I hope it's just a phase
For two weeks in a row now, we've had issues at guitar class.
"And I'm paying for this because ....." I'm thinking.
What's amazing to me is that Ziad will not even countenance the idea of a) quitting or b) switching teachers. At the same time, he doesn't seem to want to make the mental shift to a frame of mind that would make his lessons go more smoothly. What's a mother to do? I'm strongly tempted just to pull him out of the lessons, but we've already paid non-refundable tuition through January (crafty, crafty, guitar teacher). Miraculously, these periods of bumpy obstinacy in class seem always to happen right AFTER I've plunked down a huge chunk of cash, never right before.
To top it all off, he's definitely made a lot of progress. When he wants to put his mind to it, he plays beautifully. It seems a shame to call it all to a halt, but I'm really tired of that broken-record feeling -- his teacher feels disrespected, Ziad feels disregarded, both of them are getting frustrated and the clock is ticking as no music gets learned. I partly feel that it's not his teacher's place to teach him life lessons about manners; I also feel Ziad needs to treat people better. I mostly feel stuck in the middle, since when we're actually in guitar class, I can't stop the clock to give him the standard lecture on why he should not be doing this if he's the one who wants guitar lessons. The one he's heard at least a hundred times. Let's see, minimum of once a week for five years? That makes it more like 250 times. Enough. More than enough. Especially since we go through periods when it's more like (more than) once a day.
Then I see his face when he's really absorbed in playing a song that he loves and I know I could never make him quit as long as he wants to keep going.
"And I'm paying for this because ....." I'm thinking.
What's amazing to me is that Ziad will not even countenance the idea of a) quitting or b) switching teachers. At the same time, he doesn't seem to want to make the mental shift to a frame of mind that would make his lessons go more smoothly. What's a mother to do? I'm strongly tempted just to pull him out of the lessons, but we've already paid non-refundable tuition through January (crafty, crafty, guitar teacher). Miraculously, these periods of bumpy obstinacy in class seem always to happen right AFTER I've plunked down a huge chunk of cash, never right before.
To top it all off, he's definitely made a lot of progress. When he wants to put his mind to it, he plays beautifully. It seems a shame to call it all to a halt, but I'm really tired of that broken-record feeling -- his teacher feels disrespected, Ziad feels disregarded, both of them are getting frustrated and the clock is ticking as no music gets learned. I partly feel that it's not his teacher's place to teach him life lessons about manners; I also feel Ziad needs to treat people better. I mostly feel stuck in the middle, since when we're actually in guitar class, I can't stop the clock to give him the standard lecture on why he should not be doing this if he's the one who wants guitar lessons. The one he's heard at least a hundred times. Let's see, minimum of once a week for five years? That makes it more like 250 times. Enough. More than enough. Especially since we go through periods when it's more like (more than) once a day.
Then I see his face when he's really absorbed in playing a song that he loves and I know I could never make him quit as long as he wants to keep going.
posted by Sarah at 7:24 PM
3 Comments:
Can totally relate to the--- "I just paid for next month's tuition and NOW you wanna quit?"
Andrew just quit gymnastics and Audrey's down to 1 hour a week (from the previous 5.) We would have been out the door entirely, except the coach begged Audrey to stay on.
You didn't ask for advice, but if you had, I would be encouraging you to hang in there. Chances are that he will so glad you did when he's older. When its clear that its time to quit...quit then. As long as there's a question and you've any fight in you at all...hang on.
Is Ziad's teacher Frank himself? As you know, we had to quit working with him. something about him just didn't quite agree with me, maybe it's the teaching manners, or that he didn't appreciate my knitting through his class. The decision came easy for us since it all happened before Henry started taking lessons. I hope Ziad will work through the problems and continue doing what he enjoys.
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