and he takes phone calls, yawns frequently, and does other annoying things like crinkling paper in his pocket, walks around and clicks his heels on the floor, lets people interrupt our lesson with questions and hardly ever says good-bye at the end of the lesson - he is an excellent teacher, but he acts like he is 5 instead of 55 and he is very inconsiderate while I'm playing - one time he jumped up in the middle of my playing a piece and said he had to go.....I don't know if I should say something to him about it and if so, how do I approach it in a tactful manner or since he has helped me alot, should I just overlook it? I just want a little more consideration for $30 a week......
2007-09-03 15:19:41 · 29 answers · asked by mkfan64 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
ok... i can understand as an artist he is a little quirky...BUT...what you are describing is unacceptable. he should be giving you his undivided attention for the hour that you pay him for. you will have to find the nerve to talk to him about this. remember...HE works for YOU.
all the best.
2007-09-03 15:26:17 · answer #1 · answered by dali333 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
He is taking you for granted and it is unfair!
Look for another piano teacher. Maybe he thinks you need him so badly you can't let him go. Tell him you'll just take a break for a while from your paino lessons, and that you'll go on a trip or something. That is perfectly polite! Then have that trip to find another paino teacher.
If you can't find anyone or nobody is as good as this teacher that has helped you alot, then contact him again. The best thing to do is to accept your end of the bargain. At least you already know what you'll be getting.
2007-09-10 17:30:45 · answer #2 · answered by bibo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To me it is simple ...
When it is time to pay him ... just give him what you think he earned that week. If he screwed around and didnt do much teaching then give him $5.00 or less. When he questions the payment just tell him you are paying him for his actual time teaching.
If he decides to walk out and not teach you ... you will be saving at least $25.00 per week cause the fool wasnt teaching you anyway.
Doesnt matter how good he is or how qualified he is ... if he is not taking the time to teach then you can certainly find someone else that will take the time to do the job properly. If you are not receiving the benefit of his knowledge then you are just wasting money.
The other sad part is that he is doing to his other students as well. If someone, like yourself, was to standup for yourself then perhaps others would benefit from your actions.
2007-09-11 10:04:32 · answer #3 · answered by david a 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a bit confused. You say that he is an excellent teacher. How do you come to that conclusion? All of the things you list are descriptions of a bad teacher. Do you think he has some sort of mystical powers that can impart piano playing knowledge to you that a less unprofessional piano teacher cannot? This guy might be a great piano player but as a teacher he sucks.
.
2007-09-10 05:03:04 · answer #4 · answered by Jacob W 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'd fire him and find someone else. Why should you pay this guy 30 dollars a week, and he does stuff like that? You're not getting your money's worth. A good teacher is supposed to concentrate on teaching you, and you do deserve a little more consideration for your hard earned money.
2007-09-09 15:06:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is he a good teacher ~ I mean, are you learning anything? Does he have other students who have achieved success?
It could be he is simpy an eccentric artistic type, and you will not change him.
If you feel you are not learning because of his 'style', find another teacher.
If you ARE learning, contnue going and pay attention to your work.
If you become a pianist professionally and begin playing in front of audiences, you will have more to worry about than crinkling paper and clicking heels.
Go to a concert some time and see how people behave. It might make you feel a little more kindly toward your teacher.
But seriously, it all comes down to wether you are learning, or not.
Cheers :-)
2007-09-04 02:17:27 · answer #6 · answered by thing55000 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Tell him what a great teacher you think he is but, since you are paying him for his services, you expect this behavior from him during your lessons. Then explain what "this" is-- things like paying attention, a full hour's lesson and emergency phone calls or interruptions only. If he is not willing or able to meet your expectations, then find a new teacher.
2007-09-03 15:33:49 · answer #7 · answered by Lorre W 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would probably get a new teacher. I bet ou could find another teacher for just as good a price but twice as good. Or if you can't find any better deals write him a note stating that lately he hasn't been on task as much and that you can easily spend your money on someone else if he's not willing to change. If he's an understanding person he'll understand and act better.
2007-09-03 16:26:31 · answer #8 · answered by Synchro Girl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would find another teacher if I were you. If you know any other of his students ask them if he acts the same around them....then you can all boycott him and take your business elsewhere. There is such a thing as being eccentric and there's just rude....sounds like he is the latter. You'll never make it to Carnegie Hall with a teacher like that. Good luck.
2007-09-09 15:30:56 · answer #9 · answered by ndn_ronhoward 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Explain to him that you want him to be serious about teaching you to play the piano. If he has a problem with it, I would seek another teacher. the teacher should be interested in the situation at hand ... and that is the student. He doesn't sound like someone who is properly motivated or in the right frame of mind to teach anything ...
2007-09-11 11:15:03 · answer #10 · answered by william_wraithe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know what it's like to shell out that kind of money to someone for lessons, and I've had them interrupted but my instructors have always apologized and made the interruption as short as possible. Apparently this man has no couth or respect for his students. I would look elsewhere for instruction.
2007-09-03 15:29:49 · answer #11 · answered by Lindsey 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋