“When a Student Devalues the Teacher: A Few Words About Professional Maturity”

 In the teaching profession, there is a psychological pattern that repeats itself from time to time everywhere in the world. I want to explain it calmly and professionally, so colleagues and students understand what actually happens in the learning process.When someone encounters material that is more advanced than their current level, several emotions arise: • confusion, • shame, • anxiety, • a sense of losing control.Instead of saying:“I don’t understand yet; I need time and practice,”some people respond through psychological defense mechanisms.Devaluation“The material is wrong,”“too complicated,”“I would do it better.”Projection“It’s not that I don’t understand — the teacher is not good.”This protects the person’s fragile self-esteem.Using the teacher’s name while criticizing themParadoxically, the same people may use: • the teacher’s name, • fragments of the teacher’s program, • the prestige of having studied with the teacherto promote their own courses.This isn’t always malice.It is often a way to reduce internal shame and feel “on the same level” without doing the actual work.⸻Why does this happen?Because maturity means being able to tolerate: • difficulty • not knowing • personal limitations • the long process from student to professionalNot everyone is ready for that.Devaluing the teacher is a psychological shortcut that protects the person from facing their own lack of preparation, discipline, or depth.⸻My stance as a teacherAfter many years in this profession, I see this dynamic clearly and calmly and not the first time.My responsibility is to teach those who are truly ready to learn.Those who respond with devaluation are simply not yet ready for the depth, responsibility, and personal honesty required in Pilates, movement training, and therapeutic approaches.I stand for professionalism, clear boundaries, respect, and sincere personal growth.And I am grateful to every student who chooses the real path — the path of effort, inquiry, and transformation.⸻In the endDevaluing the teacher is not about the teacher.It is about the student’s internal conflict.True maturity begins with the ability to say:“I want to understand deeper. I am ready to learn.”