EPISODE · Jul 4, 2021 · 9 MIN
Play Pretend
from The Tutor Podcast · host Neil Cowmeadow
Discover today a simple yet effective tutoring tool that is really important in ensuring your students are comfortable, relaxed and successful in their field, whatever it is you teach, this technique will help you. Neil discusses how ‘playing pretend’ can encourage your students to relax, how eliminating their fears of failure can help with their confidence and why imagination can become reality. KEY TAKEAWAYS A simple yet effective way of helping to teach your students is by playing ‘play pretend’. It gets the need to be right out of the way, along with their ego and allows students to go inside themselves to find the answer. If a student does not know what they are doing, simply ask them to pretend that they are able to. It does not matter how good or bad they are since they are only pretending. They always pretend to be better than they consciously play, the fear of failure or embarrassment is gone and they can access their resources much better. This strategy works with students of all ages who have been convinced they have “no talent”, no sense of rhythm, no musical ability. These are all the other limiting beliefs they were handed down from well-meaning people who didn’t realise the damage inflicted by a flippant remark or judgemental comment. As a tutor of anything, be it math, music, science, languages etc, this is one teaching tool that is really important to the success of your students. If a student can’t get to what they need via conscious pathway, they can usually imagine a better way. BEST MOMENTS “the fear of failure or embarrassment is gone and they can access their resources much better.” “perhaps pretend that their fingers were made of mist or smoke” “This works great for them.” “This is one teaching tool you really don’t want to leave home without.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Listen to The Tutor Podcast on the Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tutor-podcast/id1369191372)! Build Your Online Course Week 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-your-online-course/id1369191372?i=1000477109724 Course Planning Week 2: Who Am I?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-your-online-course/id1369191372?i=1000477109724 Who are They? (Know Your Punters): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/who-are-they-know-your-punters/id1369191372?i=1000478984529 Read the Weird Things Guitarists Do book by Neil Cowmeadow, which is available now on Amazon. Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weird-Things-Guitarists-Do-Misconceptions/dp/1519026579/ Contact Neil via this website - com! ABOUT THE HOST Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! CONTACT METHOD [email protected]
What this episode covers
Discover today a simple yet effective tutoring tool that is really important in ensuring your students are comfortable, relaxed and successful in their field, whatever it is you teach, this technique will help you. Neil discusses how ‘playing pretend’ can encourage your students to relax, how eliminating their fears of failure can help with their confidence and why imagination can become reality. KEY TAKEAWAYS A simple yet effective way of helping to teach your students is by playing ‘play pretend’. It gets the need to be right out of the way, along with their ego and allows students to go inside themselves to find the answer. If a student does not know what they are doing, simply ask them to pretend that they are able to. It does not matter how good or bad they are since they are only pretending. They always pretend to be better than they consciously play, the fear of failure or embarrassment is gone and they can access their resources much better. This strategy works with students of all ages who have been convinced they have “no talent”, no sense of rhythm, no musical ability. These are all the other limiting beliefs they were handed down from well-meaning people who didn’t realise the damage inflicted by a flippant remark or judgemental comment. As a tutor of anything, be it math, music, science, languages etc, this is one teaching tool that is really important to the success of your students. If a student can’t get to what they need via conscious pathway, they can usually imagine a better way. BEST MOMENTS “the fear of failure or embarrassment is gone and they can access their resources much better.” “perhaps pretend that their fingers were made of mist or smoke” “This works great for them.” “This is one teaching tool you really don’t want to leave home without.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Listen to The Tutor Podcast on the Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tutor-podcast/id1369191372)! Build Your Online Course Week 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-your-online-course/id1369191372?i=1000477109724 Course Planning Week 2: Who Am I?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-your-online-course/id1369191372?i=1000477109724 Who are They? (Know Your Punters): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/who-are-they-know-your-punters/id1369191372?i=1000478984529 Read the Weird Things Guitarists Do book by Neil Cowmeadow, which is available now on Amazon. Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weird-Things-Guitarists-Do-Misconceptions/dp/1519026579/ Contact Neil via this website - com! ABOUT THE HOST Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! CONTACT METHOD [email protected]
NOW PLAYING
Play Pretend
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m