The first requirement for a good student-teacher relationship is a willingness to learn on the part of the student.  (I’m assuming you have a willingness to teach!)

Although you may be tempted to share your love of music by making it compulsory for all those students within your influence to enroll in recorder lessons, you aren’t really doing anyone a favor by forcing children who really aren’t interested to be involved.

Sure, the knowledge they gain will be useful if they ever take up another instrument, but the disharmony that results from having bored, disinterested, miserable or reluctant kids in the class can often ruin an otherwise pleasant experience for yourself and the other kids.

If you find yourself having to deal with a child who is frequently disruptive during the lesson, it’s very likely that the child doesn’t really want to learn recorder, and only signed up for the class because a parent thought it would be a good idea.  Sometimes the child signs up with the best of intentions, only to find that playing the recorder is much harder than it looks, or that it’s boring, or they’d rather be playing netball.

You will be much better off without such attitudes in your class.

Kick them out. You don’t need the money that badly.

One approach that works quite well is to detain the offending child at the end of a lesson and say to them that they don’t seem to be enjoying their lessons as much as they used to.

Then it will frequently come out that indeed, there is very little enjoyment around the recorder for the young person, and they would much rather not know anything about the recorder at all than turn up every week for your lessons.

It’s likely that this will be the same child who usually forgets to bring his instrument, can’t remember the fingering for G after a whole term, and likes to use his instrument play sword fights with other class members as you’re trying to explain how many beats in a half rest.

The child will usually be relieved when you tell him he doesn’t have to come any more. All that remains then for you to tidy up the situation is to call the parents and explain politely, diplomatically and tactfully that you’ve noticed that Billy doesn’t seem to be enjoying his recorder lessons as much as he used to. Are they sure they want him to continue?

Sometimes the disinterest is due to the fact that the child genuinely knows far more than the rest of the class and is bored by the constant repetition of familiar material. In this case, the parents will be glad to receive a phone call from you telling them that their kid knows more than the rest of the class, even if they are disappointed that there is no more advanced group into which you can place the child. (Perhaps you can offer them private tuition on a more substantial instrument?)

This, then, is the first secret to having a happy classroom.  Learning music is a joy and a privilege, but it's not for everyone.

Day 1: Teach Only the Willing

Day 2: Let Go of Educational Expectations

Day 3: Why Preparation is the Key to Success

Day 4: Note-names inside the Note-heads

Day 5: Three Strikes and You're Out!