When I was in graduate school, I decided to give piano lessons to earn some extra money, so I put an ad in the paper. One response was from a U. Va. professor's wife with three children. SHe and the children were all to take lessons. Wow- great.. four students just like that-- and intelligent ones, probably eager to learn.
I lived in the country in a lovely house-- this was because my landlord had dropped dead and the heirs asked me if I would move up to the big house from my little teeny house just to keep an eye on it.
So on a lovely fall afternoon, this family pulled up in a big station wagon; the doors flew open and all these screaming kids emerged, along with a giant collie who immediately chased my cats up trees and ran around barking like mad.
There was a panelled den next to the living room where I gave the lessons. The problem was of course what was to occupy these kids while mom was having her lesson. The first week was awful. They ran around the house, they actually took the darts off the dart board and threw them into all the walls. They tortured my cat, they ate food and dropped crap everywhere. I asked the mother not to bring the dog and she brought it the next week anyway. She said "Oh, but he was so sad that we wouldn't let him come and the kids wanted him." I kid you not.
The kids were rude, and refused to practice anything assigned. They said they were smarter than I was and would play the way they wanted. They said my way was stupid. They made faces at me, and talked back. The mother was the only one who practiced. But she refused to do anything else I asked-- like not bring food into the den, and to keep the kids from destroying the furniture.
Now you're wondering why I put up with this. I wonder that now too. Except that I needed money. And this was half of my total students. BUt more than that, I didn't know what to say! I had asked nicely! This was a professor's wife, for God's sake at UVA! My school. I was intimidated. Maybe it was my fault as a teacher, maybe I just was being intolerant about children, since I had none.
Finally, after one particularly awful afternoon, where the little boy had spit at me and called me a name, and the dog had almost killed my cat, and one of the kids tore up a paperback, I had two drinks (I never drank---couldn't afford to) called up the woman and announced I would have to stop teaching them.
SHe said, "Is there something wrong?"
I said, "well, my cats are still up in the tree becuase of your dog, that I've asked you not to bring."
"But I left him in the car. It was just too bad the kids let him out."
"The kids are not getting getting anything from these lessons.They're not practicing."
"Well, I don't believe in forcing them to practice, I think they should want to do it, but I'm sure they're learning something."
"They throw darts into the wall, they tore up a book, they make a mess."
"Well, they're children. Do you want me to replace the book? I think you're getting upset over nothing. Is that all that's wrong?"
And I, alcohol-enpowered, blurted out, "No, what I really want to tell you is that your dog and your children are undisciplined monsters. I don't like them, and I don't WANT to teach them."
"Oh, ok." she said.
Then she called back and said, "Did you mean you won't be teaching me anymore either?" |
