Hi! I am quite new as a teacher (of about 9 months now), and is inexperience in dealing with young children. My age doesn't help either as i'm barely a decade older than my student A, she treats me more like a buddy than a teacher... (by the way... she's about 10 years old)

I mean not that i don't take that as a bad sign, i mean i would like to be a friend as well as a teacher... but the thing is... she doesn't practise at all.... It's been a month since i've assigned her a piece (note, only one piece) and she can't even play it separate hands without making a mistake let alone playing it with both hands, the basic fluency....etc (you get the idea)... I've practically have to work with her bar by bar everytime she comes in. And everytime i asked her to practise, she would only reply that she is rather "busy" with school and tuition. (though i think that this is not a very good excuse as many other students would still be able to find time for practise despite having school and tuition)

While playing her pieces, i do notice that she is more occupied looking at her fingers rather than the book (even though she's playing a piece for the first time!!!!).... I do think that it is a rather bad habit to memorize a piece that one has not have a basic fluency... let alone polished yet.

I did try talking to her (even demonstrating) about quality practise over quantity practise but it didn't work.

How can i motivate her to practise? I would really like your advice.

eelyn_29d

If she is not practising, the piece is possibly too hard for her - find some easier things that she can play without the need for putting in the time at home.

If this doesn't motivate her to play more, it is probably worth having a word with the parents as to whether she genuinely wants to play.

Good luck

Does she know how to practise ? Is she really clear about what she is meant to do and how she should go about it? It may be that she looks at her piece,can't focus on what to do first and just never gets going.

It's possible that the pieces are just a bit difficult - that would certainly be off-putting if it were the case.

Encourage her to play easy pieces without looking at her hands.

What book(s) are you using with her?

Maggie, i do think she knows how to practise though i think i would go through that with her again...

hmmm.... i do not believe that the piece that i have assigned her to do was to difficult.... she had in fact already past her grade 1, practical exam (not sure by how much though... she's a transfer student)

The books that i use with her are J. Thompson Bk 1 and Up-Grade - Gd 1 - 2

she does plan to sit for her grade 2 exam next year.... but I'm having serious doubts...

I've just succeeded in getting a 7 year old to practise - and boy! - has she improved! Secret? Bribery! I rang her mum and mentioned I'd seen something that suggested a reward scheme - so every time she practises without being asked she gets 2 stars, and if she practises after a prompt from mum or dad she gets 1 star. 30 stars = a book from the local bookshop. The reward was discussed between pupil and parent - I can give extra stars too for how she does in the lesson. Of course, the rewards would be different with an older pupil, but it might still work. She could always next time save up her stars for a larger number for, say, a special trip to somewhere! (like the zoo, for example.) Or a larger pressie - a bigger book or video or something. I was sceptical about trying it - and she's my only pupil on the scheme but it has certainly worked.

Sometimes you need to explain to the parents the need to practice and suggest ways of making it possible to fit it in.
Sometimes suggesting that you need to discuss this with mum or dad has the desired efftct without having to actually do so....

If she treats you more like a buddy than a teacher I wonder if maybe she thinks she doesn't have to do as you say. I think there's a difference between having a good relationship with a pupil and trying to be their friend. Perhaps you could try to be less of a buddy - I'm not advocating you suddenly become a nasty ogre, but get her to realise that you are her teacher.

When I first set out I was only about 8 yrs older than my first pupil and in secondary schools many new teachers could be only 5 or 6 years older than the pupils they teach, so I don't think that's the main problem.