It’s been awhile. And for those who have still been checking out the website from time to time … thank you! Turns out that I am not one of those people who can or aspire to do it all 😉 So when Baby Boy #1 arrived in April 2023, I cut back and focused my very little extra energy on being a mom, wife, and piano teacher.
Baby Boy #2 is now on the way, and although I’ve been absent around here, I’ve spent quite a bit of time brainstorming, planning, and taking stock of how things run in my life and teaching. I’ve learned a few lessons, and thought I’d share here as I hope to be back occasionally to put out some fun and tips and resources that have helped me in my teaching journey recently!
One: What actually works? So here I was rolling into motherhood with what I thought was a good handle on how my house and business ran … only to discover that yes indeed, having a newborn changes EVERYTHING. And I quickly became overwhelmed by the needs of taking care of a house full of stuff along with an entirely dependent human. Am I a minimalist? No. Have a listened to and read a whole batch of resources on the subject in the past year and a half? Yes. Why should you care about this here? Because as I slowly work my way around the house and try to clear and clean and simplify, I’ve realized that my teaching life was being affected by some pretty bad habits.
Put plainly? I had TONS of amazing teaching resources that I never/rarely used because they were scattered in at least 4 different places around the house on top of what I had stashed at my studio. I’ll write more on this, I promise. The process was deep enough it deserves its own post. However my lack of writing here is in large part due to me taking my small bits of free time to first get my teaching life in order. If it’s not being used, it must either be recycled/thrown/given away or have a home where it can be easily accessed and used when needed. Voila… suddenly my house is cleaner, and I feel more put together when it comes to lesson planning and teaching well.
Two: What are my limits? Am I a new mom who can do all the things during the day and stay up late working on my own professional ambitions? No. Plain and simple, I am not. So in the midst of new mom life (despite the hard moments, I really loved the newborn stage!), I needed to put the energy I did have where it mattered most to me. Being a present and attentive mom matters to me immensely. Being a present, attentive, and prepared teacher is also very important to me. The takeaway? I had to take stock and give myself permission to do less, but do it better. It meant some difficult decisions and giving myself more grace when I wanted to get more done but needed a nap (fully me as I approach third trimester here). Knowing and embracing limits can actually bring immense freedom in your life!
Three: Have I committed to lifelong learning? I always tell my adult students that they inspire me to be lifelong learner. This isn’t something I take for granted as I watch them struggle, work hard, and succeed at a time in their lives where distractions are at an all time high. So what does this look for me right now? In this season my learning relies heavily on audiobooks and engaging in conversations with people in my city who live very different lives from me. Eventually it may mean taking up a class or new instrument. But I want to keep myself active in learning now, and make sure that my own kids see this in practice as they grow up.
So if you’ve been around in the past and are just tuning in again, thank you for being here! And if this is your first time around, I hope you will find some of my own musings on life and teaching to be helpful and encouraging in your journey to becoming a better music teacher 🙂
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