Teachers Wasting Lesson Time... Options

[andante_in_c]

I think katyjay and I probably set the record for talking through the largest proportion of lesson time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Deborah]

But 2/3 of a lesson? Not even I talk that much!

Yes you do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Ouch!

At least you learnt how to assemble a clarinet though...

[mrbouffant]

But 2/3 of a lesson? Not even I talk that much!

Yes you do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Ouch!

At least you learnt how to assemble a clarinet though...

I'm just teasing. You were fab, especially when it took me 2/3 of a lesson to make a sound out of the bloomin' thing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jod]

I think katyjay and I probably set the record for talking through the largest proportion of lesson time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

No that's my bad habit. Ask Deborah, I really can talk!

[Violinia]

My cat often sleeps in the room when I'm teaching. When he's not there, my little students ask where he is. I'll say he's sleeping or in the garden and get on with the lesson.

Aaah, Noodle - that's so sweet! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[sparkle1980]

I have a lesson tonight! I shall update you all.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Quincy]

I just wanted to rant about teachers who waste time during lessons!!!! Half an hour is short enough but can really fly when all the teacher does is chatter. I teach but have been progressing through my piano grades with another teacher. My specialism is singing. Anyway, she has a cat and we literally spend most of the lesson with me listening to her talk about what the cat has been through this week! At my last half an hour lesson, i did not touch one note on the piano until 20 past the hour which left me with 10 minutes worth of lesson time!! lol.
How can i resolve this as it really is ridiculous. I don't engage in the conversation as much as i used to but i feel really rude if i don't show an interest in what she is saying about the cat. I personally am not a cat person and the cat often jumps onto the piano stool whilst i'm sitting on it! where she'll spend another 5 minute talking baby talk to it! lol. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)
It really bothers me as being a teacher myself, i work the full length of the session with my students and it annoys that there are teachers out there who waste peoples time and money!
i know this has gone on for years and i just wanted to say to parents, beware of teachers who waste time. Make sure that you ask your child what they have done in their music lessons!!

Umm find another teacher!

Had that been me, I would have made her keep going for a further 20 mins after she decided to start teaching me or I would have split the cost of that lesson into 3 and only paid her for 10 minutes.

Or I would have put a stop to her chit chat STRAIGHT AWAY. It's not rude when you are paying someone to do a job adn they aren't doing it. When she starts on about the cat, say "I don't particularly like cats, so now onto my piano lesson please". She'll never do it again.

[Firebird]

Umm find another teacher!

Had that been me, I would have made her keep going for a further 20 mins after she decided to start teaching me or I would have split the cost of that lesson into 3 and only paid her for 10 minutes.

Or I would have put a stop to her chit chat STRAIGHT AWAY. It's not rude when you are paying someone to do a job adn they aren't doing it. When she starts on about the cat, say "I don't particularly like cats, so now onto my piano lesson please". She'll never do it again.

However true that is, I think you'd have to start looking for another teacher if you said that! I think it would sound rude and while the rudeness might be taken in an office or workplace as just abruptness, being told that in any situation (especially if the person was younger than you) would just irritate the other person! If that was said, it would be like what happens all the time in schools - teacher can make a cutting but accurate comment to pupil and be seen as good with discipline, but pupil can't say a similar thing back to the teacher without getting some kind of punishment or reprimand.

Be polite as far as possible - let us know how you get on tonight, Sparkle!

[oboist]

The 1:1 relationship of a music teacher and his/her pupil is such a special one and the sensitive teacher recognises those few occasions when a pupil needs to talk to, possibly, the only person in their life who's got time to listen.

I try to be alert to the needs of my students on the (fairly rare) occasions when that happens and I think that there is a time and place when you just have to be the "listener" if you're going to make any musical progress at all in a lesson. However, there is also the opportunity to abuse this by "chatting" about anything under the sun and using up the time (IMHO unprofessionally) in doing so.

So, like others, I tend to have a short settling in moment as pupils change over, get music out etc and then it's down to business. However, if that needs to change in the course of the lesson because of the pupil's needs, well so be it. Basically, I'm a there to teach not be a counselling service but sometimes I do wonder if my pupils think it's the other way round (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) .....

Oboist

[yamaha]

My violin teacher is the same (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) He always runs overtime so as to make up for the time he's talked but sometimes I have to leave on time so get 5 or 10 minutes :-( Once, he talked for the full half hour whilst I stood with violin iin hand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) I had to be somewhere so when 30 minutes passed said "ive really got to go now" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Funny now but I was furious at the time because its a good 20-25 minute drive to get to his house (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

He didn't charge me though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[sparkle1980]

I had my lesson folks..it was better in the way that i did one sight reading exercise, showed 2 major scales, 2 arpeggios and two broken chords! lol

I can't say the things i know i should say to her. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) By the way, we do have a bit of history. She taught me when i was about 10 and 16 years on i've gone back to her!
I think it's too late to say anything. So i'm going to practice very very hard in my own time and get through my grades. Humph!

[Oddball]

Same sort of thing with my old guitar teacher. We chatted, read the Sun, he'd go and get coffee, and we'd maybe do a song. That was about it. I stopped in the end, lessons were £50 a term, for ten lessons at half an hour each. Just not worth it...

Not to say he wasn't a good chap, he was a good teacher, he just never got round to it...

[Quincy]

Umm find another teacher!

Had that been me, I would have made her keep going for a further 20 mins after she decided to start teaching me or I would have split the cost of that lesson into 3 and only paid her for 10 minutes.

Or I would have put a stop to her chit chat STRAIGHT AWAY. It's not rude when you are paying someone to do a job adn they aren't doing it. When she starts on about the cat, say "I don't particularly like cats, so now onto my piano lesson please". She'll never do it again.

However true that is, I think you'd have to start looking for another teacher if you said that! I think it would sound rude and while the rudeness might be taken in an office or workplace as just abruptness, being told that in any situation (especially if the person was younger than you) would just irritate the other person! If that was said, it would be like what happens all the time in schools - teacher can make a cutting but accurate comment to pupil and be seen as good with discipline, but pupil can't say a similar thing back to the teacher without getting some kind of punishment or reprimand.

Be polite as far as possible - let us know how you get on tonight, Sparkle!

I disagree totally. It's not rude, it's justifiable.

If you pay for a service you should get your money's worth. I would say something if I was paying £15-£20 for a half hour lesson to have 20 minutes of that time being taken up by the teacher talking about her effing cat. Would you pay to hear somebody talk about their cat?

I work in the legal profession and the firms charge rate for my services is £150 per hour. Before you ask, my salary does NOT reflect my charge rate. My firm charges clietns £150 an hour for my services but my salary works out at £7.50 an hour after tax :-(

Anyway, my point is, supposing you came in for a consultation about a legal problem and you booked a half hour slot. The charge for that 30 minutes would be £75. If I were to talk about my pets or my own problems for 20 minutes and then deal with your problem for only 10 minutes would you not protest to me and indeed complain about paying £75 for that session? I would hope you would!

Why is a music lesson any different: paying money to hear about your teachers cat for goodness sake! It is not rude to say something. The teacher should do the job they're being paid to do and to expect complaints if they don't. You can cut them off politely: "oh that's nice ... so anyway, I had this problem during practice and I'd like to run thru it today." However you do it CUT THEM OFF when they start talking about the cat.

[maggiemay]

Would you pay to hear somebody talk about their cat?

I would if it was Billy Connolly...

[Cyrilla]

Would you pay to hear somebody talk about their cat?

I would if it was Billy Connolly...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)