Category: Teacher Tips
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What Are You Growing in Your Studio Garden?
This is not the time of year I typically think of growing a garden. It’s been a warm, gray winter here in Cleveland, Ohio, and even when the sun does peak through my natural gardening abilities are so lacking it doesn’t bring to my mind any desire to dig a plot in the backyard. But…
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It’s Not Too Late!
This past week knocked me flat down. I went from a mild cold and enough energy for online teaching to a very bad cold where I couldn’t even teach online due to lack of sleep and voice. This week’s main activity of choice was sitting on the couch and sleeping or reading, and coincidentally enough,…
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Practice With A Purpose: Inspire Your Students to Use Their Music for Good In the Coming Months
What else do students gain from lessons besides the skill of playing an instrument? The list is LONG. We could talk about perseverance, longer focus and attention span, problem solving abilities, a healthy one-on-one relationship with an adult other than mom or dad, fine motor skills, and the list goes on. Music has the unique…
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To Do or Not To Do
To-do lists. The thought makes some of us cringe, while it fills others with joy. Maybe you’re the type that has them posted everywhere you turn. Maybe you keep a handy note open on your phone for your to do list. Maybe you’re the type that makes all the lists and then loses them. And…
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On the Hunt: A Free Score Study Printable
And just like that, summer is over and school has ushered in fall (although it’s been in the 90s here in Cleveland 😉 ). Whether or not your students have continued through the summer and need a change of pace, or your students have been off all summer and need to get back into a…
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Fun Fact Friday: First Impressions
It’s that time of year when students all over the world sign up to begin piano lessons in anticipation of what they hope to experience and accomplish during the new school year 🙂 A first lesson goes a LONG way in setting the tone for the student-teacher and teacher-parent relationship. But did you know that…
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Resource Roundup: Back to School
Although July seemed to slide into August without much fanfare, the “back to school” feeling has definitely descended upon Cleveland. I am one of those people who enjoy each season, but also enjoy the change of seasons. Summer was fun, busy, and active. But by the time school starts I’ll be ready for a steady…
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The Rubik’s Cube and Your Teaching Schedule This Fall
As I was looking ahead to my teaching schedule this fall (think a Rubik’s cube, a headache, and lots of emails), I noticed an opportunity to cut an evening out of my schedule. Everyone certainly has their preferences when it comes to their teaching schedule. I, for one, am not a huge fan of teaching…
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When music meets real life … July’s Roundup
If you’ve been around the blog recently, you’ve likely noticed that I have committed to taking hold of as many touchpoints with my students and their families as is possible – and as makes sense. Too much communication, and everyone gets frazzled and annoyed. Too little, and the same is likely to happen. So I…
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How do you know if your studio is healthy?
What determines the health of a piano studio? Is it based on how the students perform at federation, competitions, or recitals? Is it based on the length of your waiting list? Or the number of students who continue music in higher education? Maybe you feel that the health of your studio is based on how…