I get a lot of questions from teachers about a variety of things.  Some things are easy to answer.  You know, those theory and technical questions with only one possible answer (what’s a secondary dominant, for example).  Then there are the questions about teaching itself.  Pedagogical practices are not finite.  The way we teach, how we teach, who we teach, etc. can all change from year to year.  Yes, some practices seem to pass the “tried and true” test, giving the illusion of fact.  Others are open for discussion.  One question that seems to show up a lot lately is in this “opinion” category.  I would appreciate all the responses I can get for it.

QUESTION:  Is it bad to write in a lot of extra finger numbers to teach students their pieces.  It seems like cheating to do this when they should be learning to read the notes.