What is the hardest part in teaching a student?

[go12_3]

What I mean "the hardest part" is we as teachers instruct our students----
Is it technique?  Fingering?  Learning to read notes?  Memorizing?  Musicial interpretation?  Ear training?  Theory?  For me, when I teach beginners,it is usually the technique, how to strike the keys to make a pleasant tone; fingering, learning to read notes, and.......... the list goes on depending upon students' abilities and comprehension. 

[go12_3]

I forgot one thing!   Teaching a student to COUNT!   How could I forget that?

[pianisten1989]

I am a student, and I suppose the musical part is hardest to learn. It's so abstract. "Do a little rubato there, and it will be perfect" doesn't really work. and the "What do You think" is sometimes good, but sometimes very akward for the student.

[m19834]

Well, it really depends on the student and what the student's particular strong points and weak points may be.  In some sense, the hardest part about teaching a student is not really about the student, as much as it is about being a good teacher or not.  I find it challenging to get inside of a student's head to try to figure out where problems are stemming from.  Sometimes problems are easily solved, sometimes they are tricky, and it's challenging sometimes to know exaclty what is going on !

[nanabush]

Dealing with parents who are more interested in making music lessons convenient for their schedules than they are interested in their kids' progress.

[go12_3]

Dealing with parents who are more interested in making music lessons convenient for their schedules than they are interested in their kids' progress.

Yes, I agree with that one!  I have to arrange and then rearrange my schedule on occasion, and now with Summer, I have specific time slots for my students' lessons when I am available to teach.  And most parents don't even thank me for the *job* I do for thier kids.   

[dr. j]

The most challenging part of teaching is discovering what motivates each student and how to use that knowledge to help that student become the best pianist possible. 

Dr. J

[Bob]

Getting everything in.

Knowing your guiding them along in the best, most effective/efficient way. 

Things come with time, but still... That stuff has always bothered me.  Maybe I think too much.  Another one then... Letting the student become aware of issues like that.

[nia_kurniati]

When they don't practice at all not even once at home. So we have to sit and waiting them reading notes by notes. And then we must face it again next week and the next week 

[go12_3]

Yes, I know what you mean, nia_kurniati, how each lesson a student has to play note for note and it becomes more common especially in the Summer time when families are on vacation and my students are away and don't practice as much.  But, that is a part of being a teacher, some students take more time to understand the notes.  I have a new student that has no idea what to do so I had to pick a piece in order to know what her level is and she slightly knows the notes.  Plus, the fact she quit lessons after 2 months because she didn't like her former teacher, I wonder how she will like me as a teacher.... like will she quit after a few weeks because she won't like me also? 

best wishes,

go12_3

[mcdiddy1]

         The hardest part for me is teaching kids to be motivated enough to continue learning without the teacher. The fact that they can be successful with someone helping this is something I would want them to take away.
By the way in regard to the students who don't practice at home and come in waiting for you to go over each note I think they may have simple case of "learned helplessness" . Thats when they learn not to think for themselves because you the teacher are going to bail them out.
      Every other week I try and challenge that by first teaching them the tricks for remebering the notes and then have THEM explain how to figure out notes they don't know. Often I will let them play through the piece ,wrong notes and al,l and they know exactly when it does sound right. I might stop and say that sounds funny ,and I will not tell them why. Suddenly ,they figure they have to use what you taught them to figure out problems. What a concept! They never leave the lesson without knowing the correct notes and more importantly how to fix it.