The relationship between instructor and learner is one that is extremely important to both parties. Learning from a book can be possible, but nothing equals the kind of help that a knowledgeable expert can provide. There is a great difference between a good teacher and a talented person, however. Just because, for example, a telluride ski instructor is in fact an excellent skier, does not for certain mean they’ll be capable of giving quality telluride ski lessons. Someone who really knows what they’re doing as both a skier and as an instructor, though, can be an incredibly effective teacher and nurture talent to an amazing degree.

Three things rely on how well this relationship will go. One is the mindset and skill of the student. This includes not only the talent they were born with and their level of knowledge up to that time, but also their humbleness and desire to lie at the feet of their teacher. Many teachers, while good, may at first gives lessons that the student believes are too difficult, not needed, or not even related to the apparent avenue of instruction. The Karate Kid gives a good example of this, while the character of the student is instructor to clean the car, “Wax on, wax off”, he sees himself as merely fulfilling the mundane tasks of the old master. It is only after a few days that the student realizes he has been instructed in how to block and move his arms in a fight.

Of course this is a major simplification of the actual realities of learning from a teacher, but the essential message is true. A student should be willing to accept a teachers lessons even though, at the moment, they may not see how what they are learning would have any advantage. There is a requirement to be humble, a need to acknowledge that one does not know anything, before real learning can take place.

The second aspect of the effectiveness of a teacher/student relationship is the teacher. Some teachers just rely on a system with which to teach their students. While this might sometimes be effective, it has to be kept in mind that individual students are different and will have different needs in order to be taught most effectively. Simply taking lessons straight from a book will mean students do not get the type of education that would best suit them, and this will ultimately be damaging in the long run.

The final aspect is the actual way the two individuals interact with each other. A perfect teacher and perfect student will not necessarily gel very well. It has to be kept in mind that many situations are often troubled, especially in a relationship such as this one, and sometimes it will simply not work out, while no one is really at fault.

Overall, it’s down to both student and teacher to see what they can gain from each other, and how they can best accommodate the other so that each can have the best experience possible.