This interview was conducted with piano teacher Sylvia Chin, who has experience with all kinds of students.

How do you, as a teacher, bring out the best in a child?
The first and most important thing is to understand the character of the student, and another thing to determine is whether the student is hyper active, normal, or hypo active. The second thing is to determine their interest in the subject that they have enrolled themselves into. This is then further divided into two categories of being academic or pure casual interest. From then on, we try as a teacher to match our teaching methods to their needs.

How do you encourage them?
Encouragement basically comes from understanding their interest. No doubt the academic qualifications may be important, to garner the interest of a student you must allow the flexibility to infuse a certain level of activity which may or may not aggravate their spirit into learning and improving themselves.

How do you recognize a student with potential?
Potential is something which is very subjective, whereby it becomes the responsibility of the teacher to read if it is purely natural talent and interest, or infused interest. Some students may have the inclination to have to be pushed to an arena whereby they may then realize their potential skill sets. However, I must add that sometimes, this will be very much dependent upon the parents to support and encourage them.

What advice do you have for us?
Sometimes, it is never just about the results in exams, but to play from your heart and enjoy the process of learning the beauty of music in its purest form. Practice is the road to perfection, but interest is the lead to success.