Teaching and Learning

Hooray! Lesson today went well. My work paid off. =) I felt inspired after lesson, hell, I didn't particularly want to leave, but I had to go earn money.

My students...I don't really know where to begin. There are the two little ones (five and six year olds) who, each on their own are fine, but together can't sit still long enough to play four bars of the same song they've been playing for two weeks now. Then there is the seven and nine year old, the seven year old is kind of quiet, but smart, and catches on fast. The nine year old, well, I'm not sure he cares enough to really put forth effort. Or maybe he just hasn't figured out how to practice.

Then I have two sisters, each right after each other, twelve and six. The twelve year old reminds me of me, quiet, shy, smart, and just overall cute. =) She's doing well. Her sister does well too, when she behaves, and maybe I just don't know kids (I have to keep reminding myself to stop using the college vocabulary), but how long is the average attention span of a six year old?

My next student, another twelve year old, wow. So shy, she make me look like super outgoing. As in during our first lesson, she was so freaked out (by me? I'm the least intimidating person I know!) she was not only on the brink of tears the entire half hour, but led me to believe she wasn't as competant a pianist as she is.

And the saxophone student? Does not want to listen to me. Thinks, apparently, that his embouchure suits him fine, except that it doesn't. But how do I get this kid to listen to me? How do you teach someone who doesn't want to learn? How do you get someone to believe you, that you do know what you are talking about and that they should really listen to you? I saw it written all over this kid's face: he didn't believe that this new embouchure makes him sound better. I know I've given this look to teachers before (most likely when they say something along the lines that I can do it. being the negative person I am). How did they convince me to listen?

Don't get me wrong, I love teaching these kids. It's just frustrating sometimes to not know how to help them, to not be as efficient in teaching as I should. I came home, and was too exhausted mentally to do any more music work. So I watched tv and blogged instead.

'til next time.