Balance for your life … Creativity for your studio.
This is the question EVERY teacher would love to hear at the end of each lesson. After all, a student who feels lesson flies by is much more likely to continue taking lessons & even tell their friends about how awesome piano is. Sure it can get a bit awkward when you get to listen to the following conversation.
As I was looking at my (long) list of goals for 2017, I realized that if I actually want to reach these goals some changes to my schedule needed to happen. How could I make the most of each moment I had available without feeling like I had become a robot?
If you have read The Unfinished Lesson for awhile, you may have noticed that I write quite a bit about balancing priorities & creating a studio environment that works for the individual teacher. So, why am I so passionate about this topic?
This is my journey from stressed out teacher to successful studio owner!
There has been quite a lot of talk about policies in the music teaching feeds lately. While I don’t think ‘one size fits all’, I would argue that the majority of teachers want to be seen for the professionals that they are. How individual teachers & studios go about this is different which is what makes our studios unique.
Setting up a music lab as a traveling teacher has it’s challenges. But, there are ways to work around those challenges to offer something that other teachers are unable to offer!
I was SO excited once my sons began doing student-led conferences with us at school. Why? Because I saw how successful they could be when I was teaching in the school system. It’s also the reason that we do student-led conferences in my studio.
Maybe it’s my special needs teaching background. Maybe, it has to do with teaching at private schools. Or, maybe I just feel a deep desire to be organized (or at least feel like I’m mostly organized). Whatever the reason really is, each summer I make annual student growth plans. Why would I subject myself to…
As we get close to the end of June, it’s natural to have some students leaving the studio. Sometimes, it’s due to a move away from the area. Other times, priorities or financial situations have changed & lessons are no longer an option. And, other times … well, perhaps we are breathing a sigh of relief after a tough year with a particular family. (Though hopefully this last one is a rare occurrence.)
How can we say goodbye in a manner that leaves everyone positive?
I LOVE checklists, to-do lists, call-it-what-you-want lists. But, what I don’t like is all the small slips of paper or post-its hanging out on my desk. Or, having to choose my purse size based on whether my to-do notebook fits inside with everything else.
I know that Google Keep has changed the way that I handle my to-do list substantially. This is my review of the app & how it can improve your productivity!
At this time of year, I am always torn between finishing out the year with a bang & wanting to get going on next year’s plans. So this week, I wanted to share the articles & ideas that kept my excitement up … during a time of year that typically leads to burn out.