Being Strict With Pupils Options

[Malone]

As I am a relatice newbie when it comes to teaching, I am wondering whether or not I should be more strict in my lessons. Last night one of my pupils received a couple of text messages and said she had to reply to them, so I let her as - she was quite quick. Another one never practices and I had threatened to phone her mum on a couple of occasions to arrange practice times etc but she keeps saying she will practice more but keeps coming up with excuses, like an exam, or was tired, or going to glasgow for the weekend. So I gave her the benefit of the doubt and I'm still waiting for some week to week progress. I even gave her some written work to do out of theory is fun grade one so that there was something to show me the next week, which wasnt done (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) . The other thing is though, that this same pupil said she really enjoys coming to my lessons because I'm not as strict as her previous teacher, whom she hated her lessons with.

Really what I'm wondering is, when do you stop being nice to pupils?! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Tori x

[stevensfo]

No matter what you do, you'll find that some people like it and some will hate it. I adore our son's piano teacher because she IS quite strict and he needs someone like that. However another parent stopped taking her son for the same reason. You just can't win!

As for the phone - NO WAY! You should insist that mobile phones are switched off or left in the hall during lessons. Absolutely no exceptions. Why not have a notice stuck up somewhere with simple rules written?

Can you imagine a kid trying that on at school? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Steve

[maggiemay]

Tori, I would say that after many years as a teacher this is still not something that is easy.

Children vary so much in their responses. A show of mild disappointment can reduce a sensitive child to tears - while a tirade will leave another totally unaffected. I'm not advocating either of these two things you understand - just examples.

I'm always reluctant to challenge a child with the "you haven't practised have you ?" comment. I might say something like "been a difficult week has it? " Another tactic is to ask the child how he or she feels the piece has moved forward since last time you heard it. Sometimes I just suggest we have another go at the page which has just been struggled through - it often goes better second time.

Where you feel it's longer term it's more serious of course. I sometimes point out to a pupil how long we have been working on one particular piece - they can find it a shock to have it numbered in weeks like that. I summarise on the report what's been achieved, and have been known to include remarks like "two pieces completed in one term does not represent great progress"!

I try to keep a fairly friendly atmosphere all the time, but it's not easy to keep frustration hidden when you feel a pupil is wasting time - particularly if it goes on some time. You need to try to stay on the child's side - while pointing out that they might enjoy it more if they did some practice - or some of the right kind of practice! Please don't think though that we older teachers get it right all the time - I'm not having a great week, having had several in the past 2 days apparently more asleep than awake. We all have days when we haven't got the answers ...

Regarding the phone, I don't have much problem with these, (I mean it doesn't often happen, not I don't mind them!) but I normally let a child use it the first time it interrupts a lesson, (catch up on my record-keeping for a couple of minutes!) then suggest that she (it's usually a she!) subsequently checks it's turned off. I have one child who sometimes has to contact a family member at the end of her lesson, but otherwise the assumption is phones will be turned off.

Don't know if this is useful or not. Let us know how you get on !

[sbhoa]

With the lack of practice proeblem I'm having some degree of success with a 10 year old by passing responsibilty on to her.
Before I say anything about what she has prepared(or not) I ask what she thinks of it and what she thinks she could do to improve if she agrees it's not her best yet. As I've tended to give advice on how to practice she comes up with a lot of the right answers but as the ideas came from her she is beginning to do more at home. She's not very consistent yet but it's a huge impprovement on a few months ago.
I also ask her to tell me how she thinks she can find a minimum of 10 minutes 5 days a week to practice and again, as the ideas are hers and not mine or her parents, it happens more often.

As to no theory work done..... after a couple of weeks I have them do it in the lesson, making the point that this is taking out playing time.
Contacting parents is something I'd only do after due warning that things were getting to that point.

[Deborah]

With the lack of practice problem I'm having some degree of success with a 10 year old by passing responsibilty on to her.

One boy (14 at the time) was a monster for not practising. I struck gold when equating practice with homework. I asked what would happen if he didn't do his homework, and when he said he'd be put in detention, I suggested that maybe I should put him in detention. No problems since then (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[jod]

There is a side of me that few pupils see I call it "Mrs Dragon" . Mrs Dragon snarls about not practising, reviews note books and shows where progress has gone backwards and generally is the scaly fire breathing version of me. One lesson with Mrs Dragon, and my pupils want to se the "normal me" back the next week.

Fortunately there's a lovely picture book about a mum turning into a Dragon due to her kids bad behaviour that quite well known around here so I can introduce Mrs Dragon with some humour.

I make it very clear to my pupils that this is not the way I like to teach, and that I like it much better when they practice.

Please understand that if someone is genuinely having difficulty then I'm very sympathetic, but those who shirk...

I think I need a picture of Mrs Dragon (cartoon style) near the piano as a deterrent.

[sarah-flute]

With the lack of practice proeblem I'm having some degree of success with a 10 year old by passing responsibilty on to her.
Before I say anything about what she has prepared(or not) I ask what she thinks of it and what she thinks she could do to improve if she agrees it's not her best yet. As I've tended to give advice on how to practice she comes up with a lot of the right answers but as the ideas came from her she is beginning to do more at home. She's not very consistent yet but it's a huge impprovement on a few months ago.
I also ask her to tell me how she thinks she can find a minimum of 10 minutes 5 days a week to practice and again, as the ideas are hers and not mine or her parents, it happens more often.

That's really good (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I think at least partly what it boils down to is what maggie points out - all your students will be individuals, and it's impossible to really say "yes you need to be more strict" - you may have some pupils who requiring handling with kid gloves, others who need a bit of "Mrs Dragon" ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)) telling them what for.

[upbeat]

How would you approach it if the pupil in question is 18 - or perhaps older??? (in my case its theory homework that's not being done). How old are the pupils you are talking about Malone?

[jon.adkins]

Despite a fair selection of some of the old familiar problems, phones have not yet been a problem...
Perhaps with each new pupil you could go through a few simple ground rules, eg. phone off, practice times etc. If this seems a bit heavy when you've only just met the pupil, bear in mind only a few rules are necessary, and explain that you do this with ALL new pupils. (maybe even the adults...)

Just a thought.

[sbhoa]

How would you approach it if the pupil in question is 18 - or perhaps older??? (in my case its theory homework that's not being done). How old are the pupils you are talking about Malone?

With adults I don't insist on theory homework to the same extent as with children/teenagers.
With younger students there is a point where theory becomes part of the learning'package' but with adults who don't want to do any 'formal' theory I deliver the theory through talking about the pieces they are playing. I do that with all students anyway as I don't see theory and practical as separate subjects.

[upbeat]

How would you approach it if the pupil in question is 18 - or perhaps older??? (in my case its theory homework that's not being done). How old are the pupils you are talking about Malone?

With adults I don't insist on theory homework to the same extent as with children/teenagers.
With younger students there is a point where theory becomes part of the learning'package' but with adults who don't want to do any 'formal' theory I deliver the theory through talking about the pieces they are playing. I do that with all students anyway as I don't see theory and practical as separate subjects

My pupil is working for her grade 5 theory exam and is 18 so really she is an adult. Just like Malone I'm wondering how strict I should be with her. With younger pupils I would get the parents more involved if there was a problem with homework but at 18 its difficult to know what to do.

I think the idea of ground rules for mobile phones is a good idea. So far its not been a problem for me but its always a possibility since they've become such a big part of life.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[sbhoa]

My pupil is working for her grade 5 theory exam and is 18 so really she is an adult. Just like Malone I'm wondering how strict I should be with her. With younger pupils I would get the parents more involved if there was a problem with homework but at 18 its difficult to know what to do.

I think I'd make it clear that I was not willing ot enter the student for the exam unless they were able to consistently score 80+ on past papers by the entry date.
Apart form that maybe just agree to mark and discuss work as and when it is done.
An adult student I had was confident enough by the time she was doing grade2/3 theory to work through things herself and ask me to mark work and go through anything she was unsure of.
It worked well and she got 94 I think on her grade 4 theory paper.

[Susie]

Haven't usually had any problems with discipline, but then I look pretty ancient (prematurely!! grey hair and slightly fierce expression) so that might help.

I think, Tori, that you have established a bit of a pattern, and now you have to get yourself out of it. So if I found myself in your position at the beginning of the next lessons I would sit pupil down for a chat before anyone laid hands on the piano.

1... no mobile phones allowed. It is a distraction during the 1/2 hour lesson and indicates that her attention is not on the work in hand. If she can't do without phone for 1/2 hour .......then the world is a sad place. (I speak from experience having a teenage daughter who is normally glued to the phone and she does without it for her 1 hour instrumental lessons)

2....explain that you are concerned that she does not practice, or do the work you set, and this is not the way to happiness. She will get bored at this rate. Practice and some work equals progress, and a sense of achievement. Plus if parents do not see progress they might be entitled to complain to you as teacher (and you would be worried about that, wouldn't you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ). I also use that as an excuse to some pupils who are quite young and yet I want to push them into action without seeming too strict and hard.

I think we often have quite a difficult job. Instrumental lessons are often seen as being enjoyable, not like school lessons, so we have to find a middle road - progress without pain - a near impossible task sometimes and for this reason it is necessary to develop strategies to produce results without appearing to be too hard.

[jod]

Haven't usually had any problems with discipline, but then I look pretty ancient (prematurely!! grey hair and slightly fierce expression) so that might help.

I think, Tori, that you have established a bit of a pattern, and now you have to get yourself out of it. So if I found myself in your position at the beginning of the next lessons I would sit pupil down for a chat before anyone laid hands on the piano.

1... no mobile phones allowed. It is a distraction during the 1/2 hour lesson and indicates that her attention is not on the work in hand. If she can't do without phone for 1/2 hour .......then the world is a sad place. (I speak from experience having a teenage daughter who is normally glued to the phone and she does without it for her 1 hour instrumental lessons)

2....explain that you are concerned that she does not practice, or do the work you set, and this is not the way to happiness. She will get bored at this rate. Practice and some work equals progress, and a sense of achievement. Plus if parents do not see progress they might be entitled to complain to you as teacher (and you would be worried about that, wouldn't you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ). I also use that as an excuse to some pupils who are quite young and yet I want to push them into action without seeming too strict and hard.

I think we often have quite a difficult job. Instrumental lessons are often seen as being enjoyable, not like school lessons, so we have to find a middle road - progress without pain - a near impossible task sometimes and for this reason it is necessary to develop strategies to produce results without appearing to be too hard.

Susie, I make one exception to the Mobile phone rule and that is for an adult pupil who has a young baby, and her hubby may need to contact her due to child care issues. Generally I agree with the ban, but then I've been known to have my mobile on under similar circumstances on the basis that I'm first contact if anything happens to the kids at school.

Generally in those situations these pupils do not abuse their mobiles, and it never becomes an issue. But what I will not tolerate is a barrage of text messages coming in every five minutes during lessons.

Jo

[Malone]

How would you approach it if the pupil in question is 18 - or perhaps older??? (in my case its theory homework that's not being done). How old are the pupils you are talking about Malone?

the girl that never practices or does the theory homework is 14, the girsl with the mobile phone is 15 nearly 16. I have been quite soft on her recently as she has her standard grade exams at the moment.
Another thing that gets me is, I spend ages planning a lesson or going out and getting books specifically for a certain pupil because there is a piece in it for an exam, and she liked it for the first couple of weeks, now she says she doesnt like it and wants to do something else. (this is the 15 y.o) It seems to be only these two pupils that I have trouble with and its very hard work teaching them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)
I had a small 10y.o. boy who is very talented and has got through alot in the last year, but never practices the exercises I give him. He practices the pieces, but his upper register notes still keep cracking and going low. I explain to him in the lesson how to get these notes first time, and we do some fun games to help him remember, but then the following week he has forgotten it all (I do write in note books) and I have to quickly go over what we just did. The spitting rice across the room thing works, which we did, but he just doesnt it apply it in practice to even very simple pieces. Argh!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) Maybe I should quite whilst I'm ahead and take up chicken farming profesionally!!