Klarinet Archive - Posting 000786.txt from 1998/07

From: pollyg@-----. Gulakowski)
Subj: [kl] Re: klarinet Digest 22 Jul 1998 02:34:49 -0000 Issue 293
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 20:45:47 -0400

P: I wonder what else is going on from students toward director(s)?
We're hearing one side and can empathize with you, but ALL interactions
are a two way street. Are you cowering behind your stand, afraid to even
try for fear of making a mistake? or staring defiantly, daring the
teacher to make a comment or bringing a smiley cookie and your own smile
to go with it? No one is owed a compliment and some people just can't
give one. My choir watches for the quirk or curl of my lip (after an
anthem) that gives them an indication of how they did. They get smiles,
growls and sometimes I have to hold my nose, the singing stinks so bad
(during rehearsal) but it's a huge effort for me to remember to say "nice
job". I do fraternize socially with my band kids, my choir and people in
general, so people know what my personality is like - that helps.
It's a lot to ask a junior high or high school student to model for an
adult how to act, but you could. I wish you were my student - I'd be so
proud of you sticking out all those bad times. WOODIES RULE!

Paulette

On Tue, 21 Jul 1998 23:10:55 EDT <Cheddar99@-----.com> writes:
>I never said that teaching was an easy job, I know that from
>experience. I was
>just saying that it's a major problem when students get turned off to
>music
>because of the carelessess of a bad director. It's not too much to ask
>to take
>5 seconds from your day to give a little advice or encouragement to a
>strugling student. Even just an occasional "good work" would be great!
>Maybe
>If more teachers did that, less people would quit band. Not all band
>teachers
>are bad. I never said that. Just every teacher i've had... teachers
>who scream
>at you for playing a wrong note, or yell if you get off a beat even
>when it's
>their poor conducting that caused you to get lost. I've had chalkboard
>erasers
>thrown at my head for squeaking, my music was ripped up once becuase I
>was
>writing a reminder on it and the teacher thought i was writing bad
>stuff about
>her. My junior high band teacher is the worst teacher I have EVER had.
>My high
>school teacher is a lot better but it's not good enough. yes, teaching
>is one
>of the hardest things in the world, but is giving a compliment too
>much to
>ask? I have never heard a nice word out of my band director's mouth.
>He only
>critizses and punishes us for trying our hardest. That's what I mean
>about
>band teachers needing to try harder. members of my band have literally
>burst
>into tears after some of the things we've had said to us. good
>compliments go
>a long way and it's a lot easier to teach a class when the students
>actually
>like the teacher. ( I've yet to find a student who actually likes my
>band
>teacher) All it takes is a little compliment, and this is comming from
>a
>student who knows what it means to recieve one, and a teacher who
>knows how
>dificult it is to teach.
>
><not to get an attitude or anything>
>
>Karen D
>Los Altos, Cali
>
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