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Good suggestion.. sadly not always taken. I e mail assignments for each student right after lessons, and invariably remind to bring materials that are enumerated. The parent, by and large gets these and filters to the child.

Which brings up the matter of why we need the SUPPORT of parents in this individualized piano teaching adventure. I find that if parents aren't significantly committed to what's required from the get go, and if after several reminders they still do not get with the program, then it's extremely difficult to navigate the terrain.

In the case of the example referenced, the parent shouldered the blame for two consecutive weeks of absent materials, and frankly, it was again, a sports driven excuse. The student, of course, should have packed up the music the night before, and didn't so the dad can be partially off the hook. Nonetheless, I still see a sad imbalance of priorities, and when push comes to shove, basketball right now reigns. Given all my sports analogies that are meant to get the student back on task, it's futile when both the parent and child don't perceive the importance of bringing materials.

I am sure we could all write books about this and other issues surrounding the teaching profession.

http://arioso7.wordpress.com

You might try compressing the last 3 or 4 lines by inserting semi-colons between them. Or put the credentials into your profile.

Wow!! Me, I would rather get my knuckles rapped..

Forgetting music happens.. Do not take it too personally..

I have copies of all the method materials and repertoire collections my students use, so I just pull 'em off the shelf.

I can't write in them, so I just write notes in the assignment sheets that I always send home.

Also, I can't imagine using homework or worksheets as punishment. Worksheets and homework are supposed to be learning experiences! I think it sends a very mixed message when we use a potential learning experience as punishment. (It constantly amazes me how teachers always assume that students dislike theory. One wonders if students dislike theory because our attitude tells them they're supposed to?)

In very rare cases where disciplinary action is required, I simply have students sit in a chair in the corner while I catch up on paperwork. The message is clear:

Not Playing the Piano = Punishment

In the last three years, I've had to send students to the chair only three times. So far, the record time for sitting in the chair is 6 minutes. At that point, the student stood up and announced they were ready to continue. I said "Good! I was starting to get bored. Let's get back to work!"

+1 Kreisler!

I disagree. Some kids (especially those who frequently forget to bring books) will actually cheer as they are being sent to the corner. Obviously, none of us has those students.

I have no problem using work as punishment. In English classes, many kids often forget to bring books, so their teacher makes them copy the dictionary as punishment. In Math classes, math worksheets. Or the teacher will assign 1-32 all (instead of 1-32 odds) for homework.

Of course, teachers, psychologists, and parents can disagree all they want. I'm pretty sure this topic has been addressed in numerous books in Education Psychology, from all angles and positions.

Why not make comparisons to other activities as a starter. Like, if you didn't bring your homework, binder, pens/pencils to school what would be the consequences.

They, and often their parents just don't put piano lessons in the same league as SCHOOL, sports and whatever else is higher up on their agenda.

I guess there has to be a kind of educational enlightenment that involves more than the student.

I have had kids enrolled in lessons for years, who still slide when it comes to a sense of responsibility where lessons are concerned as well as practice/preparation required.

We sometimes hear parents say, they want their children "exposed" to music, the implication being that lessons are intended as a more superficial or casual engagement. I think this is a territory that is therefore, often tricky to navigate.

The worst is when you assign them a few pages in their theory or notespeller books, then they groan and say, "I already have so much homework this week..." like they think this is just goofy optional stuff that we assign them just for torturing purposes??

Yes, if I had a dollar for every time a student said he or she "forgot" to do the theory assignment, I could retire to Carmel by the Sea, and live in the lap of luxury.

Schedule their lesson in a google calendar or iCal. Add them as an attendee. Then set an email reminder to be sent to them every week at a set time, morning of lesson/night before.