AGREE

forgive me - I haven't a clue what you're talking about.
If it has an innuendous meaning, I didn't realise that.
My main career is not in music.

it's just that it implies teaching music isn't a 'proper job'-I'm sure it was just a figure of speech and not meant in that sense.
Anyway agreed 15 minutes shared lesson is shocking-I mean what is the point? I don't know what some schools are thinking of-I'd like to say I think it's better nowadays but sadly don't think it always is.

Of course teaching is a proper job. It's just not mine. I did not imply anything else.

There seems to be a lot of talk here about teachers dealing with family, phonecalls, et al and wasting lesson time. That is maybe a problem if you have lessons in your teachers home.

I just started having music lessons about a month ago. I took up an instrument I have not played since i was at secondary school. Anyway, I attend a purpose built music school near where I live. So I do not go to my teachers home for lessons, I go to the school. The rooms are purpose built for learning music with no furniture in them: only instruments and music stands.

There is a reception area and a place to get your own drinks while you wait and there are office staff to look after you if you need any help before/after your lesson.

Bottom line: you get your lesson totally distraction free. As you are attending a school for your lesson and not the teachers home, you get your lesson with no distractions including phonecalls and family, et al.

Perhaps it is somehting to look into if you have a teacher with too many distractions at their home.

Some teachers kids are VERY good at not interrupting without a good reason......

Took my son for a violin lesson a few years ago. The teacher had a very obediant 5 year old son who knew he could come and watch lessons whenever he wanted BUT he was not allowed to talk or be distracting.

In he came. Looked a little anxious. Sat down. Caught his mothers eye and smiled, she smiled back. He waited a while......moved nearer to her, sat down. A minute later he tapped her arm and went to whisper something to her. She told him NO. He waited. At the end of the piece she told him "If it's very important, tell me now" and he stage whispered to her "Just that the kitchen is FULL OF SMOKE"!

Bless. What a star.

I'm the one who actually does the talking in my lessons! Still it is unacceptable that teachers waste the time and money of other people when lessons are actually quite expensive!

Hi,

I've missed a lot of this thread while on holiday. I agree with just about everything that's been said. One comment made me really furious though.




Sorry, not furious with the person, with whom I sympathise, just with this idea that we often have that because WE are not paying cash for it, it's not as important.

You DO pay for it! Every time you buy something from a shop, 17% is going to pay for it. Your parents are paying for it through tax. Every litre of petrol? About 80% is paying for it. Cigarettes, beer, drink, council tax, even the interest on your meagre savings!

Scholarship or not, without you and people like you, this teacher would be living in a cardboard box under a bridge and begging in the streets. Okay, exaggeration...just a little. But you get my drift.

As for cats and dogs, my son's piano teacher has both. They are NOT allowed into the room during lessons.

Hope everything gets sorted out soon!

Steve

It is one thing when a teacher tries to talk about her cat for 3 minutes in the middle of a lesson just to give the child a little break. Then after that 3 minutes or so, she goes back into the lesson.

If not, i guess you must have warned the teacher of her unneccessary chatter & if she doesn't comply, fire her... you can hire another teacher for your child who is more dedicated in her job :-)

People do need breaks in lessons. Especially younger children, I just have a lesson plan and know if I deviate from it too much then the work doesn't get covered. However there are time that lessons get interupted. But people know I teach from home, have small children and there are times where that telephone call is important. But my primary focus is always on the pupil. But talk is sometimes inevitable, especially when you are trying to engage with the inner musician rather than just teach technique.