From seeing how a child plays the piano in the first lesson, I could more or less tell how much stress he/she has endured in his/her past learning path. From the stiffness of shoulders, to the tight fingers, and ingrained repeated errors in tempo or fingering. So I always take some time in the next lesson to resolve the tension, and after then the child will experience exponential progress, as issues that have blocked their development were cleared away.
We all know that a little bit of pressure is good for learning, but how much is too much? There are both sides to the argument that stress is helpful or harmful for learning, so by saying stress free learning I do not mean the absence of stress which is indeed the literal meaning at first glance, but it actually means promoting a safe environment for effective learning. As we automatically switch on our 'fight or flight' response in view of potential dangers, we need to clear away stress that could be regarded as a threat for some people.
So what does a stress free learning environment entail? I think they should include the following elements:
- Feeling of safety
- Appropriate level of competency
- Encouragement
- Balance of relaxed and intense focus
- Minimisation of noise
And with a tiny (!) dose of fun, learning could be effective and enjoyable!
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