...what if your teacher gets 'tired' of teaching you....

I'm an adult beginner. At my last lesson, my teacher was talking about a french horn teacher he knew who found it hard at the university level because he'd already taught all those students at highschool (not many french horn teachers in my area). He talked about students needing a different teacher after so many years. He quickly said that he wasn't implying that I need a new teacher (I'm starting my 7th year with him) but it got me thinking....

Do teachers tire of students after a few years? What is the maximum number of years with one student? Do they feel like they can't improve on what they've already taught even though the student has not progressed to an advanced level? Do they get bored and demotivated to teach the same student after a while??

I really hope (and think) my teacher enjoys teaching me (I think he's great) but now I'm concerned. Maybe I need to be more proactive or self-directed in my lessons...or something....

I NEVER get tired of any student who works hard and cooperates with me!

I'm blessed with really good students, so I don't get tired of them. If my private piano students resemble my public-school students, then I'd quit a long time ago.

But I do get tired of the same order of events each year. My students do CM (our state's annual test) every year, but it's becoming a big drag for my teaching. There are other keyboard works I want to explore for my students, but the demands of the CM test make it impossible to veer off track at any time of the year--especially for the more advanced levels. I almost want to call off testing for a year so we can work on technique and etudes, but I'm sure some parents will scream foul.

I also get tired of dealing with some of the parents. The students are great, but parents...they can be more cooperative and supportive, and less "high maintenance."

Its funny, I used to think this way as a student. Actually sometimes I would mockingly say "I feel sorry for all those teachers who have to put up with me! Goodness me I am so annoying! I ask SO many questions!" that's when many teachers reply with "that's a good thing! Some students are nice but don't even listen to me! Let alone ask questions."

One teacher I had through the year said to me "its not you its them" ... That really gave me the assurance to never assume.

I'm sure you'd be able to tell if your teacher got bored of you ... and if your teacher appeared bored then I am sure its not you its him, he's the one that is tired of teaching you're not the cause of it!

This type of "what if" thinking used to worry my a lot. I've learned that its not the case. People are people, its not worth thinking "my teacher is tired of me" when he really isn't.

Sandy, I'm sure your teacher isn't tired of you.

I have never once in my whole life become annoyed at any student who asked "too many questions", as long as the student was polite.

I think some teachers become annoyed because they don't have the ANSWERS!

My students even correct me when I make a mistake. For instance, if I have just edited a piece of music and printed it out, there may be a fingering mistake or a wrong note. I am EXCITED when my students catch me. It shows they are paying attention and really care!

Thankyou Gary, the other week my teacher wrongly transposed something and I didn't say anything (unlike me, but I was tired) he said "you should have pointed that out!"

Thank you. This is good to hear. My teacher is always patient and never (appears) bored. His focus and passion for teaching inspires me. I do ask questions and may have corrected him once or twice. I'm sure I'm concerned needlesly but he is a very busy man and I imagine sometimes that he MUST wish I'd cancel.... I never do. Lessons are a highlight in my week.

This should probably be a different topic but something I've been thinking about is asking my teacher for an extra lesson once a month for me to play while he listens from a distance[/b]. He is usually sitting a foot or so away from me and listens of course but also carefully watches my hand positions. I don't often get through a whole piece... :rolleyes: . Then again, I'd also like separate lessons each week or month to focus more on theory, history, harmony and ear training.... so much to learn...so little time...

I notate almost all the music I teach to beginners and intermediates in Finale, and only one student, who helped me proof all the Chopin Waltzes, has any idea of the time that takes. (She kept saying, "Your students have no idea how long this take. If I hadn't watched you do it, I wouldn't know.)

I often have three versions of pieces. One has not key signature, with all sharps or flats written as accidentals. The second has the key signature but with reminders in parenthesis. The final version is standard. One common mistake is forgetting to add courtesy accidentals in measures following a measure with added flats, sharps or accidentals. There are many other things like this that happen.

In my own music, I may change something, then make a "correction" while not looking, forgetting that the music is now different. Lots of things happen like this in lessons.

Also, if I so much as brush a wrong key in my better students' music, the sharp ones will catch it. I will say, "Did you hear my mistake in measure x?" Then, if they say "yes", I congratulate them on listening so well. (99 out of 100 people would not have any idea there was a mistake.)

The piano teaching system is generally
set up to teach children from about age
7 to 17. After 17 those with enough talent
are expected to continue on in college
as piano majors. Those who don't are
typically not encouraged to continue
lessons, as they are now adults and their
presence among the children will be
awkward from then on. These students
are usually shown the door in subtle
ways, like the teacher saying they
are good enough to learn on their
own, or they should find a more advanced
teacher because they've gotten too
good, etc.

Thus, adult students don't fit in well
in this system. Many teachers won't take
them. And thus many adults end up with
high-priced university instructors. But
even here there typically comes a time when
they wear out their welcome. Usually
after about 5 yrs. the adult student is expected
to go it on their own from then on, since
what teacher would want an adult student hanging
around for 10 yrs.?

I never get bored as long as a student is learning and responding.

Sometimes after several years the student/teacher relationship can get a little stale and a change of teacher can be a good thing. It sounds like you are a long way off this yet Sandy. If you are enthusiastic about the lessons then your teacher will enjoy teaching you.

Gyro, well.... nevermind....

Thank you Chris. I think my teacher does enjoy teaching me. I certainly enjoy my lessons. I think I'm more concerned about making sure HE isn't bored... sounds silly huh.. He's demanding yet patient, never condescending and I hope to be his student for many more years.

Hehe, I was going to ask what happened to that emotional bond thing. If it's reciprocated, ten years might not be enough!

Steven

Actually, there's a lot of truth in what Gyro wrote. Colleagues in Germany refused to take adults, and because I was teaching there under the umbrella of my wife's employment with the US Government, I wasn't allowed to take them. The USA isn't that rigid, but most of us are trained and geared to working with younger students - students who can put in the time each day, to progress. The fundamentals of artistic and technical playing can be learned by 7th or 8th grade, if the student is taught and is practicing properly. Repertoire can be advancing in difficulty rapidly during the high school years. Unless you are starved for students, why would you want a dilettante?

A few assumptions here, John . You appear to be assuming that younger students can put this time in (whereas we know plenty who because of various other activities can't, or certainly declare they can't) and that adults can't. You also seem to be saying that at least the majority of adult students are mere dabblers. I think my happy band of dedicated and serious adult students might be offended by these assumptions.
I apologise if I've read you wrongly, but it did come across to me as a tad harsh .

As per Currawong - that hurts on many levels.

For the record, everything you said above is not true for me, except that I most definitely encourage people to start as young as they can.
I've never done that. Has this been done to you?
I had an adult student work with me for far *more* than 10 years. She was one of the best students I ever had. Hard-working, very careful to always show up, always cooperative, and she became a fine reader. Apparently you are assuming that almost all teachers have as their goal only teaching people who will major in music, particularly as performance majors.

Any adult who is beginning who goes to such a teacher will be in bad hands.

If by "students" you mean children and by "dilettantes" you mean adults, then, in other words: Why would one want to teach an adult student unless there were no children to teach?

I admit I know nothing about teaching, but that strikes me as a curious thing to say!

(Among the things I don't know are why one would presume that an adult student is a dilettante, and why one would prefer to teach children anyway.)

Steven

p.s. Oops, currawong and KS got here first!

Ouch!! As a very serious 'dilettante' I've just made a note to self to avoid John if I'm ever looking for a teacher in WA....

Let's give John a chance to remove the taste of shoe. It was probably not meant as it sounded or thought through, but I think it does reflect some realities, and maybe needs to stand there bare faced. It may be good to see things as they are, and not how we wish them to be. That is the attitude and expectation among many. Why is that so, and how can an individual student who wants to be taken seriously and work with a good teacher, as opposed to someone who will take the rejects (adults) because they can't get anyone else to study with them, address this?

Good morning all - I could get defensive here and ask you to carefully reread my post without all the assumptions, but I understand where you are coming from. What I was trying to point out that in many countries, the old concept, which Gyro spelled out, is quite operative. I suspect that many of Gyro's old school comments are precisely because he was raised and lives in such an environment.

IPIBAHN, your post made me smile, as a "serious dilettante" is a wonderful non sequitur.

For the record, I have had some wonderful adult students over the years. I would classify these as serious amateurs, which, by the way, are wonderful to work with.

Good Morning to you, John!

It's going to be a bright, bright, sunny day!

Betty

It only gets boring when, for the umpteenth time, the student has not completed the assignment as asked and I have to go over the same section, with the same practice methods and the same analysis again.

Otherwise, it's never boring, and I never get bored.

When students leave the studio, they are enthused. What happens on the ride home that causes the piano to become vile?

Is it that bad, John? Teachers? I have yet to encounter a vile instrument.

I suspect that many of my students own vile pianos.

Zing!

My students do indeed own some questionable instruments, but we make do.

Edit: I am comforted, however, when my students come back and tell me how they'd rather play piano than recorder/clarinet/flute/etc. Except claves, haven't had a student tell me claves aren't fun.

Dear John
I've been learning as a more-or-less advanced adult here in Germany for the past six years with my current teacher. My lessons are through the locally subsidised Musikschule system , which advertises its services to anyone of any age who wants to learn. I've recently taken up flute lessons too. The teachers are all conservatoire gradutes, many are also current performers and many have further pedagogical qualifications. I've never once been made to feel unwanted; at recitals I'm an example of life-long learning and of "grown-ups make mistakes too"!

I feel very lucky here in Germany. In the UK I'd probably be paying twice the price for comparable quality.

I started very early and stopped when I had to move and leave my piano behind in middle school. I've only recently picked it up again when I was financially able to afford a real piano and pay for lessons. I hope my piano teacher doesn't see me as a failure! I put more effort into my practice than I ever did as a child and my musicality is vastly improved.

Question: Do you get bored with some students?

Answer: Nah, what's not to love about them all? I can be very patient, make that very, very patient. Besides there is always plenty of thought going on inside my head, and they say boredom comes from within.

I've noticed that time seems to move in slow motion when nothing is happening. Some kids take longer than others to turn pages, and go through each page looking for their next song. This big clue tells me they don't really know what's on their list of songs for the week, they probably haven't practiced them.

Sometimes I say "Your parking meter is ticking and your lesson time is running out." In which case they try to turn the pages a little faster, and look at me out of the corner of their eye.

I wonder if any of them know what a parking meter is, so much parking is at the mall these days, or courtesy parking with no meters to feed.

So after a time or two of this, I offer them post it markers to find the pages they need to do for next lesson. This helps as they can turn right to the page.

If slowness continues, I play the piece once with the timer going in seconds and minutes to see how many seconds it took them to play a piece. (One page, 4 lines). Then I'll play it at the tempo mentioned as an example of a finished piece. Yesterday, my example was 18 seconds and the students was 28 seconds. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth formed an "O". She sat a little taller, tried again, and aced it.

I always make examples of listening to silence and ask them when they think one minute is up. Big wake up call for both of us!

If we expect to use "One Minute Manager" type responses, we need to know what one minute feels like. And, 60 claps along with a MM60 helps them feel each and every minute go by.

Busy revving up these kids who might opt for "boring".

Give them something to be alert to!

dorfmaus, I'm sorry, I missed your post. Of course, a lot has changed in Germany over the past several decades. Which state do you live in? As you know, some are more progressive than others. I lived first in the Nuernberg area (Franken) and then in the Pilatinate, and heard this from German colleagues and German adult students who wanted to take lessons.