Nightmare teacher rant! Options

[FullofWind]

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[onemoretime]

Maybe as parents when looking for teachers we should look at our own criteria for suitability, rather than just going on reputation, qualifications, geographic location etc.
I know I would be prepared to travel miles if it was the only way of accessing the most suitable tuition.
There are good and bad teachers, the same as there are parents.
We all have our opinions and sites like this are here for us to voice them.
Part of my criteria is foremost instrumental specialist, extensive professional performance experience , knowledge of education of music and ability to offer advice and guidance.
Not important is the ability to accompany in exams.
Personally I look for the higher musical qualifications rather than grade 8 and feel this is not a level to offer tuition. But this is my opinion.

[chraze1]

Maybe as parents when looking for teachers we should look at our own criteria for suitability, rather than just going on reputation, qualifications, geographic location etc.
I know I would be prepared to travel miles if it was the only way of accessing the most suitable tuition.
There are good and bad teachers, the same as there are parents.
We all have our opinions and sites like this are here for us to voice them.
Part of my criteria is foremost instrumental specialist, extensive professional performance experience , knowledge of education of music and ability to offer advice and guidance.
Not important is the ability to accompany in exams.
Personally I look for the higher musical qualifications rather than grade 8 and feel this is not a level to offer tuition. But this is my opinion.

Hi onemoretime,

I'm curious to know why you feel grade 8 isn't a suitable level to offer tuition?,
I teach piano and have done for a while now. I'm working on my grade 8 practical at the moment and grade 6 theory. I would hope to have acheived both by next spring at the very latest.

All of my parents were told of my level before I took on any pupils (I have 14). I categorically told them that I'm not at the top of my game and that I'm still studying.
No one had a problem with that.
I'm currently on the Being an Effective Teacher Course that the ABRSM offer and I'm having excellent feedback on my assignments.

Now here's my opinion!, I think it's good to continue with personal, professional development. I think it might be rather easy to attain some wonderful qualifications and rest thereafter.

Here's a little point to ponder on, although it's regarding a different subject. My daughter who is in 2nd yr at high school has muddled through maths since primary school, she's never grasped it completely and she had as much support at home as we could give. When she started high school, I raised my concerns and was told that the maths dept/teacher would ensure she understood the lessons. Her teacher took great delight in rhyming off his qualifications at parents night last year however couldn't seem to convey his skills to my daughter. I then paid good money for a private tutor who was a DOCTOR of maths, and low and behold, she was still none the wiser!. Now any normal parent would, by this point, be possibly accepting that perhaps it was just my child and that was the way things were going to be in this subject.
However she started 2nd year and has a young teacher who hasn't been teaching very long, doesn't appear to have any airs and graces about her, and would you believe it, my daughter was practically in tears because suddenly she understands the subject. She describes it as "everything has fallen into place", She cannot believe that this teacher speaks to her in a way that she understands!
Just for the record my daughter doesn't have any learning difficulties!

So why do you believe that only those and such as those are worthy of teaching?.

By the way 10 of my 14 pupils have all sat exams grade 1, 2 & 3 and with the exception of 1, they all have merit passes, one who missed distinction by 2 marks! Am I really doing that badly?

Also, I perform every weekend with a band in various venues, I sing, play alto saxophone and keyboards, and have done for over 20 years. Does that make me suitable in the extensive professional performance experience department that you speak of?