I love it when this happens. I caught bits of the American version of this film for about the bazillionth time yesterday, and noticed something new. In the scene where Richard Gere (student) dances the Argentinian Tango with Jennifer Lopez (teacher), there is a moment where he takes charge. He is instructed not to speak and to only move when he feels it.

Teachers LIVE for this moment. The moment when the student takes off from where he/she has been guided and embarks upon their own expression of the chosen artform. 

If your child studies with me, they have likely already received an ear full of chatter regarding practice methods. I hope that they will manage to take their bassoons out every day and spend some time, but I have no hard "rules" regarding how much time they should be spending. 

What should they be doing? SLOW, careful, mindful practice to start. YES, we all hate to go slow. But the slower and more exacting one begins (and continues), the less time one must ultimately spend undoing mistakes made by rushing through. The study referenced below explains the theory and the testing of it far better than I could:

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/8-things-top-practicers-do-differently/