Posted by js on June 15, 2003 at 20:16:22:
In Reply to: Is the Tuba a 'good' instrument? posted by Becoming Frustrated on June 15, 2003 at 18:44:18:
The most difficult thing about private (or for that matter classroom) teaching is that the teacher is expected to personally commit to each student, yet not take personally students' lack of interest - nor their impudence.
I got out of the biz a long time ago, then tried it again a few years ago and found the situation to be far worse (after a passing of time and additional societal deterioration) with so-called adult-aged students than it was decades ago when I was teaching those in their early-late teens. ' wish I had words of inspiration for you. I think most teachers are incredibly thick-skinned and survive off of very little positive reinforcement.
Wonderful teaching jobs exist. I believe they happen when teachers find themselves in a position to be able to very carefully pick and choose their students from the vast American wasteland and still make a viable living. As to your "tuba" situation, I suppose if one is teaching anything at the beginner/second/third-year level, one has to expect a 60-85% attrition rate.