lessons that the student believes are too difficult, not appropriate, or not even related to the seeming avenue of instruction. The Karate Kid provides a good example of this, while the character of the student is instructor to clean the car, “Wax on, wax off”, he sees himself as merely fulfilling the chores of the old master. It is only after a few days that the student realizes he has been instructed in how to block and move his arms in a fight.

Of course this is a major simplification of the actual realities of learning from a teacher, but the essential fact is true. A student should be willing to accept a teachers lessons even though, at the moment, they may not see how what they are learning would have any benefit. There is a need to be humble, a need to accept that one does not know anything, before real learning can take place.

The second aspect of the effectiveness of a teacher/student relationship is the teacher. Some teachers simply rely on a system with which to train their students. While this might sometimes be effective, it needs to be kept in mind that individual students are different and will have different needs in order to be taught most effectively. Simply taking lessons straight from a book will ensure students do not get the kind of education that would best suit them, and this will ultimately be damaging in the long run.

The last aspect is the actual way the two individuals interact with one another. A perfect teacher and ideal student will not always gel very well. It needs to be kept in mind that social situations are often difficult, especially in a relationship like this one, and sometimes things will simply not work out, although no one is really at fault.

Overall, it’s up to both student and teacher to see what they can learn from each other, and how they can best assist the other so that each can have the best experience possible.