All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers
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peanut_butter:
Last year, I gave my student the flexibility to choose their own 'leaves', most took about 9 weeks off. During the holidays, I found my income shrink by 50% when some kids went for a month-tour. Like all working adult, full-time teachers need a predictable and regular flow of cash to survive. We need to pay for rent, parental support, phone bills, insurances, etc. Luckily one of the schools collected the fee quarterly, in advance. I get enough money to tide by. But I adjust my fee policy for this year.jojo:
The performance was 2011. hmmm She has started my girls to play G1 pcs in July 2011. If my girl is good, why till now she is still playing the same pcs. When i checked with her in Jan 2012 for that, her reason given was that my girl couldnt do sight reading and \"dont know how she was taught by ex-teacher.\" Putting blamed on ex-teacher!!! She has been with my girl for 1 year and now putting blame on ex-teacher? when she signed my girls for concert, she said they were ready. Why now she said \"dont know how she was taught\" It obviously contradicted with her statement in Jan 2011.
It can take a long time (1-2 years) to fix a problem, especially problems associated with the foundation. That include listening, sight-reading and techniques.
It's a common practice to spend 6-9 months on examination preparation.jojo:
When did you do the check? If there is a long gap between now and then, the fee might had been adjusted with the increase in the rental. Property is responsible for much of the inflation in Singapore (according to a finance advisor).She had organised the concert before i engaged her. So when i engaged her in Jan 2011 it was just handy to add them in. I had done my checked with others and others said the normal fees is ard $10.
There isnt any gap, 'cos in Jan 2011 my girl are still in transition from a school to 1 to 1, I checked with the sch teacher and my friends. So it was around the same time.jojo:
The schools I work for, issue invoice requesting payment. Some parents do get forgetful when they are busy.- She is very prompt in asking for fee, after the 4th lesson of the mth she will sms me telling me for the fees is due.
Others enrichment classes that my girls are attending, none of the teachers will remind me on payment. Yes, it might happen some mths i might forget but if it happens, i will pay 2 mths in advance for my forgetfulness. Mutual trust is needed. sms me for money it makes me feel like she is \"ah-long\". She shld know the trend of parents due with them differently .jojo:
If you do not like the interruption, discuss with her. Tell her to commit the date in advance or maybe request for no lesson, no fee? I allow my students to rebate their fee if I initiate the leave. It sure hurts my pocket when I need to take MC.- She tends to change date when coems to school holiday.
Yes, that is very interruptive.jojo:
- She doesnt allow anyone to cancel class more than 4 times in a year. - If we cancel class due to unforseen circumstance, she will do a make up lesson. So that she can have a fixed income every month.
If the teacher does not limit the makeup lessons to 4 (which I think is very generous), the quantity can snowball out of control. Think about that. If she had 30 students requesting 4 hours of make up lessons each, and the students could only do the lessons either during the holidays, weekends or evenings, she will be overloaded. She cannot have a life outside teaching. Speaking from experience, most families has the tendency to apply for leave at around the same time. Namely, exam periods, school holidays and flu seasons.
[color=#BF0000]Then, she shld have provision on these periods seem she has been teaching for 20 years. FYI, she also took for 2 weeks break in Dec, dont misunderstand me, of course she can take leave but why we cant change the class for more than 4 time no flexiblity.
I think your teacher could be more tactical at explaining. -
Dreamaurora:
[/quote]It is quite hard to comment on this as I am just hearing your side of story, but I will offer some advices on this.
The performance was 2011. hmmm She has started my girls to play G1 pcs in July 2011. If my girl is good, why till now she is still playing the same pcs. When i checked with her in Jan 2012 for that, her reason given was that my girl couldnt do sight reading and \"dont know how she was taught by ex-teacher.\" Putting blamed on ex-teacher!!! She has been with my girl for 1 year and now putting blame on ex-teacher? when she signed my girls for concert, she said they were ready. Why now she said \"dont know how she was taught\" It obviously contradicted with her statement in Jan 2011.jojo:
[quote=\"Dreamaurora\"]I assume you meant 2012 since I don't think your girls can time travel
Anyway, it is good that your girls' teacher goes for the extra mile to organise the concert. It is a very good practice that many teachers in Singapore sadly neglect. But in any case, whether your girls are ready or not I cannot tell unless I listen to them play. But what I can tell you is that the experience of playing well for the first public performance is an important one as it can provide tremendous encouragement and motivation to students. Conversely, a terrible and messed up performance would dampen a student's mood and may cause lost of interest. It is never too early to start a student performing. Unless a student have extreme phobia of playing in front of others, there is no reason for a student not to attempt playing in a concert.
Since your girls are beginners, the songs should be easy enough to learn in one or two weeks. The songs will have to be very comfortably played and performance ready at least one month before the concert (or even a few months for the higher grade and diploma pieces) to prevent nervous breakdown or less than optimal performance. Your girls still have plenty of time to learn and polish the notes and I think the March concert date can be a great motivation for them to practice more as it is a good goal to work towards to.
It is a standard practice for students to share the cost of the hall rental which can range from hundreds to thousands for the bigger ones. For me, I collect an advance of one lesson fee for the purpose of the hall rental. Some other teachers may do it differently. A well known teacher who I know request 200$ upfront extra charge every year for this purpose. One of my ex teachers request the performing students to sell tickets to their friends and relatives.
She had organised the concert before i engaged her. So when i engaged her in Jan 2011 it was just handy to add them in. I had done my checked to others and others said the normal fees is $10.
- She is very prompt in asking for fee, after the 4th lesson of the mth she will sms me telling me for the fees is due.
- She tends to change date when coems to school holiday.
- She doesnt allow anyone to cancel class more than 4 times in a year. - If we cancel class due to unforseen circumstance, she will do a make up lesson. So she can have a fixed income every month.
After the concert incident and with the above incidents, i find that she is too commercialised and lack of passion and love for her students which most parents will like to see it.
Parents, put yourself in my shoes and share with me your view, am i too sensitive? Many thanks.
For exam preparation, good teachers normally will start the exam pieces around 9 months before (or more for higher grades). By end of registration for the exam which is around mid next month, at least she should be able to play 2/3 of the requirement up to exam standard so the remaining time can be spent to polish up and bring the standard to merit or distinction level. From what I see, it is perfectly fine for your girls to be still working on these pieces. But of course if she keep going through these pieces every lesson all the time until exam date is very unhealthy. So hopefully the teacher also supplement the learning with additional pieces and duets. The moment the exam pieces are ready, student need just to play through them every day and once in lessons while they work on additional pieces or pieces from next grade (for hardworking ones).From professional point of view, it is not right to put blame on ex teacher, even if the blame really lies with the ex teacher. There is no such thing such as a perfect student or teacher, and each student who transfers to me all have their own shares of problems.
A teacher's job is to analyse these weaknesses carefully and put a plan to address them. So you may want to ask the girls' teacher. If let's say sight reading is weak, what is she doing to address this?
As for the lesson admin, personally I allow a student to have make up as many as they want as long they inform me within sufficient time if they cannot make it to lesson.
The only time they forfeit the fee is when they MIA (lesson time set aside for them but noone turn up). Fee collection it's fine for her to remind you, it's standard bookeeping practice for many teachers.
Do they enjoy performing and interacting with other students? I understand your frustation, but do voice out your concerns to the teacher first and see what she has to say.[/
My kids are lovable so far they do not dislike any teachers. Interacting??? during the concert, my kids seating with us and others participants seated with their parents, where is the interacting??? No coffee break or drinks are provided for the entire event. -
Is it a norm for piano teachers to:
1) mark other pupil’s theory while the student is playing the piano
2) attends to baby when the baby was crying in the living room who was taken care by relatives
3) have 2-3 students beside her working on theory at the same time?
Do you consider these acceptable? -
During the olden days, yes…
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Oh, what abt now? Parents do you think this is ok? A friend of mine who used to be a piano teacher thinks this is not ethical, since parents paid for 1-1 fee, attention shd be given to the student…
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Depends on the relationship with your teacher, and depends on your child’s progress despite her doing all these. It is hard to say what is acceptable and what is not. Some teachers are so ‘on’ and strict with themselves, but your kid still learns nothing. If the teacher is doing all these things and your child still loves music and progresses, than I’d leave it alone.
If you want 1-1 attention, you should really get a teacher to come to your house. As for the marking other students’ work, hm… I think it is not very professional, but if she does that like once in every 2 years, then what’s the biggie? All of us need people to cut us a bit of slack once in a while.
Short answer? Depends… -
windows:
have 2-3 students beside her working on theory at the same time?
Is that group lesson?
In olden days, the lesson is much longer. About 1-1.5 hours long, but they are charged for 45 min. Plus lots of complimentary lessons before exams. Both parents and teachers are more layback but the students are willing to practice.
Doing chores while teaching is frown upon today, of cause. But there are teachers who can buzz around the house and still teach very well, though not many. If the parent hate that, they could sit in during the lesson. -
It is 1-1 lesson, and this happens in every lesson, things get worse after the delivery. As a mother, I do empathize w her till a friend of mine heard abt it and felt that this is not acceptable. Well…
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123qwesz:
you qualified as in you passed grade 8 ?Hi all,
I'm a qualified Grade 8 Piano teacher, finished all the ABRSM exams for both Practical and Theory.
Had 2.5 Years of teaching piano at PianoForte in Kovan. Currently looking for students interested in piano.
Do PM me for more info
not that you are qualified to teach grade 8
please clarify your post, can ? tks -
windows:
It is 1-1 lesson, and this happens in every lesson, things get worse after the delivery. As a mother, I do empathize w her till a friend of mine heard abt it and felt that this is not acceptable. Well...
I'd monitor my own kid's progress. If it is good, why bother to change? If you are really unhappy with the child's progress, then quickly find a new teacher.
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