Last Friday, Mark and Paul had their first piano lesson with a qualified teacher. I started teaching them last year, but I really don't know how to teach piano. In December, I lost my temper with Paul, so I fired myself from teaching the boys.
We have a wonderful guy to teach the boys now. His name is Steven Pratt. He comes to our house to teach the lessons and I love that! He has a lot of experience teaching and uses a method that is really helping the boys. Mark is picking up on reading the notes really quickly. Paul is catching on at his own pace and is doing great. It is difficult to see him struggling with this when Mark just figures it out almost effortlessly.
I guess that since we all learn at different speeds that we all deal with people who learn something faster than we do. I just hope that Paul is patient with himself and that Mark can learn to be kind about their difference in levels.
My experiment of sincerely complimenting Mark each day has really helped! Complementing him has become easier on my part and he has warmed up to me more. I like that a lot! Now it will be easier to talk with him about things that need improvement. I am truly happy with how well this is going.
That's awesome. So great you could find something to compliment him on. And I'm impressed that you're making your boys take piano lessons. There's something so great about a boy that can play the piano!!
ReplyDeleteGood for them! It is very frustrating being the one who has to work harder than the other. I have a sister just older than me and everything she does is easy for her, even piano. I would have to work so hard and she wouldn't even practice. She is still better than me! GRRRRR
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