Peris And Their Pupils Options

[crazy cow]

I understand dance teachers are really struggling to know how to teach good positioning now that they cannot physically correct anything for a pupil - ie hands off.

Today for example, I was doing some pointe work (I have only just started) and I held her hands to march across the room (great for building up strength/balance).

The problem is that if it gets banned completely rather than just frowned upon, pointe work isn't going to be safe any more - they can't just give us a pair of pointe shoes and tell us to get on with it! Dancers need someone to hold and someone to support them when they're first learning, otherwise there will be a lot of broken ankles around...

[dcmbarton]

I understand dance teachers are really struggling to know how to teach good positioning now that they cannot physically correct anything for a pupil - ie hands off.

Today for example, I was doing some pointe work (I have only just started) and I held her hands to march across the room (great for building up strength/balance).

The problem is that if it gets banned completely rather than just frowned upon, pointe work isn't going to be safe any more - they can't just give us a pair of pointe shoes and tell us to get on with it! Dancers need someone to hold and someone to support them when they're first learning, otherwise there will be a lot of broken ankles around...

So, in fact, by banning it, they'd actually make it more dangerous!

David

[sarah-flute]

The problem is that if it gets banned completely rather than just frowned upon, pointe work isn't going to be safe any more - they can't just give us a pair of pointe shoes and tell us to get on with it! Dancers need someone to hold and someone to support them when they're first learning, otherwise there will be a lot of broken ankles around...

So, in fact, by banning it, they'd actually make it more dangerous!

David

Considerably more (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[Violinia]

Reading through these replies (thanks to all for responding) it seems as if most of you think it's an overreation on the husband's side, but a couple say they would never enter into this sort of email banter with a pupil, not because they feel it's wrong per se, but because it could be misconstrued.

I've since found out that the parents of the boy are aware of the banter (they all share the same email address), know the teacher personally and aren't the least bit bothered. I think I shall advise my friend to tell her husband to lighten up and give it a rest. Perhaps he's jealous!

There was something in the press last week, funnily enough, about whether teachers should establish friendly relationships with their pupils. Some think not, others think yes. From my own experience, my favourite subjects and the ones I worked hardest at were the subjects taught by the teachers I related to the most. A wonderful English teacher who told some of us her Christian name, and we used to bump into her at CND marches complete with duffle coat and bearded husband. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) A fantastic, eccentric French teacher who used to stay around and chat after lessons. A very warm-hearted music teacher.....

On the other side, a loathsome geography teacher (I hated geog with a vengeance because of her), ditto all the science subjects. Teachers who keep a cold distance from their pupils can't possibly foster a love for the subject. I know there has to be a balance and there's no need to go over the top with friendship to foster a love for a subject, but teachers and children are human beings and should be able to treat each other as such. That's my view anyway.

Violinia

[crazy cow]

The problem is that if it gets banned completely rather than just frowned upon, pointe work isn't going to be safe any more - they can't just give us a pair of pointe shoes and tell us to get on with it! Dancers need someone to hold and someone to support them when they're first learning, otherwise there will be a lot of broken ankles around...

So, in fact, by banning it, they'd actually make it more dangerous!

David

Considerably more (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

Yep! There's no way I would learn pointe if our teachers weren't allowed to touch us - it's just way too dodgy for my liking!
EDIT: That's the pointe work without support, not the teachers being allowed to touch us...(IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

I agree with Violinia about a good relationship helping the subject - one of our classes hates the double lessons with a certain teacher, mainly because it's really boring and we all hate the teacher! But in the other subjects we all have a fantastic time - if pupils enjoy being in the lessons then they're going to learn more, and if having a good relationship with the teacher leads to enjoyable lessons then I can't see that there's anything wrong with it.

[sarah-flute]

but teachers and children are human beings and should be able to treat each other as such. That's my view anyway.

Amen to that.

That will translate to different things with different teachers (and different children, come to that) of course - but being able to realise a teacher is actually human under all the learning and authority, and that *gasp* they are on your side, makes a world of difference (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[CET]

I find myself wondering how much we are damaging children by an unnatural stand-offishness. I remember a story a vicar used to tell of how in America the government orphanages cleaned up their act as they learn about the need for hygiene. In one place there were two close together; one with the new standards imposed which also involved far less touching and cuddling of the babies, and a nearby one which was filthy and babies shared bottles etc. but lots of love and cuddles.
The startling results of a comparison was though that the clean orphanage had a much higher mortaility rate.

It really does worry me that children are being taught that touching is wrong by excessive political sensitivity to touch and that young brains can't grow properly because they need the physical stimulation and loving care. How much does this contribute to the alienation so many teenagers feel?

If there was less violence and sexually explicit material around on TV and press perhaps that would be a better way of protecting children from people who are affected by the materials, yet there seems little political will to do that.

[Rosemary7391]

Yes - teachers and pupils are Human, and need to be treated as such. Theres nothing wrong with teachers being friendly, it makes life a little nicer for everyone. Just a shame some people can't tell the difference between friendly and dodgy. PC has a lot to answer for (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) TV should definitly be cleaned up. Then perhaps people wouldn't misinterpret things, because they had not been exposed to misinterpretation?

[Morgan's Munchkin]

This post really interested me. I have a very close relationship with my school music teacher, and will often email her. Often it's about work, but often it's just random stuff / jokes. I think child protection laws have gone too far now. Ok, so if an adult is touching a child inappropriately it should be picked up on, but the rest of the time i can't see a problem with it. My teacher has hugged me before (which no doubt she wouldn't really be allowed to do), and being a school music teacher rather than an instrumental teacher, she has helped me through a heck of a lot of other issues as well. I think it's very sad that teachers/adults have to be so carful about what they do nowadays. A friend of mine (only 3 years older than me) has recently started working at my school and we have to be so careful about seeing each other at school. It's almost as though he cant be my friend anymore because I'm a student and he's a member of staff. Does 3 years really make that much difference?

[tonyteech]

I am a private teacher and I teach mainly adults I do not communicate to my child pupils directly and would refer always to the parent in the first instance It is safer for me and for them

I also am friendly with a lot of my female pupils but emails are always strictly business but friendly because my sense of humour may not be shared by them and give them offence I have one pupil who is a friend as well but he is a 50 something widower with 3 sons

[Horatio]

Thing is, you either trust someone or you don't. If you don't trust them, don't, at any cost, leave your child with them, not for an instant, however many other adults are around and however many CRB documents they hold... But if you DO trust the person, they just trust them! Stop worrying about emails between teacher and pupil, stop worrying about the teacher touching your daughter or son - he's only trying to help them improve their technique, or demonstrate an important part of breath control, or a tricky finger position.

What I'm saying here is, no amount of government sledgehammer legislation will protect children from those few psychopaths who are, unfortunately, around, no matter what we do. But they ARE few. Very, very few. Most teachers are decent, well-meaning, trying to do their best for their students. So make up your own mind (if you're a parent) and just ask yourself if you trust this guy or woman. If you do, then relax. If not, get the ###### out.

And if you are the teacher - keep doing the right thing for the pupils. You have to teach them the best way you know how, and if that involves physical contact then there can't be anything wrong with that. Your intentions are honest and proper, that's what matters. It's only by teaching well, and making a difference in people's lives, that these stupid pc rules can be shown to be exactly that.

[notmusimum]

The Girls have a Piano teacher who is in her 70's. Last year she gave them a little gift at Christmas and they both gave her a hug. I was a little unsure, form her reaction, she was a bit surprised. They see her as a Grandma type figure (she's not been teaching them very long but we have known her a long time) and she does have Grandchildren of a similar age. Now if they pass exams or she gives them some rock form her holidays she is quite used to being hugged. They are very fond of her.

It's such a shame that children are often put off building a special relationship with someone who is totally trustworthy because of how society has developed. Children need to associate with a variety of people from outside their family in order to develop understanding of others, not everyone is a threat or a risk.

[jm-hamilton]

The Girls have a Piano teacher who is in her 70's. Last year she gave them a little gift at Christmas and they both gave her a hug.

One of my pupils gave me a big hug when I gave her the results of one of her piano exams. She's moved on now, but I still see her in Youth Choir and a couple of weeks ago she came over and put her head on my shoulder cos she was tired.

[nicki_flute]

My flute teacher brought me home from school today, as I had frees and she was going on to a village nearby. If I was under 16 she would have had to have parental permission for me to be brought home..

[Susie]

Isn't it interesting that all these posts indicate that commonsense is prevailing in spite of all the politically correct stuff. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I think the huge majority of instrumental teachers know what is appropriate for them, their pupils and in their general situation. Each pupil is an individual and it is important to build up the kind of working relationship that everyone concerned is happy with.