The relationship between instructor and learner is one that is extremely vital to both parties. Learning from a book can be possible, but nothing matches 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 instance, a telluride ski instructor is themselves an excellent skier, does not for certain mean they’ll be able to give quality telluride ski lessons. Someone who absolutely knows what they’re doing both as a skier and as an instructor, though, can be an incredibly effective teacher and nurture skill to an amazing degree.
Three things depend on how well this relationship will go. One is the temperament and skill of the student. This involves not only the skill they were born with and their level of knowledge up to that point, but also their humbleness and desire to lie at the feet of their instructor. Many teachers, while great, 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 that character of the student is instructor to clean the car, “Wax on, wax off”, he views himself as merely fulfilling the chores of the old master. It is only after a few days that the boy realizes he has been instructed in how to block and move his arms in a fight.
Of course this is a gross simplification of the actual realities of learning from a teacher, but the essential message is true. A student must be willing to accept a teachers instructions even though, at the time, they may not see how what they are being given would have any benefit. There is a need to be humble, a need to acknowledge that one does not know anything, before real learning can take place.
The next aspect of the effectiveness of a teacher/student relationship is the instructor. Some teachers simply rely on a system with which to teach their students. While this can sometimes be effective, it needs to be kept in mind that individual students are different and will have different needs in order to be instructed most effectively. Simply taking lessons straight from a book will ensure students do not get the type of education that would best suit them, and this will inevitably be damaging in the long run.
The last aspect is the actual way the two people interact with one another. A perfect teacher and perfect student will not always gel very well. It needs to be kept in mind that many situations are often difficult, especially in a relationship such as this one, and sometimes things will simply not work out, although no one is really at fault.
Overall, it’s down to both student and instructor to see what they can gain from each other, and how they can best assist the other so that each can gain the best experience possible.