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Post by Dulciana on Feb 6, 2007 10:15:50 GMT
Seems like an odd title for something in the teaching forum, but my question is how to keep this age group motivated! I have a few boys of this age who have suddenly got very jumpy during lessons, and who don't seem as able or as willing to concentrate as in the past. I'm trying my best to be up-beat and give them things that they'll enjoy, whilst still making sure that they know they have to keep their noses to the grindstone. I also have a few who are through this hormonal stage, and have returned to being easy to deal with, but my current ones seem to be worse!
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Post by possom on Feb 6, 2007 11:53:14 GMT
I seem to have a lot more trouble with the girls at that age! The boys all seem to suddenly behave better and try and impress me ;D
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Post by Dulciana on Feb 6, 2007 12:06:51 GMT
Maybe you're younger than me!
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Post by anacrusis on Feb 6, 2007 20:01:08 GMT
They do say that testosterone surges cause difficulty in concentrating - I can't really tell with the adolescent in my own house because he is out of focus with everything he's not interested in, and unbelievably single-track with the obsession of the moment... ;D, but he's always been like that. I really don't have any useful tips about keeping lads in focus - I've been peeking at this thread to see if anyone else has! Do any of the in-focus males on here know?
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 6, 2007 22:21:03 GMT
A curious phenomena I have noticed throughout my career is; female students outnumber male students by 10-1, but the majority of those who have continued into a musical profession have been male. My current batch numbers 4 males out of 46 pupils. All four are rampant individualists and a joy to teach. What do I do to keep them motivated? Nothing. They do that for themselves. Ok, so I do the obvious things: offer interesting repertoire; react positively to their stated repertoire interests; don't try to make them practise scales; never make them sing; take interest in their general life; defend them to their parents; accompany their GCSE other-instrument exams; etc. Apart from this I am as helpless as the rest. That's teens for you. ;D
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Post by petite joueuse on Feb 6, 2007 22:31:02 GMT
They do say that testosterone surges cause difficulty in concentrating Help! My 10 year old has the concentration of a gnat - are you saying its going to get worse?
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Feb 6, 2007 22:48:30 GMT
They do say that testosterone surges cause difficulty in concentrating Help! My 10 year old has the concentration of a gnat - are you saying its going to get worse? Hehe. Far, far worse. His concentration powers were at their height about 12 months ago. Interestingly, this exactly mirrors my own experience as a child. Up to about my 10th birthday, I was completely absorbed by schoolwork. The days hurtled by and the only way I got to leave was if I was forcibly thrown out. I would then go home and carry on reading, practising, anything that fascinated me. I still remember the day this changed. Suddenly, I just wasn't interested in anything any more. It felt most strange. It was about two thirds of my way through year 5. It was 4 more years before I took any interest in anything remotely useful. Happily, this was music. Hang on in there.
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Post by YetAnotherKlavierist on Feb 6, 2007 22:49:18 GMT
The solution I found was to concentrate on my major obsession (computers) and do enough piano practice to get by. My parents weren't too bothered as my teacher seemed happy enough with my progress. Sometimes wonder how much better I'd be if I had actually practised for more than 30 minutes before my lesson though.... Eventually the obsession became a job, so at least it pays the bills, and piano becomes my hobby instead of computers. That plus bumming around on music fora.
If parents, patience and money persist I think to a point it's worth keeping going. I'm glad I never gave up even though I wasn't inclined to work hard at the time.
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Post by Dulciana on Feb 7, 2007 0:34:31 GMT
So it's just hang on in there and keep smiling and don't let them quit! Will do my best! I do like these boys in question, and they've mostly been with me since they were about 6, and doing well, so I'd hate to see them fall by the wayside. My old headmaster used to have the attitude that teenage boys needed a very firm hand with no room for pussy-footing, but I don't think that works any more - there are too many other opt-out clauses and adults to turn to who don't think that way!
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Post by digby on Feb 7, 2007 7:38:24 GMT
I have often found an increased motivation at this stage because amongst the things that are growing their hands get bigger and they can cope with the pieces more comfortably.
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Post by possom on Feb 7, 2007 10:38:49 GMT
Sorry I couldnt' be more help Dulciana, I am in my 30's but am hoping that's not the reason! I teach 4 teenage boys at the moment, only 1 of them is a pain but he's so cheeky that it's difficult to not like him! We talk PS2 games, Xbox games etc. (we've swopped a few on occasion), the rest of the time i'm struggling to teach him, although if I think about it now, he is progressing steadily even if he does play up in the lessons, he is good for practice too which helps. The others, they're all good lads who want to learn piano and you can tell from their nature that they're quiet and sensible most other times as well so I guess i'm lucky with those. My son is nearly 11 and I would pity the teacher that had to take him on and teach him music, he's such a live-wire, has been since he was born, am hoping the puberty thing reverses with him and calms him down, we'll see!
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Post by Dulciana on Feb 7, 2007 10:48:19 GMT
If they were dogs we'd think about sending them off to the vet's for a wee op...
My pubescent boys haven't really developed a negative attitude; it's really more of a concentration thing - they just seem so very restless, and I can see from their practice timetables (I'm a wicked witch who makes them fill these in) that they aren't sitting for so long in one session - maybe they just can't!
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Post by Dulciana on Apr 22, 2008 8:54:58 GMT
I have another one. And being really tired last night I dealt with him in all the wrong ways. He was always really chirpy and enthusiastic, and took a positive role in deciding what to focus on, but has become very surly recently. I launched off far too quickly last night without any chat, and was only told after half the lesson that I was going over pieces that he'd already performed in school. It was for a school thing that we were trying to semi-perfect about 30 minutes' worth of repertoire. He hadn't given me a date, but had certainly not said last week that it was so imminent! For a start, he'd never have dreamt, 6 months ago, of playing things in public that were so far below standard; and in this type of situation where I was taking a lesson off in the wrong direction (albeit unwittingly) he's have told me immediately. Anyway, after I'd done a bit of ranting about what had gone wrong with his attitude, we gave up on playing and discussed hormones, and I think we both felt better afterwards. He's looking for strategies for not just throwing the music across the floor when he hits a hard bit that needs to be focussed on. So I suggested short bursts and going to the fridge between them. And demanded that he continue to communicate with me rather than sit and sulk when I appear not to be understanding how he feels. He says playing the piano is one of the best things in his life, so I definitely don't think I'll lose him, but he says that this in itself is a reason for getting so angry with it; he loves it and still can't focus on it. So I feel a bit helpless. Good excuse to brush up on sightreading in lessons, but any further thoughts on how to keep him on the stool when he's at home?
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Apr 22, 2008 21:07:06 GMT
Bit of a b-u-g-g-e-r when you care about your pupils, isn't it? Wouldn't life be easier if they merely existed as cash-providers. How do you keep him on the stool when he's at home? You can't. You see him for 30 (60?) minutes a week. That leaves 10,050 (10,020?) a week when you don't. Who knows what is causing his turmoil? All you can do is make his lessons happy ones, so that he knows they will be enjoyable come what may. The rest is down to him, his family, his friends and his school. Any combination of these might be the root cause of his behaviour. Kind of you to care, D. I can think of a fair few contributors to music forums who wouldn't.
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Post by Dulciana on Apr 22, 2008 23:37:43 GMT
Half an hour/an hour is a long time to sit with somebody with 'problems' on a one-to-one basis when the only consideration is the cash. You could save that money on buying one type of chicken or shampoo rather than another, - plus buying a cheaper bottle of wine. (God forbid...) I've got rid of pupils because they were only there because their parents wanted them to be, or because they were spoilt brats going nowhere, and I've put up with 'phases', but either way, I couldn't take the mercenary attitude of just taking a breath and putting in the time - because it would transfer to all of them. From the short spells when I've tried to hold out against the odds with disintersted pupils who've assumed that their parents' money is no object - or that my time is up for prostitution - it's just not worth it! The previous lesson is filled with the dread of the next one coming, and the subsequent lesson is half over before I'm ready to give it my best.
So I don't do that any more. I had a 'clear-out' a few terms ago, and now I really enjoy all my pupils. Most of the time. But we have to look at the bigger picture sometimes and be able to pinpoint behaviour that's out of character - and do our best to deal with it if it's affecting their music.
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