Hello!!

A few weeks ago I was recommended to buse pracitce books to make sure my pupils practice. They have sticker charts in them and are very nice little notebooks. There is one ltttle boy though who won't use it and won't practice. I have tried bribing him and even senfding letters home to his parents. I explain to him the importance of practicing but he just doesn't care. He is so far behind and I am close to chucking him out of the lessons. Does anyone have any ideas???

Thanks in advance!

QUOTE (rosie.clarinet @ Apr 24 2005, 05:48 PM)

He is so far behind and I am close to chucking him out of the lessons. Does anyone have any ideas??? Thanks in advance!

What age is he? If he won't practice and his parents won't support you by ensuring he practices at home, then theres not much you can do except discontinue lessons. He can't learn if he doesn't practice so whats the point of wasting time and money?

Is this shared lessons in school?

Yes, its shared lessons at school. He's seven. I think I will recommend he stops lessons.

I dont think its fair if he shares a lesson because wont that hold other people up. Im not a teacheror anything but I think you should say to his parents that you think he should stop lessons

If he isn't motivated to practice then he probably doesn't want to learn. From experience of shared lessons, I know that if you are at a different standard to the other person it can hold you back. The teacher can't be expected to teach two different levels at the same time.
David

Without direct contact with parents I think this is tricky.
Maybe the others in the group just have the good luck to have musical/motivated parents to help out.
I wouldn't seriously expect a 7 year old (especially in this situation) to be taking care of his own practice.

Sometimes with younger children it may be better to avoid calling it practice and talk more about just playing the instrument at home for fun. Without a parent to guide I would be surprised if the average 7 year old really understands and remembers what you expect them to be doing at home anyway.

The first time i did any practice on an instrument was when I began private piano lessons.... I don't remember practice being mentioned by my clarinet teacher in school and my parents didn't know about learning an instrument to tell me either. When i played cornet I didn't even have lessons just learned how to blow the thing and make the notes then played in the band at school and music centre.