Too quick to judge

After several lessons with the students who have caused me to begin writing this blog in the first place, I can tell that I have been too quick to judge their previous piano teacher.  It was TOTALLY not her fault (whoever she is).  Well, not totally her fault is probably how I should word it.  Unless she created these children...
Oh, my.  I have my work cut out for me.  Ineffective practice strategies? Not enough practice time? Unmotivated? I'm not sure what is causing the lack of progress--maybe it's just habit for them--but it is making me CRAZY!
Still thinking on this one...

Step-students

Is that terrible?  I kind of think of students that I get from other teachers as step-students for a while.  Maybe that's what parents think about chidlren of their spouse's, but I definitely have that feeling for a time.  It doesn't last long, well, maybe through a complete book or so, depending on how long that takes.

The students I wrote the original blog post about are my step-students, still.  We've only have about four lessons, but I feel slightly resentful having to clean up other teacher's errors.  How can a student who has been playing for over two years not know how to read notes?  How can she not know intervals?
How can a student who has been playing for over three years not progress to the point of playing hands together?  Oh, my.  I do have a lot of work to do. 

I love these children--they are both just delightful and kind and sweet, but they have some habits that I'd like to break.  They have some learned behaviors that I'd like them to un-learn. 

What's worse: a very beginning student or a step-student?  I'm not sure...