Are Music Teachers generally a bit weird!?

[jacqui567]

Hi
I was hoping to understand a little bit more on dealing with Teachers who teach music in my daughter's School. We moved to West of Scotland three years back and my daughter has now entered Senior School.
She gets taught at School for which we pay the Music Teacher through the School.
But funnily,both in the Primary and now in the new School I am finding it impossible to get hold of the Teacher to have a chat about the plan ahead for my girl. I got her when I had to hire her and then its always that they are busy to even return a phone call. They also for some strange reason work only 9-5 which means they do not tend to calls in the evening and on the weekends.It was very similar in the Primary School as well.
I don't know if things are so different here that the Teacher is not obliged to talk to you except for the shortest calls in between classes for other kids when I feel I am denying time for another kid!
The Head of Music for the School informs me that the School is just a go-between and we are essentially hiring the Teacher on our own. I assumed for a job of teaching a kid with a commitment from the parents of nearly £800 pounds per year, the least they can do is have the decency to chat to us once or twice a year about the progress the girl is making.
I get a feeling that since the School arranges these classes the Teachers feel they don't need to chat to their employers!
I find it also weird about their 9-5 strict policy when all of us who work cannot stick to that in our work.
Is it wrong or pushy to request a Music Teacher for an update once a year? Why are they so scared or shy of this? Is there a better way of doing this? Or all music teachers just plain weird because the School Teachers in general are just brilliant at returning calls or emails!

[JaneParker]

The private schools where our children go/went all had a once a year parents' evening just for the music teachers with parents.
Also I have the address of one teacher so wrote a letter to him bypost - the address was on his bill - when I wanted my son put in for grade 7, teacher emailed back and all was well (my son passed). The other music teacher emails the boys the lesson times each week and I have his email address from that. Some have a notebook which comes home each week with the week's practice written in - even if yours has not offered that perhaps send one in and ask your child to ask the teacher to write a weekly summary of what is to be practised the next week. I may be once a term used to add some comment - eg not had time to practice, we have been away or I want him to do XYZ gade at Christmas whether he's ready or not as that'#s the only way he'll practise or whatever.

Some of the music teachers are very busy because their man job is playing in orchestras or whatever else they do so they may well be travelling a lot of the week expect when they are in the school and also doing evening concerts so they may not have loads of time but for your £800 a year you deserve some communication.

[LIZS]

We tend to communicate with dc music teachers by email , when we see them at concerts etc or via dc. Yes a lot teach in schools, for which they only get paid for the hours they teach, in order to supplement their own musical commitments.

[camptownraces]

My experience is not that music teachers are weird, but that their lives are packed with work: many work every possible lesson at secondary school, plus break, lunchtime and after school, in music rooms without telephones. As previously said their work could involve evenings and weekends, and a lot of travel.

Suggest that you send a note to the peripatetic teacher via the school's head of music, giving all your contact details (postal address, email, phone numbers and times available). Indicate what your questions are - apart from just progress and work covered, do you need to know how homework and practice tasks are or should be recorded? I'd have thought that the school might insist on a report once a year at least.

[AChickenCalledKorma]

DD1 has lessons with a teacher from the County music service during school hours. She has a practice notebook that the teacher and I can communicate through, by writing notes. And we get a formal written report once a year. I haven't really felt the need to communicate more than this, but I do have her phone number which I've used a couple of times to let her know DD1 is sick etc.

[1805]

Music teachers are no more weird than their pupils parents.

I have yet to meet a music teacher that only works 9-5.

"The plan ahead" for dd - what do you mean? Surely the plan is for your dd to progress on her instrument and musical development/enjoyment???
Maybe try asking a more specific question?

What terms and conditions did you sign up for? Did it mention yearly reports?

Are you happy with dd progress? Is dd happy??? Do you go to her concerts?

[BeckAndCall]

It's a bit of a sweeping statement to describe music teachers as 'weird' - I think that pretty insulting, OP.

We have lots of experience of music teachers over the last 15 years across 4 schools for 3 DC and 'weird' is not a word I'd use.

Our typical experience is that the children have had a written report for each instrument each term. Ive had some discussions on the 'plan for the year ahead' but mostly that's taken care of in the termly report.

Plus, when they were primary level at least, they all had a note book for writing comments back and forth - any questions could be answered through there.

At secondary level, they were old enough to raise any particular specific questions with their teacher themselves.

[JaneParker]

I have sometimes had to press for them to be entered into the next grade, simpy because I know my boys and they only start working hard when an exam is looming. I usually apologise to the teacher and say of course I realise they will probably fail ( I was surprised one passed grade 7 and the other 8 on that basis last time which I had basically forced the teacher to sit them for and said I knew they may well fail and did not mind wasting my money on the entrance fee and had I not pressed for that they would still be sauntering along with no progress for 5 years - my children's faults of course not the teacher - the exams incentivise them).

[HercShipwright]

The peris that I know generally bemoan how many parents are completely un engaged with their kids' progress.

Some of them aren't hugely organised though, it's true - especially about billing. This year I've told a couple of them that I'm paying by standing order, monthly, like it or not, because I'm fed up of asking for bills week after week, not getting them, then suddenly getting an email saying can you pay right away when I'm overseas and unable to write a cheque till I get back. Both of them were actually hugely pleased I'd done this - so why didn't they just ask?

The thing that does annoy me slightly is one of them always buys the music for DD2. Which would be fine. Except I have GOT a lot of the standard repertoire already because (a) some of the pieces I did for higher grades are still on the syllabus and (b) Dd1 has played some of them (and the same person teaches Dd1 so you'd think she would remember).

[pigsinmud]

Er...sweeping statement! Dh gives his phone and email details out to all parents. He writes yearly report in his own time - no payment for that!
A lot of parents he has dealings with are not interested. They just want to tick the grades off. If that doesn't happen quick enough, they see it as a waste of money.
Does your dc have a notebook? We use that for communication with dd1's clarinet teacher.

[jacqui567]

I guess Music Teachers are different from one another although the ones in my girls' primary years were much nicer.
I did not look at the small print (as you suggested) when I agreed for the classes by the School. Maybe I should have! Does anyone? I expected the usual report on the book after each class and maybe at the end of the year a report on how she's progressing.
Regarding Music Teachers working 9-5 only, I wonder whether they are trying to make a point of showing they are busy. Telling my girl that she has no time to return the call for the next two weeks is not only a touch rude but borders on the absurd. After all a call takes five to ten minutes and they need to do it only when something crops up.
Dee loves her music and is not only doing well but is now tenacious enough to take part in Open competitions in festivals which is so lovely to see.
This year she was supposed to take her next grading but for some reason the teacher put it off for next year! I was a bit taken aback but hoped the Teacher would at least explain the reason so that Dee could do something about it if needed. No matter. But it does make planning for the future a touch hard as I would have preferred Dee completing her Grades in 3 years so that she could focus just on studies to get into a good Uni. Dee wants to come back to England. Oh Well.
I have spoken to the Teacher once in nearly two years and thought at least as a courtesy she would return my call and help us plan for the future as only the teacher knows how fast Dee can progress. She isn't there on Parents evening as only the lovely chap who heads the Music Dept talks to us.
What I find weird is that I and many of us cannot get away with that attitude at work - not bothering to reply to calls/emails from our employers! My only comfort is that there are other moms in the same boat and equally lost as to the protocol. Sometimes I wonder if the fact that some of us would prefer our kids to have music classes at School (to avoid the additional hassle) is handicapping us.
Its just sad since it is such a small thing and can be handled in a quick, polite way.

[1805]

Lots of people don't return my calls. Lots of people are rude.

Only this week I had to leave my teaching at lunch time to attend a family emergency. I sent e mails to parents before I left, they were also sent e mails and phone calls from my admin office explaining it was emergency leave.
Low and behold, I receive an e mail from parent saying "please inform them in advance of me missing lessons so dc does not have to carry his trumpet to school unnecessarily." This is the same parent who yelled at me down the phone for taking time out of a lesson to explain to their autistic child how the rotating timetable worked.

why do you need her to rush through exams?
maybe teacher was teaching all day, then going off to perform in the evening as well?
Maybe offer to take a call from teacher at 11.30pm when they've finished work for the day?

meh.
maybe you're a bit weird.

[CaulkheadUpNorth]

I know one music teacher (primary, teaches voice, strings and group singing).

She is one of the weirdest people I know. I lived with her for two years so know her pretty well.

[angelcake20]

DCs learn at primary through the County Music Service. They have practice books, which we can communicate through. In practice, one of their three teachers is fantastic, writes meaningful comments and talks to me in school on the odd occasion when I am helping out, even though she spends the least time in school. With the other two, I am lucky if they write the pieces that are to be practised and I don't think they would recognise me. I too would rather have a more meaningful communication. I genuinely have no idea how well DCs are progressing in these two (neither of them chose my instruments).