OPC... Other People's Children

In article ,
(Beth Kevles) wrote:

I'm not sure why the school (where the lessons are taking place) doesn't
have a behavior policy. In most places like this, children who are
disruptive are simply removed from the class, no refunds given. If the
school lacks such a policy, you might suggest that they make one. If
they DO have such a policy, ask that they enforce it. In either event,
nothing will change if you fail to bring the problem to the teacher's
attention. If this child is so disruptive that YOUR child isn't
learning, you need to speak out and, if steps aren't taken, request a
refund. (Requesting a refund will certainly get their attention.)

Well, this is where it gets tricky, isn't it? The mother had two children
attending classes, and of course the school wishes to hang on to the income.
And Monster Girl isn't a psychopath; she's a foot-dragging annoyance. If the
music school says she isn't welcome any more, the little horror has 'won'.
Bad all round -- the girl's behaviour won't improve anywhere she doesn't want
to be, she won't have had musical training, and her mother and a teacher have
lost the battle of wills.

I'm pretty sure the mother and teacher have been trying the 'extinction'
method of ignoring bad behaviour; the problem is that there has really been no
improvement.

After the last lesson I actually rang the school back -- left a message for
the teacher suggesting that she could ask the girl to stand away from her
keyboard (on the other side of her mother) when she got annoying. Another
thought I have had is to suggest that the teacher "make" us exchange
keyboards. Monster's keyboard goes much louder than ours does.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/