Ask the Teacher - Marina Robinson

How do you approach student development?

It’s important to work with people’s strengths, celebrating problems as opportunities for learning. When students learn productively and efficiently, good things can happen, so that’s my focus – for everyone from my four- or five-year-old beginners to my undergraduate and masters students.

What do you do to encourage efficient learning?

I discuss strategies with my students to help them structure their practice efficiently: we look at what works, where to start and finish, how to put a piece or exercise together and break it down, and we identify the hardest and easiest bits. Productive learning is about owning what you do, so I work hard to help my students take charge of their own development.