In this episode, Neil Cameron tackles the topic of perfectionism and its impact on students. Neil shares his own perspective on embracing imperfection and highlights the fear that many students have of being anything less than perfect. He emphasises the importance of playfulness as a superpower for teachers, explaining how it can help students overcome their fear of imperfection and create a more enjoyable learning experience. Encouraging tutors, teachers, and coaches to have fun with their subjects, be silly, and not take themselves too seriously, as this can help students feel more at ease and open to learning. By fostering a playful environment, Neil believes that both teachers and students can thrive and experience the joy of learning.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Perfectionism is a common struggle for students, causing them to fear being imperfect and preventing them from trying new things.
• The norm of learning less and less is becoming prevalent due to the fear of imperfection and the overwhelming prospect of beginning something new.
• Playfulness is a powerful tool for teachers to help students overcome perfectionism and fear of imperfection.
• By being silly, playful, and having fun with subjects, teachers can create a lighter atmosphere for students and encourage them to be more open and less critical of themselves.
• When both the teacher and the student are having fun during lessons, learning becomes more enjoyable and effective, leading to peak moments of flow and better overall outcomes.

BEST MOMENTS
"I'm totally well adjusted to being imperfect, to being gloriously bad at stuff to begin with and progressively less bad over time."
"Even Japanese kids are lousy at speaking Japanese to begin with, aren't they? Doesn't stop them trying though."
"And here's the paradox as far as I see it. We've all learned this perfectionism paradigm, but we weren't perfect at perfectionism to begin with."
"Because if you take that deal, it's pretty much guaranteeing failure to even start. Because the prospect of beginning the new thing and being imperfect at it, well actually being bloody awful at it to begin with, overwhelms most people to the point that they don't even try."
"And that's why fewer and fewer people are trying new things. And the norm now seems to be to learn less and less."

VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.Neilcowmeadow.com

CONTACT DETAILS
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ABOUT THE HOST
Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS!