most common excuse for not practicing from schoolchildren

[geze]

Hello, I'm Greg and I'm an office worker and not officially a piano teacher even though I have taught a few adults even as a child! So, as teachers what excuses do you get from kids that don't practice. Homework (the old chestnut). Let me tell you, my ex teacher from a London conservative wasn't having it from one pupil - he said "let it affect you sleep and sleep one hour less". So, come on teachers what are the most common there days?

[Bob]

Didn't have time.

Forgot.

The teacher didn't tell them to practice that week.  Or, their parents didn't tell them to practice.

They didn't know they were supposed to.

There was something really good on tv.

They're parrents wouldn't let them.

They were on vacation.

Video games.

They had homework/big school project.

Misc. bizarre reasons that don't really make sense.  Ex.  "My mom had to dust the piano."  (Not worth asking why they didn't do the simple solution.)

[mcdiddy1]

Common reasons for not practicing ....I forgot how it goes......( How about reading the notes on the page with the letters and numbers under it)

I didn't have time ....( But you had time to put your clothes on, brush your teeth, take a shower, put your shoes on, watch tv, but there wasn't ten minutes to play through your piece of a total time of 30 seconds.

I had homework....( Everyday of the week?)

I dunno .....(??)

Yea its always fun seeing them find time to practice when recital time comes up though.

[quantum]

Over here the amount of homework given to grade school children is ridiculously large.  Probably as much as you would expect in your last years of high school or university.  Fortunately the government has caught on to the problem and is imposing restrictions on the amount of homework that can be assigned, and the times of year when it is not acceptable to assign homework.  

There are too many bureaucrats that cite statistics from standardized testing as a reflection of the "quality" of education children receive.  Must we reduce our children to pie charts.

[slane]

Quantum where is "over here"? As a matter of interest. Its not just the bureaucrats who push for all that homework, the parents do too. I have a friend who moved her kids from one school to another because there was not enough homework at the first. When I said we'd just moved our girl to school with a no homework policy she looked as me as though I were a filthy leper and about to contaminate her children!
So the "I had homework" excuse maybe is not an excuse. I read a similar thread (on this forum maybe??) and someone said he sat down with a student and went through his timetable and there literally was not enough time to practice between all this kids extra curricular activities. Another problem with hyper-parenting.
The dusting piano though .. I wonder how thorough his mum was!

I "forgot how it goes"  may mean they can't read music as well as you think. In the P-plate piano books, some pieces has a diagram of hands and keys where they are supposed to start. That's so cool. So its obviously a problem that crops up quite a bit. Or you could ask them to bring a portable audio recorder and you could record the piece for them. Excuse goes poof!

Haha! But I wonder what sort of excuses I used to give to my poor teacher. "Why don't you practice your scales?" "ummmm ..."
"why isn't that piece any better this week? Did you practice" ... "ummm ... "
I seem to remember that's how it went.

[dcstudio]

ahhh the intricate web of excuses for lack of practice... usually it is the student who is being forced to take piano by an overbearing parent who will begin their explanation at the door as they walk in.  sometimes I like to just sit back and listen to their detailed stories of tests, visitors, sick pets, --if they could only be that creative at the piano.

[pianisten1989]

My dog ate my sheet music..

[geze]

What about girlfriends/boyfriends?

[starlady]

My dog ate my sheet music..

My cat once threw up INSIDE the piano.  I got out of practising for several days, and it wasn't even a lie. 

Now, of course, I scurry around all day trying to sneak in 10 minutes at the piano.  Karma, anyone?   

--s.

[rgh55]

I forgot.

My mom forgot to tell me.

The music fell on the floor?

[dcstudio]

you never taught me that
I lost my book
We were really busy this week
I went to a birthday party on Friday
I didn't understand this so I couldn't practice it
What's this mean? (points to slur)
You didn't tell me to practice that part
you mean, I was supposed to do this with both hands?
I couldn't remember where to put my hands
I forgot what this means (#)
this is too hard for me
I can only play in C
My mom said I didn't have to do that part because it was too hard
can you play this for me?

...finally a few somehow more creative reasons-- usually from the very young
my brother got mad and ripped up my music
my mom moved the piano bench
there was a spider




***hey guys, this is just a list of things I hear from time to time that I know other teachers hear, too.  I knew it would be funny to them--and it was.  It does not in any way mean that I do not have compassion and understanding for my students and a love of what I do. We have to laugh about things our students say sometimes or we will go insane. I sense a lot of bad experiences with piano teachers in the responses below--remember this string is for teachers. 

[quantum]

Slane,

over here is Canada.

[mcdiddy1]

you never taught me that
I lost my book
We were really busy this week
I didn't understand this so I couldn't practice it
What's this mean? (points to slur)
You didn't tell me to practice that part
you mean, I was supposed to do this with both hands?
I couldn't remember where to put my hands
I forgot what this means (#)
this is too hard for me
I can only play in C
My mom said I didn't have to do that part because it was too hard
can you play this for me?

lol....that sounds like my life.

[m1469]

Wow, this thread makes me feel somehow better about life.  I've been trying to think of if I have anything to add to these lists that's not there yet, and I haven't thought of much except for one person who comes to me with a new "ouchy" literally every week.  And, no, there's not abuse, it's all him (he's 12) -- it's either been his pinky, or his thumb, or another digit during basketball, his back, his neck, his ankle, he got sick various times, he's super tired and has a headache, ....

Oh, here's a "good one" from the same person

"I already know how to do that" ...
me:  Okay, let's hear it
"well, it's boring and too easy.  I'd like a different, more challenging piece"
me:  Great, prove it to me then and please do what I'm asking you to do!
*fail* (excuses about various body parts and the long lists above pouring in)

(which, btw, I've actually tried every, single request of he and his mother's and it's *always* some excuse as to why his brilliance is not showing through)

grrr.

[bachbrahmsschubert]

I have a couple of young students and ALL of them have used this one:

"But I can play it perfectly at home! Promise!"

Like we can't tell if they have been practicing or not... *sigh*

[mcdiddy1]

What annoys me the most is when they say" you never taught me this" ( which I have otherwise I would not have put it in your notebook.

I don't get why students feel their brain will explode if they try and learn a pieces beyond what they have been taught. Same notes, same difficulty level, similar rhythms. I always was learning music behind my teachers back but I don't know..not everyone is like me I guess lol

[pianowolfi]

I have a couple of young students and ALL of them have used this one:

"But I can play it perfectly at home! Promise!"

Like we can't tell if they have been practicing or not... *sigh*

Oh yeah. Today I had an interesting case like this:

Student (12 y old) with desperate facial expression and a lot of sighs: "uhmm you know...this piece...I think it's just a bit hard...I mean, I don't get the harmonies. They're weird.  " (Etc.etc...)

I listened a bit and noticed that she had perhaps practiced 3 times in two weeks, as she was slowly deciphering the notes, AGAIN ignoring all of those fingerings I had suggested, crescendo-wise, during the three last lessons!!
Do I really need to explain why I got slightly angry?

Anyway, shortly afterwards: "Oh my, you know this...this...well it just doesn't come to me!!"
Me: "Yes of course it doesn't just come to you, you have to do something for it, you have to read properly, and don't ignore the fingerings that I wrote for you, and first of all, you might even want start to think a bit and don't expect to be spoonfed like a baby and don't behave like a 4year old, as you are 12!!" (and btw she is actually very intelligent, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten angry in the first place)

Student, a bit later: "Well, when I played it during practice it just came to me easily, and now it doesn't"

Me: Well now, first you tell me it doesn't come to you, now you tell me it did come easily to you, so what is now the truth? It can't be both, as you are evidently contradicting yourself!"

....

(Student finally stops acting like a drama queen and starts to work on that piece)

[m1469]

[Sorry, I have to interject with one comment, even though I'm not a schoolchild and even though I am also a teacher who hears "it sounded better at home" from time to time.  I myself have had a certain type of experience in some lessons with actually each of my current teachers where sure, I had worked on it at home but it wasn't going too great in the lesson, and sometimes that by comparison to how it went at home (though some of that might be perception).  Then I have also had a very other certain type of experience where I have in fact worked very hard and I get to a certain point and sometimes in my lesson, and it's like an entirely different person has stepped in and started playing.  It's like I'm in a dream, trying to run and I can't hardly move or am swimming through jello, or as though I'm literally encrusted in stone, suddenly, where it's as though an inner person wants out who absolutely cannot get the body to connect, and the result is not good at all, in any respect, and it's actually not a fun experience in any way.  Sometimes this actually is extremely frustrating and angering, but often in these case, once I start working in my lesson something will free up and I play more naturally again.  Anyway, I hope it doesn't seem the same as a person who has not really worked at all  :-]

[slane]

This is a very interesting thread and has given me much food for thought.

First of all, I remember being very nervous playing for my teacher. Sometimes I'd play so softly she couldn't hear me. Playing for a teacher is a sort of performance and therefore a cause for "nerves". So sometimes I think it must sound better at home. Although I'm sure the more practice one does, the less nerves there'll be.

Some of these issues are with the "process". Where the process is seeing a kid once per week and then sending them off into the great unknown and without proper parental support they probably are at a bit of loss. And remember time works differently for 8 year olds. A week is a huuuuge. amount of time.

To lessen the "into the void" experience a lot of teachers use a notebook that they send home with the kids. I guess for the younger kids its a way of communicating your expectations to the parent (which one would hope they support) and when they are older, of reminding the kid of what you've discussed in the lesson. Including a practice log in the book would make it clear that you expect them to practice! In the same way my child is expected to keep a reading log for school. It sets up an expectation that she will read ... something .. but read it and write it down if you do!
It sets up the expectation for the parents (who are expected to sign it) that they will listen too.

And finally it possible that kid just hasn't understood you and may not even understand that they haven't understood you. My husband had this problem with his Ph. D students! He'd come home in  tizz because 6 months after he told them do "it" they still hadn't! "well did they know what 'it' was?" "Yes of course! I told them!" "But did you get them to tell you what they understood it to be?" The solution is to get them to tell you what it is they are going to do this week before they leave. Spend the last few minutes of the lesson asking "what are you going to do this week? which part of this piece are you concentrating on? What is going to be hard about it? Show me where you start playing!".

Remember you are dealing with mostly 8-16 year olds and at the age their brains are reforming into their adult brain. There is a real physiological reason why they have no common sense. My neighbour is a teacher and she was told at a seminar "If your 8 year old walks up to you while you're doing the dishes and asks 'what are you doing?' its quite possible that they don't understand what you're doing!". So the discipline and analytical skills you teach them for piano at this highly malleable age will help them become a disciplined adult.

[dcstudio]

  Anyway, I hope it doesn't seem the same as a person who has not really worked at all  ]
[/quote]

of course it doesn't sound the same   

[miriamko]

My Mom won't let me play when the baby is asleep.....and he sleeps a LOT!!

[pianowolfi]

My Mom won't let me play when the baby is asleep.....and he sleeps a LOT!!

Babies can sleep lige a log when somebody plays.

[miriamko]

of COURSE they can.......but it makes a great excuse!

[countrymath]

my dog ate my piano

[slane]

I was discussing this thread with a friend whose 2 children, 5 and 7, are learning recorder. Their teacher says "Every day you eat, you must practice!". Well that's clear. Although some 5 year olds might get confused and think its "Every *time* you eat, you must practice"

My friend then went on to say that she wasn't very happy that when the teacher was away (this is in a school) she left a note on the door saying the class was cancelled. Oh clever! A note for a 5 year old who has done one term of school. Even supposing he could read it the odds are high he wouldn't know what to do next! And on another day she left a note saying she was in a different room. She probably thought that was perfectly reasonable!

It goes to show that a teacher can be terrific at their instrument but know very little about childrens' thinking.

[geze]

To slane.: my teacher used to say that you wouldn't miss a fork to your mouth if you were nervous. Practice is the cure for nerves.

[slane]

Actually, I think I could miss my mouth if I were nervous.

[m1469]

Actually, I think I could miss my mouth if I were nervous.

Yeah, I thought, upon first reading that, that I could *totally* miss my mouth!  And, who knows, I might even poke my eye  .

[nanabush]

-couldn't practice because my mom wasn't home
-*blank stare without an answer*
-studying for school exams (to which I ask: what exams, and they answer: "history and gym")
-I'm just not committed any more (what does that mean?!)
-PSN was down (PSN is the online play for playstation), so I had to stay at my friends' and play Xbox.  He doesn't have a piano.

I can't help but laugh!! I'll ask their parents after the lesson if that's the reason, and generally it's because the kids were lazy a$$'s and were watching a marathon of Family Guy or CSI or Kitchen Boss, or whatever.

[mcdiddy1]

I love family guy...I can completely understand that...but its not 24/7 lol

[Derek]

I don't teach, but when I took lessons as a kid, my excuse was that I'd rather be making up my own music, but the teacher couldn't teach me that, so I quit. Later after I started learning the piano in an enjoyable way (my way), I took lessons again in college. The few times I missed a lesson was 1) my cat died and 2) I overslept through an alarm that was hooked up to a karaoke machine at full volume (true story)

[littletune]

It happens kinda a lot of times to me too that I can play something without mistakes at home (and I'm really happy and proud about it) but then at my piano lesson I just keep making mistakes and I get lost and it looks like I can't play it at all    and at first I tried to explain to my teacher that I could play it ok at home... but now I don't anymore (cause it doesn't really matter) and I'm just like    in my head. And then it's usually better next time. 

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

It happens kinda a lot of times to me too that I can play something without mistakes at home (and I'm really happy and proud about it) but then at my piano lesson I just keep making mistakes and I get lost and it looks like I can't play it at all    and at first I tried to explain to my teacher that I could play it ok at home... but now I don't anymore (cause it doesn't really matter) and I'm just like    in my head. And then it's usually better next time. 

Yes, for me "I played it better at home" is not an excuse, it's honestly the truth. I hope my teacher doesn't think it's another excuse.

Sometimes it's like my hands completely forget what to do, even for the parts I've over and over again till I could play it in my sleep. I have really bad nerves when playing in front of anyone or anything, even a recorder.
When I practise, I play best when I'm awake. During piano lessons, I usually play best when I'm about to fall asleep! Because I'm so tired I'm more relaxed. 

Oh and my parents have forbidden me from playing the piano during exam time. But I don't have to make that excuse... my parents do! Why is that so unbelievable? Seriously, how is studying for exams more fun than piano? 

[pianoplayjl]

This is me:
'I had assessments'
'I was sick'
'did not practice enough'
'slacked off'
'study for exams'

[fleetfingers]

Interesting thread for me to read this morning, because yesterday I became quite upset with one of my new students. She gave me *several* of the excuses on dcstudio's list. Yeah, funny now, when I'm reading the thread. But I was so mad at her. I love teaching kids and pride myself in being strict but patient at the same time. And my students all like me (in fact, this very student asked her mom to have me as a teacher (her friend is my student)). But, I have to admit, yesterday with this girl I lost all desire to keep it cool and told her what was really on my mind. Basically, she wanted to know what she was going to play for the recital, and I told her that I won't let her play "like that" at my recital. I said something like, "You have five weeks until the recital. If you're still missing those notes and using those fingers, you don't get to play it." Which means she won't participate in the recital at all because, being new, she has nothing else to play!

I understand that sometimes the excuses are true, and I am usually pretty patient with my students. This girl, though . . . I can't quite figure her out. She lies about practicing, then gives the excuses when I call her out on the lie. Or - as other teachers have mentioned - she says I didn't teach her that part. I call her out on that, too, and try to make her feel uncomfortable so she'll stop saying it. I guess it's the manipulation that bothers me. I regret the negative feelings I had toward my student (she really is a sweet girl), but she needs to know that I have expectations!

[_achilles_]

This is from a student's point of view.. I started piano in 8th grade voluntarily and the weeks when I didn't practice the only reason why was because of boring songs / homework. I still remember the first week I got a song I really liked (a simple version of Malagueña) and I had it mastered for the next lesson.. It made my piano teacher happy and after that I started practicing more diligently in all my homework and the teacher gave me more say in what songs to chose.

[pianowolfi]

 I guess it's the manipulation that bothers me.

That's exactly the point that has bothered me so often. If some people just had at least the slightest bit of honesty and decency! I never figured out why some 5% of my students are torturing me like this. I am not a freaking psychologist, I am a musician. And it doesn't take long anymore until I fire such "manipulators", very quickly!

[pianoplayjl]

I'm sick with the flu/cold
I think this is one of the sickest excuses possible. A person can't be fully sick for a week. Even when sick a person can practice a little. I know regardless of what state I'm in I do an hours practice even though I don't feel like it. A few days rest can set me a long way back.