Posted by anonymous, this time on February 25, 2000 at 21:15:34:
In Reply to: Teacher's Responsibility posted by Former Student on February 25, 2000 at 18:46:27:
Recently, a student who was registered for lessons showed up after missing the first six weeks. He had a seemingly chronic case of the sniffles and was wearing a pager. I mentioned to him that sniffles and a pager didn't look good (Can YOU spell C-R-A-C-K ?), nor did showing up with an "F-" for missing six weeks and expecting to be able to study with me. I told him that I expected a phone call from his parents in 24 hours, and if he didn't have them call me, I would call them. (Incidentally, he had circumvented his advisor and had registered for weight training, swimming, remedial math, concert band, tuba ensemble, jazz band, and applied tuba lessons. ' quite an interesting schedule, eh?)
I have another student whose parents have given him the "gift" of the A.D.D. "excuse" his whole life and still he acts totally irresponsibly at age 21. (He is still a sophomore, and over the years has dropped class after class after class.) I have spent entire lessons telling him that will not "cut it" anymore in ANY aspect of his life, and that I simply would be assigning him F's instead of letting him make lessons up or re-do etudes. (He has tremendous talent.)
Another very talented student is down on himself because of his dad continously telling him that he is stupid. I am working with him about his self-image, etc. His problems cause him to try to be overly responsible for the irresponsible behavior of his friends, and he spends too much time coddling his irresponsible friends and not enough time on his own business. Needless to say, we have spent entire lessons on these issues...
Another student already has a wife and baby. Last semester, after warning after warning, he played a very poor jury. As he is a head of a household, I did not feel that it was my place to "council" him as I did the others. At the beginning of THIS semester, I told him that he would have so recover last semester's ground PLUS take care of THIS semester's responsibilities...He "dropped" (but HAS to have applied tuba to graduate). Whatever...AGAIN, because of his social situation, it is not my place to "daddy" him.
...I WAS NOT "TRAINED" TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THIS ! ! ! (Thank goodness I have raised some kids.) Pray for me!
(My other students are AAAAA terrific and a joy, by the way.)