Your teacher will let you down.

Your teacher is human and they get tired, frustrated. Sometimes they’ll say the wrong thing or handle a situation poorly. When you see it for the first time, it can be almost shocking. And that moment can turn you off to them, the school, and the art.

But your teacher isn’t supposed to be above that. They make mistakes once in a while because they’re human, not because they changed.

So the problem isn’t the teacher. It’s the expectation. You want someone that never messes up. Maybe that’s because they didn’t for the first several months you were there. So the first time it happens, it bothers you. And if you think about it too much, you’re going to forget all the positives.

Don’t put your teacher on a pedestal. And don’t get upset if they step off it.

I’m saying this as someone on the other side of it. I teach. I care. And I get things wrong. I’ve handled some moments poorly. I’ve been tired and short-tempered.

Sometimes, you look for a reason to quit. But being disappointed once or twice by your teacher isn’t it.