by Peter Boonshaft | Mar 11, 2025 | Boonshaft's Blog
I once heard my dear friend and renowned string educator, Bob Phillips, say five words that left me speechless with their simple, yet absolutely undeniable power. He said, “What you permit you promote.” Whether it is a behavior, technique, attitude, or anything else,...
by Peter Boonshaft | Mar 4, 2025 | Boonshaft's Blog
I love quotes. And of all the quotes I have ever read or heard about teaching, these simple, yet profound words of William Butler Yeats always find their way to the top of my list. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” His words...
by Peter Boonshaft | Feb 25, 2025 | Boonshaft's Blog
I believe that students should mark every single breath they will take in every piece they play. I know that sounds crazy and a bit like busywork, but here’s why: To remove the only truly random technical aspect of their performance. Think about it: when do students...
by Peter Boonshaft | Feb 11, 2025 | Boonshaft's Blog
When I started teaching, I realized early on that I was very good at getting kids to break bad habits. Really good! But sadly, things didn’t get better, and often they got worse. And I just couldn’t figure out why. Then it occurred to me. You can’t just break a bad...
by Peter Boonshaft | Feb 4, 2025 | Boonshaft's Blog
Sometimes the effectiveness of our teaching, and of our students’ learning, can rest in our ability to recognize the difference between compliance and understanding. When a student does something, it is often that they simply complied with our directions. They did...