Coaching and Teaching are Humbling. Perhaps we can learn from what not do due while watching Basketball

First of all, I'm not here to talk bad about Basketball, yet while watching a Celtics and Lakers game, I was not amused by the Lakers'"behaviors" of disrespecting the referees. Several of the giantic players we "approaching the referees", tattling on the Celtics. Now when I was watching, they were down by a lot of point and they were "heated". The referees were "taking the heated discussions" by being respectful, while the players were "fighting" those in charge, acting a bit like babies, toddlers, children, as the Lakers were not getting their way. I didn't watch much more as the focus wasn't on the players who were playing the Basketball game. The camera was showing the "drama" from the players causing issues.

This made me think about coaching and teaching and the importance of being humble. Western Civilization hears the word meek and humble and they "fight, despise" the term. They think we're being a doormat for others to walk all over us. Yet being humble is being centered, not beating yourself up about all the mistakes we make or the extreme of being so arrogant, being a diva.

When working with students I've realized that I don't know everything about voice, piano and acting lessons. I mean I don't know every genre, new music, plays, monologues. My YouTube videos are not perfect, yet I strive to give my best. If I don't write something down, I'll forget it and tell my students I'm sorry that I didn't work on their new song, yet I will go ahead and give my best at that moment with them. I've said this before, "If I say I know everything, stop taking lessons from me". I'm always learning. That's being humble to me, admitting my mistakes and not acting like I know everything.

I'm not criticizing the Lakers or Celtics, yet being humble and not producing drama off stage is the best option in life. Don't just give the other team the ball, defend and play well. Whether were on the court, on stage, in a classroom, in a board/staff meeting, we need to be humble. What truly matters is what we do off the court, that's what people need to see all of us doing well: serving and help the community and world we live in. Perhaps you're reading this blog and thinking, Andrew get off your "soapbox", you don't know what you're talking about. You are not in the lives of celebrity sports figures. You don't know the pressure they deal with. That's true, yet we all deal with pressure and how we respond, which I'm not the best at almost all the time.

Teaching and coaching isn't about fighting or power. I've had students who want to fight me about my education, experience, what they learned on Google that they believe is right. I've had students who refuse to participate in studio events or sing, play piano duets/trios/quartets or actors who think the play is "beneath them", while working with other students in a group setting, no matter how hard I try to explain the benefits, they want to fight. I've even misunderstood a student, telling them to leave the lesson, because I think they're fighting me. Thankful the parent is in the room to defuse the situation. I'm not perfect, yet I'm striving to listen to understand.

Again, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to the Lakers, yet we need to be humble, although not acting up when we fall down or thinking we're the center of the universe. Every one of us matters in the world. Just be humble.

I hope I made this and I'm not trying to be disrespectful to teams, coaches, cities, colleges, and universities. What are you continually learning as a teacher, human? I would love to know. Thanks for your support. Blessings.