http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/toxic-people-test-aka-when-is-it-time-to-fire-a-student/ Tips and Resources for Private Music Teachers and Performers everywhere! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:51:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/toxic-people-test-aka-when-is-it-time-to-fire-a-student/comment-page-1/#comment-100866 Klaus Georg Thu, 07 May 2009 19:55:51 +0000 http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/?p=669#comment-100866 Great post. I agree that you want to look at it over some time--thought I think a month may be sufficient. You can also apply the same test to an organization, an activity, a job, or even your practicing! When I leave certain rehearsals, I feel extremely energized. When I practice as outlined in "The Perfect Wrong Note" I feel energized. After singing the Verdi Requiem with Muti I felt like I could start at the very beginning and do it again! Other times, a day job, a gig, a group of musicians are draining. Fire them, too! Great post. I agree that you want to look at it over some time–thought I think a month may be sufficient.
You can also apply the same test to an organization, an activity, a job, or even your practicing! When I leave certain rehearsals, I feel extremely energized. When I practice as outlined in “The Perfect Wrong Note” I feel energized. After singing the Verdi Requiem with Muti I felt like I could start at the very beginning and do it again!
Other times, a day job, a gig, a group of musicians are draining. Fire them, too!

]]> http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/toxic-people-test-aka-when-is-it-time-to-fire-a-student/comment-page-1/#comment-100801 Ed Pearlman Thu, 07 May 2009 03:41:52 +0000 http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/?p=669#comment-100801 Good point. It's important to be nourished and to appreciate and spend time with those who nourish you. And yet, as teachers, it's important for us to be nourishing too. I think a truly toxic person relentlessly draws energy from you over time, not on a single or even on several occasions. They will even make you think too much about their issues when you're not teaching and even at night, possibly making you lose some sleep; nothing you do or say will seem to resolve things. All students draw some energy out of us from time to time, but they're not all toxic; sometimes the problem could even be our own and not the student's--maybe we weren't prepared or are trying to sort out how to adjust our expectations of a student. Still, this nourish vs. drain test is good to keep in mind; I would just extend it over a month or 6 weeks before drawing a conclusion that might lead you to "fire" a student. Good point. It’s important to be nourished and to appreciate and spend time with those who nourish you. And yet, as teachers, it’s important for us to be nourishing too. I think a truly toxic person relentlessly draws energy from you over time, not on a single or even on several occasions. They will even make you think too much about their issues when you’re not teaching and even at night, possibly making you lose some sleep; nothing you do or say will seem to resolve things. All students draw some energy out of us from time to time, but they’re not all toxic; sometimes the problem could even be our own and not the student’s–maybe we weren’t prepared or are trying to sort out how to adjust our expectations of a student. Still, this nourish vs. drain test is good to keep in mind; I would just extend it over a month or 6 weeks before drawing a conclusion that might lead you to “fire” a student.

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