 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ken
Date: 2002-09-04 00:02
I have a beginner student that after two months of lessons is not applying them self or putting forth any effort in assigned lessons. I just gave my 3rd lesson in as many weeks, they showed up unprepared yet again and we wasted another hour reviewing and covering the same fundamentals and etude. The student further insulted my intelligence telling me they've indeed been practicing 8 hours a week...we "both" knew he was feeding me a line. His equipment isn't an issue. I've used every method of positive/negative reinforcement I know to motivate but with no tangible result. I asked my colleagues their opinions and experiences, however they were surprisingly mixed. Half said, (para.) "It’s the students' money to waste and not your problem, you're entitled to make a living like anyone else, practice detachment and keep pressing". The other half said, "although the person's wasting both your time, you're stealing THEIR money by keeping them on, you've got a responsibility and moral ethic to yourself and the instrument to provide quality service for the dollar, issue an ultimatum or drop them."
Ultimately, it's a personal decision on how to handle it. Tough call, I’ve a family to raise and must put the pork chops on my table like anyone else but I can't fight my nature; I take any kind of “failure” in my students very personally especially (in this player’s case) when I determine they have the talent to succeed. I'm now at a crossroads, if I keep this student I know my conscience will get the best of me accepting payment even though I know they have no intention of becoming "any" kind of clarinetist. I'd appreciate any feedback from students/teachers amateurs and professional players on a sensible course of action. v/r KEN
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-09-04 00:35
ken...Take heart - we've all had the same dilemma to wrestle with at one time or another.
With every new student I accept, I make it very clear (to both the student and parent) that I will not listen to them "practice" in front of me for the hour. After that has been initially said, the rest usually takes care of itself.
On an unprepared lesson, a warning goes out to the student and parent. A second unprepared lesson in a row and the student is dropped. No questions asked. I tell the student and parent that I am sorry, but my time and integrity is too valuable to be compromised, and I do not want their money.
I find that if you keep your standards high, the students will follow them, and word of your reputation for excellence will follow.
No amount of money is worth your loss of self respect...GBK
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Author: mlb
Date: 2002-09-04 00:37
You are not (in my opinion) "stealing" their money. I have had (too) many situations like this over the years and I have always told the parents exactly how I felt...that the student wasn't putting forth enough effort to get better or to take any sort of advantage of the lessons being afforded to him/her.
I do this in front of the child and mention the practice habits (or lack thereof) and reiterate my expectations. Sometimes the parents aren't aware the kid needs to practice (duh) or the kid lies to them just like they lie to the teacher!
How about duets? Popular music intermixed with fundamentals? Maybe an hour long lesson is too long for a beginner...
Of course when the student begins to drive me crazy and I can't even be nice anymore, then I use the old "I don't think we've developed a good rapport." and I recommend they find someone else.
Just don't stick one of your friends with them!!!! hahaha
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Author: Bob Culbreth
Date: 2002-09-04 01:12
You might try the approach of having the parents come with the student and "review" the practice routine. Explain that you're not hearing the students' potential being reached. This approach allows you to possibly maintain a working relationship with the student while exposing the possible problem. If the parents don't care, and there are plenty out there who don't, you must then make your choices. You can always, as stated earlier, sight-read duets. At least you'll be doing something to improve you.
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-09-04 02:12
I agree wi GBK. I always arrange my "unprepared" students lessons to the end lesson time of the day. The parent may grumble about the time, but I'm making a silent statement about their child. I'm upfront with the student and walk out of my studio. I'll tell them I've more important things to do than to listen to them practice. I usually leave them in the room and go work on repair. I can still hear them and monitor if they get off task. I then meet the parent at the door and tell them that I do not want their money for the lesson because I did repair work while their child practiced since the didn't practice during the week. After a few weeks of this, they soon get the message and start practicing or drop lessons. I really don't care either way.
jbutler
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2002-09-04 02:24
I suppose there are two dissimilar ways to view this;
1) Look up at the ceiling and think of England.
2) Remember that the kid is out their advertising your name.
There are LOTS of students to good teachers.
I think that most teachers don't charge enough for lessons, what is your current rate per hour?
Babysitters charge more than $30/these days.
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Author: William Hughes
Date: 2002-09-04 05:34
I'll be a parent here, since I do not teach music. Our son took piano for about four years. Practice was always an issue...for us and for his teacher. Ultimately, we stopped the weekly lessons. Later he also took some drum lessons, but again, he did not have the discipline to practice as he should. Now he has discovered the guitar. He plays alot, has learned scales and chords on his own, both finds and writes music, and plays in his high school jazz band and at youth services in our church. He has also returned to the piano from time to time, playing some of his jazz pieces by ear. He is musical, but certainly not disciplined. Music is a creative endeavor and I would hate to see a creative mind abandoned because of lack of maturity, possible learning disability, or insufficient parental support. Patience is the ultimate gift of any teacher. Having said all of that, I certainly respect all of the suggestions from the teachers posted here. Just don't give up (entirely) on any student who shows some spark of interest.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-09-04 06:27
I keep stacks of really easy duets. As many as I can get from the most basic 2 or 3 note to whatever standard. Just try and get them to play. An hour of playing in the lesson maybe the most constructive playing they will evere do.
I always make an effort not to put these kind of students off music for life by being too harsh. Collect the money, someone I know puts the fees up in these cases after 6 months, give it as long as you can stand and then tell the parents. There are always more students.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-09-04 13:36
How many have detested practice. Not being a teacher but recalling my student days perhaps you can justify your compensation by trying to find a way to reach this student. Do you talk to him/her as a person. Have you asked "them" why they don't practice? If,after talking with him you find that the kid just doesn't want to play the horn then "have it out" with the parents and tell them you can't continue.
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Author: Heidi
Date: 2002-09-04 14:57
Hi,
I had a flute student last year who gave me the same problems. It got to the point where I would refer to her as my "spastic flute student." Her mind was never where it needed to be, she was always complaining of pain somewhere (usually her back or her arm...where I knew she wasn't hurting)...after all she'd only been standing for 10 minutes...that's hardly long enough to warrant pain. Sometimes she'd listen to me and sometimes she wouldn't...she was an outwardly pleasant girl, had potential, a really good sound for a 9 year old, but was too distracted by outside stimuli. It was a constant struggle every day for her attention. I should also mention that she was in cheerleading, basketball, an art class, a little person's music class, and the list goes on. One thing that alot of teachers forget is that children in these days and times have alot more on their plate than those of just a few years ago. I'm only 21 and I didn't have all that stuff to do when I was her age. I think after the contract with the preparatory progam ran out she just didn't renew, which I was quietly grateful for. As a beginning teacher, these kinds of situations need to show themselves to teach me how to be a better teacher. That's how I look at it anyway. It forces me to become better at grabbing their attention with something interesting and exciting. And I know there are more out there who haven't shown themselves yet, and I will be better prepared for them when they come.
I hope things get better soon!
Remember that teaching is supposed to be fun!
Heidi
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-09-04 18:10
Does the student really know how to practice? Perhaps the parents also might assure you that the student has been practicing. But maybe the student does not know what practice involves and how genuine practice must be a learning experience. If the student is only blowing into the instrument and making sounds, without actually finding sound-making to be exciting and interesting, not eager to improve, playing at an instrument is just a waste of time.
Frankly, the word "practice" has, to me, the wrong connotation. It implies that the student already knows how to do something and simply keeps doing it over and over until it gets better automatically. Without the student's application of personal faculties, that won't happen.
On the other hand, I understand that some institutions in Europe offer two levels of failing grades. One is: "You have not met our minimum standards. However, it is evident that you made good effort, and your performance was only marginally insufficient. We believe that if you repeat this course, you will likely succeed." The other is: "You have not met our minimum standards. Your effort and performance were inadequate. We wish not to see you again." Well, that's the idea, anyway. It seems to me that if you have a student in the second category and you do not want to see that student again, then don't. The student might respond much better to some other teacher. Of course, maybe the student is, musically, just a total dud.
Regards,
John
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Author: Seamus Kirkpatrick
Date: 2002-09-04 21:48
I think that it's the teachers job to make sure that the kid knows enough and enjoys music enough to be able to play as an adult.
To this end, I think it's the teachers job to help the kid to enjoy music.
Teaching improvising can help, teaching music like klezmer and gypsy music can also help.
I have one flute student whose parent I asked if their child was interested in playing the flute said, 'No, she has no interest at all, but I'm her mother and she's going to play' (mum used to be a flute teacher). So I said to her daughter, 'Look I know that you don't want to be here, but your mum is going to give you and perhaps ultimately me a really hard time if we don't achieve something, so bear with me and I'll do my best to make it not boring for you.' She's doing ok.
The other thing is to try and make the instrument actually relevant to their lives in some way. School and community bands can help there, as well as some sort of music that they may actually enjoy. I sometimes play through books for them... 'You like that one? How about this one?'
I've even had horrible noise making competitions (which I always let them win). (Let's have a race to the end of this piece... how ugly can you make this piece sound... I can make it uglier...)
The desire to practise and learn has to come from the student (in this day and age).
But.
I don't think it's your responsibility to educate them in the classical western sense, but just to make sure that when they leave you that they love music and maybe when they're adults will look back fondly or even play. (This would include throwing most goals of 'successful music making' out the window and it can take MONTHS).
Also remember that if you just can't help the kid, some kids just can't be helped by you right now and that it doesn't necessarily reflect poorly on you.
cheers
Seamus
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Author: Meri
Date: 2002-09-04 22:40
Perhaps you haven't discussed how to practice? One of the things I have recently begun doing with my students is a practice log--which is signed by the student, the student's parents, and myself. It is essentially a calendar I can write in the dates for the month of the practice log, which is given to me at the first lesson of the following month.
I also find a time for practicing that works with the student, at the very first lesson. For a beginner I generally say 1/2 h a day, 6 days a week.
Another way of helping beginners in their practicing is by organizing how they are to spend their time practicing. For a student who is to practice 1/2 hour a day, I ask them to devote 10 minutes on warmup exercises (including rhythmic ones), 10-15 minutes to pieces from the method book, and 5-10 minutes on solos and duets.
Write down their assignments. Under each category (warmup exercises, method book, and solos/duets), I write down what to work on. I will often include measure numbers, how to practice it, or the reason for a particular exercise or piece. (such as learning to play with good tone quality in the clarion register or learning 6/8 time.) The warmup exercises are the ones I begin every lesson with.
A final way is to use practice strategies with beginners. I have taught my beginners to sing the rhythm before playing, backwards practicing, marking a difficult bar, and working a difficult bar from a slow tempo to a fast one. Even demonstrate where you use practice strategies.
Consider your attitude. Are you helping students experience music as something that is fun?
Meri
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Author: ken
Date: 2002-09-05 11:56
Kudos to all for the valuable advice in dealing with my reluctant student…I will indeed apply some of it. Up until our last lesson together the student's "unpreparedness" had remained just between the two of us, however I decided to take the next step and phoned the parents to get everything out in the open and state my case. I had a pleasant and productive chat with the mother; she pledged her cooperation and vigilance in taking a more active role in the child's playing. We'll give it one more try. v/r KEN
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Author: Neil
Date: 2002-09-05 15:23
When I was young I almost never practiced or did homework of any kind. This was not from willful disobedience but just because these things never came to mind. If I was a kid to-day I would be classified as attention deficit and put on ritalin. I'm not saying that this is necessarily your student's problem but I wish to point out that students tend to be immature or "unfinished" in one way or another. I know schoolteachers who have had tremendous success with "problem" children by working with them in various ways to modify their behavior. Although I have done well enough financially in life I feel that I would have gotten off to a much better start if I had had teachers willing to help me mature and develop instead just labelling me as a nuisance and leaving it at that. This student of yours needs to develop into a functional, well-balanced adult and music is the avenue through which you will influence him. I wish you would try to work with him, I think you will find it to be well worth the effort.
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Author: Suzanne
Date: 2002-09-10 04:26
When my students don't practice, I let the parents know and the parents (so far) make the kid pay for the lesson. That has been a quick way to either get the kid to practice, or quit. (One kid had to give up four weeks' allowance).
As for feeling guilty about wasting time, I try and use the time to teach the student how to practice--something most don't know. The younger they are, the faster they want to play when the only way to learn is slow. If during a lesson they are learning new note patterns, rhythm reading, etc., even on something they haven't prepared ahead of time, then the lesson is worthwhile. It isn't important to me if they want a future in clarinet playing. I am there to help them learn for that moment, and usually that happens.
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