I can’t stand it when people say…
things like this (taken from an online forum for teachers that shall remain nameless):
Hi- I have a student who does not like to sit… at group
time or at desk… not really able to focus and
participate…I am not sure what to do because I have the
rest of the students to teach…..
Maybe I am just hanging onto my idealism but this attitude really bugs me (and not just because of the ellipses abuse.) Yes, you have many other students to teach. You also have to find a way to teach won’t-sit-down kid. That is your job! How can we claim that we wanted to be respected (and paid) as professionals when so many of us wash our hands of a child as soon as we encounter a roadblock? Yes, some children are difficult. Even more so some combinations of children are difficult, but that doesn’t change the fact that we must teach them (or at the very least end the year trying.)
The fact that a particular student is difficult does not absolve us of responsibility for him. Am I unrealistic to feel this way? Are there times when you just have to give up on one kid to focus on the others?
April 24, 2009 @ 7:34 am
Really, this matter is a part of our profession. Music teaching is for those who can get along with different student behaviors and competence. Thus, to be effective in this job, we must have learned and continue to learn how to handle different situations and student behavior. There are many resources in music teaching that can teach us how to manage different class scenarios.