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Is it normal for students to daydream during pieces? Like lost the feeling? If so, what do you do?

Unfocused playing, and I'm sure it happens to everyone. That's why practicing should be short, highly focused and concentrated.

Adding to what John said, the big trick to playing focused is to have something to focus on. That is not just the piece but some aspect of your playing from moment to moment that you concentrate on. If you "try to concentrate" then you will be "concentrating on concentrating" - watching your own concentration - and that isn't anything concrete to focus on.

I usually do something to "shock" them out of it, like have them do something away from the piano for a minute and come back, point and sing while I play, stop and chat for a few moments, listen to a recording, make them laugh somehow (usually at my expense).

A great one is to ask them to play one note wrong on purpose, or ask them to play all stacattos legato, all p's as f's - we're trying to activate their minds again, and engage them creatively in the piece.

So yes this is very common, but like keystring said, you can't just "try harder" to concentrate, you have to snap them out of it or give them something unexpected to get them out of it.

Some people have a short attention span. When I was a trainee teacher I was told not to expect an (adult) student to be able to focus with full attention on the same task for more that eight minutes. I presume that for children it's no longer. As a teacher (of any subject) it's almost certain that you're one of those few people who benefited from a _long_ attention span, so it's quite frustrating to have to deal with 'normal' people.

I'm not sure there's any solution to this problem other than to work with it, and change the task when the student starts to drift off.

Just my $0.02, of course.

kevinb is right - research has shown that the focused attention span of a child is their age plus 2-3 minutes. After that you lose them. I'd suggest breaking up your lesson time into different sections, each with a different focus - and have some activities away from the bench. That way the time you do spend playing will be more productive as you'll have their full concentration. While it may be time away from the piece - you'll save yourself time in the long run by having a focused student.

sounds like me while im playing...not a good look

I was hoping you'd all tell me how to keep a kid concentrating long enough to get through the second line....

LOL!

i used to relish practicing because it was my time for daydreaming.. I would imagine scenarios as I played.. weaving my 'dreams' into my interpretation.

I then learned over the years that focused practice is better, much better. I still let me mind wander. It's very therapeutic.

give them a lollipop or piece of gum. that will keep them focused

nope - not near my piano!