Student's Getting BORED at lessons

[keynote88]

Hey, everyone. I have recently joined and have decided to send a message.   My piano student, (my only piano student, I just teach one, an 8 year old), has been taking lessons since August. Well, recently she doesn't seem to enjoy the lessons, and she doesn't practice at home (I might also add, that she is my cousin, so she's family, not just a "student"). At the end of each lesson she asks, "Is it over yet?!?!" Like she's been in a "torture chamber"   My question is, what can I do as her teacher to make her lessons fun? I realize some kids just don't like playing the piano, but at the same time, she may enjoy later on... most adults who took lessons as kids and quit (for whatever reason), now wish they had stuck with it. Any help or suggestions would be wonderful, especially from another teacher. I guess I want to impact her the same way that Mr. Holland, on impacted his students. Thanks so much!  

[xenia]

 Forget a formal class, play for her a lot(something nice),
let she lead you,teach and talk about  what interesting is to her. If she is not keen on playing ,I think this is the only way! I'm a teacher since 1998.(I think I have experience).

 

[kateb]

Hi there,

Here are some ideas:

Use a method book that has several different books. For example, Faber & Faber's lesson and performance books, and their jazz and/or classical supplements which are available for levels from primer on up.  (Honestly--I do not work for F&F, but my switch to their method has made a huge difference in the attitudes of my students!)

Now. You have 3 or for 4 different books to work with. This helps with what kids love: choices THEY can make. If you get toward the end of a lesson, say, "We have time for one more song--which book should we take it from?"

Give them more choices. "Would you like to focus on fingering or rhythm this time through this piece?" "What dynamics could we add to make the music more exciting?"

If they really hate one particular piece, don't make them play it. Assure them that there is an endless supply of good music, and as long as they work hard on the other pieces we can skip this particular one. (This can't happen often of course! Make sure they know this is a special case!) My theory is that I need to keep kids' attitudes POSITIVE. And spending 3-4 weeks on a song that does not have 3 weeks worth of educational merit is not keeping anyone positive!

Have a goal setting meeting. Tantalize them by showing them the next level of books and ask when they would like to be that far. If they are getting close to being able to play popular items like Fur Elise or the Linus and Lucy song, Star Wars or Disney, give them your honest opinion on what it will take to get there practice/time wise. i.e. "I think that in 4 months if you practice consistently we may be ready to begin the real version of Fur Elise."

Set a recital goal--or if you only have 1 recital per year, a shorter 5-month goal. Where do they want to be in their books by then?  How many songs per week do they want to complete in order to get there? What do they want to be able to play for the recital? Have THEM write these things down during the meeting, in their assignment book, with a colored marker. Then when they start getting antsy, say, "Look--we need to get 4 songs done this week to keep on schedule! We need to focus!!!!" This really works for everyone from 6 year olds on up.

Also--games for the last 5 minutes of the lesson are a hit. The composition and listening games I play are pretty popular.

Composition game: one person plays a note. The other (teacher) plays the first note and adds one of his/her own. Student plays first note, teacher's note, and adds another one of his/her own, and so on, until a mini melody is created.

Listening game: Teacher plays a short and simple 2-measure melody, and the student figures out how to play it back. Teacher tells the student what finger to start with and which note to start on. For the first couple of times, this should be done with student watching what is played. After that, student should look away while melody is played.

Play to motivate students--and to show them what the song should sound like. Music is an aural art and students should have an idea of what they are aiming for. But, as one student put it, "I don't like it when the teacher hogs the piano." (This was on a list of do's and don'ts for piano teachers written by a 5th grader). I have to admit, ever since reading that, I always wonder whether I am crossing the line between showing them what they are aiming for and "hogging" the piano!! :-)

Sorry so long winded. I just finished for the evening, and I guess I am still in piano lesson mode!

Kate

[Le-ackt]

make games , Pitch guessing game
and melody play-it-back game

that's the best game for kids

she will thank you 10 years later have shaped her Perfect pitch which most people jealous about .
Hey , I blame my teacher now for didnt do that 10 years ago

[glamfolk]

I agree that games are the best--guessing pitches, etc.  Also, If you can play another instrument, have your student play along with you on something easy.  Even easy stuff sounds way cooler if it's done with someone else.    I have been using the FF method a lot lately.  I like the ear training stuff in their theory books, although if I have one complaint, it's that I've never seen a method that actually teaches music theory--learning how to read and draw clef signs is not really music theory--but FF seems to go in the right direction.  I avoid alfred's and bastien if I can help it for a number of reasons.  Sorry, a tangent.
If you can impress at all that music is supposed to be fun every time you play, and have fun with your student, then I think they'll get it.  I haven't been doing this very long, but, that's what I've picked up so far.  

[keynote88]

Hey, fellow teachers! :-) Thanks so much for all of the reply's. I really hope it helps... I have another question: How does a teacher decide on which method books to use? Right now, my student (mentioned above) is using the Alfred's Basic Course: Levle 1A (Lesson, Recital, and Theory) books. I was just wondering if anyone has "compared" any methods (With Alfred), and has either decided to stay with Alfred or use a different method, and if so, why. Feedback would be appreciated. Once again, thanks for your wonderful suggestions and great ideas!  

Keynote88

[xenia]

 

I can't help you about your last question because we, in Serbia, don't use those books...

 

[glamfolk]

I'll only use Alfred's if the student comes to me already using it, and then switch as soon as possible.  It's too gradual and kids get bored rather easily with it.  Most of the songs sound the same and never really get out of the C-F-G keys.  If you want your kids scared to death of black notes, use Alfred's.  Although, I must say, some kids have done pretty well with it.  I've been using the Faber Series (progresses more quickly, more interesting songs), and also Leila Fletcher (for the same reasons) and the Thompson series (progresses very quickly/never even mentions any of those "5-finger" positions), with forays into real classics and jazz and blues as soon as possible.  Has anyone else used these methods and found the same things?  I'd be interested to know.

[xpletus]

Well I am not a teacher but for two years I worked on the Alfred books and I thought it was torture, they were so boring! The thing I least liked was how gradual they were, when I stopped using them and started doing classical pieces my motivation improved drastically.  My brother is 8 and he used Alfred books for a while and he had the same problems, his new teacher has put him on Thompson books and he really likes them and actually practices voluntarilly now.

[musicdenise]

I took a course in college towards my music major and one of the requirements was to compare 3 or 4 methods with each other and make a decision on which was best and why.  I evaluated several methods and the Faber and Faber series won out hands down.  In comparison, as others have said, it doesn't stick with that "position" talk too much.  Just enough to get them started.  I've had students who came to me, as another teacher said, who were already in the Alfred books and they had been taking for over 2 years and were asking me "Where do my hands go?"  They don't know the difference between the G in the top space of the bass staff and the G on the bottom line because they've just been taught "G position."  Same thing goes with Bastien books.  Piano adventures sparks a lot of excitement with my students.  I have most all of my students in them and they love it, from 8 year-olds up.

As far as keeping excitement in the lesson, letting them take control of what they learn to a certain degree really helps.  Most students really like being asked, "What can you do this week to get to unit 8 faster?"  Letting them go at their pace is great.  I find that at times they are going faster than I thought they would and I wouldn't have know it, if I hadn't asked those key questions to let them take control.

I also use a computer game with the younger kids.  I have a 7 year old who loves it!  It's called Music Ace and you can buy it off Ebay for under $40.  I don't know if it's worth it to you if you only have one student and don't plan to teach more students, but I could keep my 7 year old student at my house for an hour if I had to and keep her interest.  It reinforces key concepts and changes the scenery from the piano keyboard for a bit.

Don't be afraid to ask them questions.  They'll come to you first when something is bothering them because they know you are interested and will listen.  I had a student come to me with a song I had assigned her and she said, "I hate it!"  She wasn't practicing it because she hated it and it wasn't going to kill me to not have her learn it, because I was trying to get her out of that book and into Faber and Faber anyway!  

Good luck and hope my ramblings helped some!


Denise <><

[BuyBuy]

At the beginning, I was using Batien, Alfred and so forth, cause that's what others recommand me. I actually found them pretty horrible for llearning properly : they might be colorful, fun and attractive, but that thing of hand position is a killer! I have never been taught it when I started studying the piano myself (actually, in France, at least at that time, you need one year of solfeggio before starting an instrument at the conservatory), and it puts down all of your efforts to teach music reading (where do my hands go? aaaaaaah !!!!!).

I do not recommand any method for any kid in particular. It depends on everyone. I have a student that I started with a notebook only, then I put her on Bartok Mikrokosmos. With some others I use the Michael Aaron books : a little boring at times, but free of that hand position garbage, and fast progressing (I like the pieces particularly from book II). I use the Thompson book only for little more advanced students (level II-III), because it has a wide variety of styles and techniques through the pieces at those levels, and because level I is too dangerous with fingering on virtually every single note...

So, I would say not to worry too much about methods : adapt the material to every kid, and aim for quality of teaching : that's you, not the book, that teaches. The book is an instrument ; if you need it at times, make a good choice.

Ah, and about that bored students issue, try to introduce music history in your classes, including CD listening and so forth. It might help.

[teacher]

Another suggestion on how to make lessons fun:

- play duets with the student

For young students, it is important to switch what you are doing during the lesson as soon as you seem them starting to get bored.  For example, if you are testing them on flashcards and they start getting bored, you have to immediately switch to do something else, like play a piece from her book, or whatever.  

Variety of activities in the lesson is important with young students or it's common for them to get bored.

[Jo]

I play duets with my kids too. Martha Mier has some great elemetary stuff to start off with.

[reinvent]

One thing I do when the student gets bored after I'm trying my best to engage them - I tell them to put their book away.  And I work with them on the piano without the book.  Chords, arpeggios, or maybe asking them to play all of the F's, G's, etc. on the piano.
  Do a Major 5 finger pattern and play it in different ways; legato, staccato.  
  It seems like it helps a lot for them to have a break decoding all of the little musical symbols on the lesson books.

[kulahola]

It doesnt work to teach family members. She cannot respect you as a teacher and therefore not behave as a pupil.

Proper lessons involve formality and severe acting. You cannot be that way with family members.

I personally avoid becoming even friends (sometimes difficult when parents make every effort to bribe me, inviting me out for lunch and so on) because it makes it more difficult to teach. Music and piano lessons need two things: space and time. Space means distance.

[reinvent]

While teaching a family member may be a little challenging, it can be done.  I have taught many people in my family how to play the piano throughout the years.
 I don't know why there should be any acting in teaching.  I think the teaching can be personable.
I taught my own neice who ended up winning first prize in a competition (I was not the judge!
 Maybe I come from a musical family - in that case, I guess I would have an advantage; not as much need to motivate them.

[kulahola]

I am also from a pianist family. My sister asks me to check her daughter when i come home (she also became a quick prize winner) but it s too tough, I dont feel that i can criticize freely... good for you if you manage but for most people it s a challenge. I am god happy i didnt learn with my mom...

[bizgirl]

I have a few ideas:
1) How long are the lessons?  The attention span of 8-year olds can vary greatly.  You may want to consider doing shorter lessons (maybe two a week if you live nearby) for a while and work back up to where you're at now, over a few months.  
2) Break up the lesson into 5-10 minute segments.  Set up a schedule so she will know exactly where you are in the lesson and can expect what is coming next.
3) You mentioned she's not practicing at home; maybe she is completely bored with piano.  Try to find some music that will really inspire her.  I love using easy student/teacher duets with beginner students.  You can get five-finger Disney, Star Wars, etc. books for about $8.  These are great even for intermediate students because they are very simple and can be pure fun - anything to just get students to sit down at the piano at home.

[newsgroupeuan]

Ask her what she want to do next,  and teach her it