“My D has dealt with not the greatest arts teachers in her high school. They are prone to negativity and withhold praise. I hope she doesn’t encounter much more of that in her future endeavors.”
For the love of all that is holy please don’t tell me she wants to be an opera singer. Because I promise you it is only going to get “worse”.
But back to the task at hand. It’s a performing arts teacher’s job to teach not to praise. D has been through about 8 different voice teachers and countless coaches and directors from the time she was a kid until now as a professional. For her, (when she is looking for a new teacher or a coach) the biggest red flag is praise. Tell her what she needs to fix and how to fix it. The rest is useless. Praise is something mommies and daddies give you. Teachers teach. Her favorite teacher is someone who would be politely called “a screamer”. Needless to say D came to her lesson prepared.