Unmotivated Student!

[ivoryplayer4him]

I am a new teacher, and i started out with a young girl (10 years old) who had already been taking lessons for 3 years!  When i started teaching her, i found out she still didnt know her notes.  she still has problem with middle c!  I've tried and tried to work with her, but i'm finding it so tiring.  To me it seems pointless to work with ehr on something that she should already know.  The teacher she had prior to me had a Doctorite in piano, and she still didnt learn the notes, which tells me that either she was unmotivated, didnt care, or he was just getting their money.  I just recently started teaching some older, more mature students who seem very smart, and i absolutly LOVE teaching them.  I can talk to them on a very intellectual level, and tell them my philosophy on music and piano in general, and they love it and actually come out with something.  but when i go to her house to teach her, its just a drag.  I'm started to actually HATE it.  Any suggestions would be very helpful for me and for that girl.  I mean, am i too strict to expect that, or whats the deal?

[alvaro_galvez]

Just confront her. Tell her "Do you really like piano?". And referring to all the background you have stated the answer will probably be no but I bet she wont have the nerve to actually say it so help yank it out, advise her some other instruments or some other form of art, dancing, painting, etc. instead of taking "boring piano"  .

[faulty_damper]

Wow, you must really be inexperienced if this is your first "unmotivated" student.  Since you are the teacher, then it is partly your duty to remove the "un" in "unmotivated".

Ask her this question:  have you heard any kind of music played on the piano?  Anything fun that you enjoy?

Be prepared for this clichèd answer: "no"
And then be prepared to play something fun and interesting*.  And you'd better impress her.

Then ask her to join in or find some way to make her play some notes.  After 3 years, you've got a lot of conditioning to un-condition and then condition it to something that she enjoys.


*Fun and interesting from her point of view, not yours.

[bernhard]

You always have the option of not teaching her (is money a consideration?)

However I would like to suggest something else.

I personally do not believe that it is possible to motivate someone. I think it is possible to a certain extent to inspire people, but motivation must ultimately come from within.

So the question here is: Why is this child having lessons? I would guess their parents want it. If so, and if you decide to keep teaching this child, I would suggest that you have a talk with her parents. The question here is now: How motivated the parents are? If they are truly motivated, they will agree to the suggestion below.

1.      Explain to them that the girl has no motivation. She is not practising and you are both engaging in a session of mutual torture.

2.      Then tell them that you still want to teach her but under different conditions.

3.      Say that for the next three to six months you would like to try an experiment. You want her to practise daily under your supervision. So she must come to you every day for 30 minutes (or 1 hour if you think that is better). Obviously you will charge accordingly.

4.      There is no better encouragement than success. The regimen above will guarantee success, trust me.

5.      Now comes the most important part – for your ears only – do not tell her or her parents about this. You must not regard this student as a piano student. That is, someone who you must teach and after a certain period must show results to vindicate what a good teacher you are. Instead regard her as a human resource to increase your ability and skill as a teacher. As far as you are concerned she is a “teaching Assignment” for you. She is like a mathematical problem that will – in the process of solving it – increase your mathematical ability and knowledge tenfold.

Once upon a time I relished taking on impossible students. Each one taught me how to deal with a different learning problem.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Swan]

It is a challenge to help someone unmotivated, but I believe it can be done!  about 18 months ago, a mother rang me and said her daughter was learning at school, but she wanted to quit.  The mother was hoping that private lessons would be better.  

Her first lesson was like pulling teeth.  I've never seen such an unhappy child.  Everything was, huh, erh, mmmmm, iuhoo... Didn't make eye contact with me - she was telling me loud and clear I DONT WANT TO BE HERE AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ENJOYING MYSELF OR LEARNING ANYTHING FROM YOU!

I happen to like challenges, so out came the hugest amount of enthusiasm, lots of praise when something was complied with, songs SHE wanted to learn, and now I get the 'cool' response to new things.  She performs in my recitals, and now practises every week.  

[MrsMusic]

Dear Swan

<<Her first lesson was like pulling teeth.  I've never seen such an unhappy child.  Everything was, huh, erh, mmmmm, iuhoo... Didn't make eye contact with me - she was telling me loud and clear I DONT WANT TO BE HERE AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ENJOYING MYSELF OR LEARNING ANYTHING FROM YOU>>

I had to chuckle at this paragraph in particular. A student I taught this morning started off her first lessons with me exactly like this. The huh, erhh and mmmmmm could be quotes from her. She now speaks to me, plays expressively and well, practices and loves to play. She  played in public more than any of my students this year. Students come in all flavors, don't they? I like the challenge too.

[Swan]

... sorry, I didn't get to finish my post (hubby wanted to use the computer for something).

think it is possible to a certain extent to inspire people, but motivation must ultimately come from within.

This is probably right.  I do think however a teacher can play an important role in making a child sit up and take notice, or have the opposite effect.  I remember trying to be really disruptive in my music class one year in high school because I had NO respect for the teacher.  Yet, I was a little angel in my other classes ...

If there is some kind of barrier with your student, I've found the best way of breaking these down is by getting them to laugh.  It's really hard to stay defensive if they're laughing.   Why I think it's an attitue probablem rather than a learning one (although yes, the two are instrincically involved) is only because I find it hard to understand how any one could play the piano for three years and still have troubles with middle C.

What kind of problem exactly ivoryplayer?  Do you mean in identifying where it is on the keyboard, or identifying it as a note on the staff?

Do things away from the piano with her.  Games are a great way to break down barriers and apply concepts.

Writing notes as well as just read them may help - especially if you get her to use coloured pencils, or something 'fun' and stimulating.  

You know the saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again."  I ignore that, and replace it with, "If at first you don't succeed, try something different."

Kids pick up on impatience and irritability - they are also sensitive to whether or not their teacher likes them.  Be careful here.  Try and muster up some positive enthusiasm and equip yourself with a few different plans of action.  Something as radical as taking her into the backyard (if it's a sunny day) sitting down on the grass and asking her help to 'make' a board game, or a card game, or something where she is directly involved.

If you're still finding it hard, and nothing seems to work, talk to the parents, and say truthfully that you're out of ideas.  Do they have any?  If their idea is to get a new teacher, well then your problem is solved.  

Once upon a time I relished taking on impossible students. Each one taught me how to deal with a different learning problem.

This is so true Bernhard.  

....but why only 'once upon a time' - how are things different for you now?

[bernhard]

This is so true Bernhard.  

....but why only 'once upon a time' - how are things different for you now?

Mostly because of my current way of teaching. Most impossible students, when they receive the information I send about the way I teach go looking for another teacher. I cannot say I am devastated…

By the way, the most impossible student is the one who has no interest whatsoever in music, and is there because the parents are forcing him/her to be there.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[kulahola]

Too strict because you demand that she knows where middle C is after 3 years of teaching

Do you think that this girl will be able to play one day ?

I am sure she wont. What s the point then teaching her ? Hope you dont do that for money. Teachers who teach for money create a generation of anti-classical music lovers.

I would release her right away, she probably would be happy to go back to her Nintendo.