A Word of Explanation

As my output on this blog has been a bit down over the past months I thought I'd offer a brief word of explanation. In short, I've felt God calling me to spend more of my time and energy on other endeavors. My blog will still be available for those who are interested in past posts or printables, and I'll be posting from time to time, but my presence here will continue to be limited.

Learning to See Things Differently

Sometimes, all it takes between what we as teachers perceive as a great lesson and a bad lesson is a matter of perspective. I'm writing this post because this is something that I personally struggle with a great deal. Before lessons, I am usually guilty of setting goals for the upcoming time period. There are things I want to accomplish, projects to be finished, new projects to be started...

Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with setting goals! But there is something wrong with beating yourself up if you don't actually accomplish all those goals in each lesson.

I have a student who has been a real struggle for me this year so far. His level of energy and lack of constant focus in lessons have been a source of stress for me each week. As I set my goals for his upcoming lessons each week, I found myself approaching the lesson each successive week with more and more of a sense of despair. I knew that no matter what, the goals wouldn't even be remotely accomplished because half of my time would be spent trying to re-gain focus. And the entire day of lessons would end on a sour note as I reflected on that one lesson and what a failure it had been.

Not good!I knew that I needed to change my approach, so this week I decided to try something radical (for me at least!) :) . I approached his lesson with no expectations, no goals, no thoughts of "we have to accomplish x, y, and z...". Rather, I just let things happen. I worked with what I had. We spent the lesson engaged in more activity- jumping back and forth between the piano and keyboard, changing up the usual format of the lesson, throwing in some new stuff...and the lesson ended up being much more successful. Was the child more focused? Not really. What had changed was my approach to the lesson. I decided that success wasn't really based on accomplishing goals, but more on finding creative ways to engage and help this student experience success. The result was that I ended my day of teaching with a much more positive attitude, rather than starting my week off feeling like a failure.

As teachers, having goals and expectations are definitely important. But there are also times when those same goals and expectations can get in the way of a truly successful teaching experience. Sometimes all it takes is a small change of perspective to make all the difference! Have you ever dealt with this in your teaching experience? I'd love to hear your stories of success and tidbits of advice on how you overcame a difficult situation like this and made it a positive one!

The Marble Jar

Over the summer, I decided that my incentive programs were getting a little out of control. I had contest upon contest upon contest, which meant that at the end of every term I was buying rewards for 5-7 students. It really started adding up! I decided to simplify things this fall with a more streamlined incentive. While still fostering competition, this incentive also rewards personal achievements. And with only 2 winners at the end of the term, it saves my wallet as well! :)

Enter the studio marble jar:

A simple concept! At the first lesson, students were given a goal sheet to fill out and place in their binders:

Then each week as they come to lessons, they get to put a marble in the jar for each goal met. If they met their practice goals: 1 marble. If they memorized a song: 1 marble. There are also some more long-range goals on the sheet that we'll be working on for a month or more, but the whole idea behind this contest is that they will see rewards every week (through marbles in the jar) from working hard at home to meet their goals.

At the end of the term I will draw a marble at random from the jar and that person will receive a special prize. The second winner will be the person with the most marbles overall.

So far this week, the marble jar has been a big success! Simple concept- big results! LOVE IT! What are you doing this fall to motivate your students?

Welcome Back!

Last week I welcomed my students back for the start of the fall studio term. The first lesson after a two-week break is always a bit of a toss-up. Some lessons involve students who haven't even looked at their music or even thought about piano over break, but then some lessons involve students who made the most of the extra time.

This time around, I was really really pleased to see more of the latter type of students! I had several who surprised me by taking advantage of the extra time to memorize some music, and a few of my students even composed songs during the break! Way to go! I think we're off to a great start.

We kicked off the fall practice contest last week as well, so look for some upcoming posts detailing our contest and how students did over the first week.

Anyone else out there have some success stories to share about students who took great initiative over a term break?! How about your own plans for the fall term?

Ending the Summer Term on a Good 'Note'

This past Saturday, as a final summer activity, I took 5 of my available students to a local nursing home for a mini-recital. They each played between 2-4 pieces. We picked a variety of solo pieces, duets with the teacher, and even had two siblings play a round together! What fun!

After the performance, I played some music while the students made cards to hand out to the residents, thanking them for listening to the performance. I even got a card as well! ;)

This was our first trip as a studio, and I'm looking forward to making it a regular activity in the upcoming terms.

(the clearer pictures are thanks to a parent- my own pictures turned out rather dim and blurry as you can see at the end of this set of pictures)

The Great Music Race is Over!

The past 10 weeks have completely flown by. Summer is fast coming to a close and schools are starting back up here in Maryland in just one week!

My summer teaching term ended this past week, and I'm looking forward to a 2-week break from teaching before starting the fall term. While summer is always hit-or-miss with regards to consistency with my students, I was really happy to see the majority of my students show discipline and effort with practice over the summer term, as is shown by the distance many of them were able to travel on our studio racetrack. There were a few students who cut out mid-term, but those students who decided to participate in the contest and stuck it out to the end did a pretty good job staying consistent for the 8 weeks they took lessons over the term.

There are also quite a few flags decorating our racetrack, showing the memorization efforts put forth by my students as well. It was a great term, and while I'm looking forward to a break and vacation, my mind is already full of ideas for the fall practice contest!

Letting Go...Moving On

It's the middle of July, which means that I am starting to think about the fall term. I've already had several families inquire about fall lessons, so I've spent some time this week thinking about the fall calendar, picking a recital date, creating the registration form...and deciding to let some students go.

I've previously posted about my thoughts on letting students go and how this doesn't mean you've failed as a teacher. That realization has been so healing for me. I've come to discover that knowing when to let go is actually a sign of respect, both for the student and for yourself.

That being said, I made the decision this week to finally let go of a family whose respect toward my time and resources has been nonexistent. I'd been trying so hard to just make the best of it, but it only resulted in mounting stress from one term to the next. I've finally come to the decision that the best scenario for all parties involved is to let them go. As I made the decision, a HUGE weight felt like it had been lifted off my shoulders. There's something so freeing about realizing that as a teacher you have an option, you're not just stuck with what you get! There's no rule that says we as teachers have to put up with a lack of respect, and it's not being respectful of myself when I let other people treat me that way.

It's taken me awhile to embrace this mentality and feel comfortable with the idea, but now that I've accepted it my entire approach toward teaching has changed. I feel so much more positive about lessons! I'm really hoping that this decision will help foster a better perspective toward lessons as the fall term gets closer.

Have you ever had a family who showed little or no respect toward you as a teacher or as a person? Did you feel guilt over getting rid of them? What helped you to step up and decide to respect yourself and your rights as a teacher?

A Little Summer Metronome Project

Sometimes students can have a hard time grasping the concept of playing with a metronome. As someone who has played the piano for years playing (and staying) with the metronome seems easy, but for beginning students it can be hard enough to just try and coordinate their fingers!

That's why I came up with this simple metronome log that I'll be using with some of my students over the remainder of the summer. The concept is very simple. Each week they pick a favorite piece to review using the metronome. The piece is already semi-familiar, so we can really focus on helping them learn how to stay with the metronome.

  

 

What kind of ideas have you come up with for students who may have had some trouble learning how to effectively use the metronome? I'd love to hear your ideas!

5 Truths for Successful, Joyful Teaching

1. Being a successful teacher does NOT mean never losing a student: No matter whose choice it is (parent, teacher, student) to forgo lessons, this is not a sign of failure! Personalities don't always mesh, expectations may differ, other interests may take precedence...NO business has success 100% of the time. Why should I expect that of myself?
2. A change of approach doesn't equal failure or lack of competence in planning. How many of us stick with even our daily schedules!? Things crop up, plans change, the unexpected happens...As a teacher the key is to be flexible, creative and roll with the punches. Successful teachers keep an open perspective and are willing to be flexible.
3. A bad lesson should not be taken personally. How many times have I allowed my frustrations on a personal level impact the way I interact with others? Just because a student has an 'off' week doesn't mean that it's my fault! Successful teachers take both the good and the bad and see them for what they are.
4. I am a teacher, not a mother. My role is limited. My goal is to instruct. I can instruct until I am blue in the face, but there are certain things that, as a teacher, I have no control over. Successful teachers realize their limitations, but capitalize on what they CAN do.
5. Teaching should be about my love of music: It's easy to sometimes forget that initial motivation in the hectic stress of weekly lessons, but it's important to keep in mind the WHY. Otherwise, teaching becomes rote- not about ministering to others through music. Successful teachers ALWAYS keep the why in mind.

I tend to take myself WAY to seriously. Over-analysis is part of my personality. So is worrying. It can be so hard to just let things go instead of agonizing over what I should have done or should have said. I've been struggling with this a lot lately, and feeling pretty burnt out as a teacher. That's where this post comes from. God's been reminding me in little ways of the fact that I've been trying too hard to control my life and my studio and that I just need to let go and let Him have control.

I hope that this list is encouraging to other teachers out there who might be experiencing similar feelings of frustration. Please feel free to comment and add to my list!

The Race is On!

After 2 weeks of summer lessons, I thought I'd share a shot of our music racetrack. Unfortunately, the second week of summer was the week that almost half of my studio went on vacation, so a lot of the racecars are still down at the starting line, and the race is still missing a few students, but you can see that there are a few who have entered the race.

I've also had several students who have already shown the initiative to memorize some of their music, which is what the checkered flags in the middle of the racetrack are for.

We're off to a pretty good start, but I'm hoping that this week will see more cars up and in the race!

A Reason to Celebrate

I don't think there's any magic formula for teaching students how to practice. Wouldn't it be nice if that existed?! Or if students could somehow be programmed into becoming good practicers?

It's a constant struggle for me to impart good practice techniques and habits to my students and find ways to make sure that they sink in. And despite my best efforts, I feel like I'm often offering the same suggestions and advice over and over.

Once in a while, however, I find that some of what I've said has actually stuck! Those are the times I celebrate.

Yesterday, one of my students and I were discussing the need to make sure the details were part of the music; things like the dynamics and an idea of the mood and suggested speed.

That's when he turned to me and said:

"Yeah, I was practicing this week and I was really having a hard time with this piece. Then I looked at the tempo and realized that I was trying to play it too fast. I slowed it down and I thought it made a big difference. Then I was playing it this morning and I think it was one of the best times I'd ever played it."

There it was! From his own mouth, completely unsolicited by me! He'd taken the initiative at home to pay attention, and found out all on his own that those details do make a big difference! Definitely a moment to celebrate. I especially love it when my students make these kind of discoveries all on their own rather than through my constant nagging. 

Have you had any reasons to celebrate in your studio recently?

Summer 2012 Practice Incentive!

This week has sped by! I can't believe it's Sunday evening, and lessons start up TOMORROW! I think I'm all prepared... ;)

One of the things I most look forward to at the start of each new term is a new practice incentive! I have so much fun coming up with a theme and getting everything together. This summer, our theme is "The Great Music Race". Students will be racing their cars around the track to see who can get closest to the finish line by the end of the summer. The racetrack will also get decorated over the term, as each piece memorized will earn a student a flag to put on the track.

Our race track is all completed and ready to go! I'll provide more pictures at the end of the week once students have their cars all set up at the starting line.

I'm also continuing our flashcard study by using Susan Paradis' Notes in the Fast Lane worksheets. I have all 12 levels laminated and I use them with students from time to time, but I thought that this summer would be the perfect opportunity to really make use of those excellent note drills. As an extra incentive, each student who makes it to Level 6 over the 8 weeks of the summer term will earn a ticket to a pizza party at the end of the term!

I'm hoping to see some dedicated practice from my students over these summer months. What are you doing to help motivate your studios over the summer?!

Summer Hymn Project

I'm still working on putting the finishing touches on my summer practice incentive, but I hope to tie up all the loose ends today and have things ready to share either later today or tomorrow.

However, in the meantime, I thought I'd share about a special project that I'll be working on with two of my students over the summer.

I have two very precocious beginning students- siblings. After our first few lessons, they started coming to their lessons every week talking about how they found certain musical elements in their hymnal at church over the week. Their mom shared with me how they eagerly examine the hymns looking for rhythms, notes and other technical markings- especially ones they don't know so that they can ask me at their next lesson! ;)

I decided to capitalize on their enthusiasm and interest by doing a special hymn project with them over the summer. Each week, they'll be examining one of the hymns sung in church a little more closely, and then we'll discuss their findings at their lesson.

You can see a copy of the worksheet I made up for the project below. I am a lover of good old hymnology, so I am thrilled to have this opportunity to share about the beauty of these old hymns with some of my young students!

 

I haven't included this worksheet on my printables page, but if you'd like a copy for use in your own studio, or maybe for a fun project at home with your kids, please feel free to let me know by sending me an email or commenting below. 

Have you ever done a fun project like this with any of your students?

Bittersweet

I'm heaving a deep sigh of contentment this morning. Make-up lesson week is behind me, and I have an entire week off before the summer term starts! I'll be taking the week off from blogging and any studio-related business, but I'll be back on Friday to share about my upcoming summer practice incentives.

The end of a term is always a bittersweet time for me, especially if I happen to be losing any students. Yesterday was the final lesson with one of my high school students. She's moving on to another teacher. The focus in my studio is on beginning through early-intermediate students, and when students reach the upper end of that bracket, I often talk with them about the option to move on to another teacher who can start challenging them with more intermediate-level repertoire and technique. Some are resistant, while others are open to the idea of a new teacher and new experiences.

This particular student and her mother had resisted for two terms, but we finally came to the conclusion that this was indeed the right time to move on and embrace a change.I will miss this student terribly, but I know in my heart that this was the right change for her.

Have you ever passed a student on, knowing it was the best thing for them? How do you know when it is the right time for a change?

Another Choir Year is Almost Over!

We had our final church choir rehearsal yesterday evening. Our director always turns our final rehearsal into a party at her house. We have a brief rehearsal, and then some time to relax and socialize! It's always a fun and special time, but a little bittersweet as well as it means another year has come and gone- where has the time gone?!

The choir always shows their appreciation to the director, organist, and pianist (me!) by presenting us all with a small gift, and I happen to just love the gift they got for me this year. How cute is this coffee/tea travel mug?! I used it this morning, and I'm sure that every use will bring back warm memories of the years I've been a part of this church.

Our choir still has 2 Sundays left to sing, but then over the summer months we rely on other special music for offertory. I'm already hard at work coordinating music for the ensuing weeks- lining up youth musicians from our congregation and pulling in other musician friends.

If you're a church musician how does your church handle the summer months? Does your choir get a break? Who is responsible for the music over the summer months?

Question of the Week: May 28, 2012 - Making Theory Fun?!

My spring recital is over, the final week of lessons for the term is behind me, and I just have a few make-up lessons to get through this week before my term break! It's a good feeling. :)

I've spent some time over the last day or so looking over term evaluations from my students. I'm always interested to see what has worked for them and what is not working.

The most popular answer to the question of what they enjoyed the least over the term?

 Theory Homework!

All of my students use the Faber & Faber Piano Adventures Lesson, Technique, and Theory books, and while I rarely see any of them complaining about the first two, theory just seems to be something none of my students are crazy about. It's the one assignment that is most frequently incompleted when students show up for their lessons as well.

So I'm asking for your advice and suggestions. Do you have a problem getting your students on board with theory assignments? If so, what have you done to deal with the problem? Do you have any approaches toward theory in your studio that have really helped inspire students and gotten them excited about theory?

Please leave your comments and thoughts below!

Spring Recital Success!

My studio recital was this past Friday evening, and it went off beautifully! I was so proud of all my students and the work they had put in over the past term.

As always, I played (no pun intended ;) ) an active role in the recital by accompanying each student on at least one of their two pieces, so I asked my mom to snap a few shots for me:

Most of her pictures ended up being the back of students as they played...

and so on and so on...you get the idea! :)

 

I still have one week of lessons before the end of the term, but this week is always less stressful as we do a wrap up/evaluation/preparation for the next term.

How many of you still have lessons left to teach for the spring term? Do you take time off between spring and summer terms? Will you be teaching at all this summer?

Recital Week Group Lessons Recap.

Tonight's the big night in my studio! It's been quite a hectic week, but this morning I'm actually feeling prepared and excited for what this evening will hold.

In between some regular lessons this week, I also held group lessons for my students. We had a lot of fun preparing for the recital and playing some games together. I always try to make the recital week an exciting and fun week for my students! Here are some of the activities we did in group lessons:

1. Music History Crash Course: With my intermediate group, we did a quick survey of music history. I provided informational print-outs on each period of music history, and students cycled through the stations filling out a summary worksheet. We finished the activity with a group discussion, and then I handed out the music history timeline I discovered last week as an additional resource for their binders.

2. What Would You Do?: It's always good to be prepared for the unexpected...even in a piano recital! I used plastic eggs and put a scenario inside of each egg. For my younger students, I hid the eggs in the front yard and they had to find one. For my older students, I just tossed the eggs to them. Each student had to open their egg, read the scenario, and then as a group we discussed the best way to handle the 'problem'.

3. Spelling Bee!: I played this game with my younger students as a good tie-in to all the flashcard work we've been doing this past term. They divided into groups of 2, and each group was given a grand staff and several manipulatives. I called out a word, and they had to 'spell' that word by placing their manipulatives on the correct lines and spaces on the staff.

4. Jeopardy!: I finished each group lesson with a musical version of jeopardy. Categories ranged from Music History to Rhythms to Intervals to Key Signatures and many more. The game got pretty intense, especially with some of my younger students!

If you've had group lessons in preparation for your own studio recital, I'd love to hear about what you did in those lessons.

Music History Discovery: Printable Music History Timeline

In prepping for group lessons this week, I stumbled upon this excellent music history resource available on the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra's website.

 

The timeline has a brief summary of each era of music history with information on the characteristics of each era, information on the role of the conductor, and a handy list of famous composers from each period. Along the bottom is a running world history timeline to provide some context. I'm really excited about using this in my group lessons (more on that in a later post)!

 

The site also has some great handouts on the instrument families, activity pages, as well as some music notation worksheets. It looks to be a great resource! I love it when I stumble upon a great resource like this completely by accident! It makes my day. :)

I'm interested if any other teachers have found some great music history resources on the web. Please comment if you have any to share!

Nursing Home Visit: The Ministry of Music

This morning I had the very special opportunity to minister through music at a local nursing home with one of my students. We've been working on several duets over the past few months, and I've been itching to get her into a few more performance venues (she's a very hesitant performer) so this seemed like a perfect opportunity!

I had such a wonderful time performing duets...





and seeing this student get up the courage to perform a solo piece! For the remainder of the time, I played some hymn arrangements on my own. It had been too long since I'd done any kind of music ministry- I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

The audience was very engaged and responsive, especially one dear woman in the front row who clapped after every song, sang along with some of the music, and thanked us with tears in our eyes as we were leaving.

I used to perform at a nursing home on a weekly basis right after I graduated from college and my studio and church responsibilities weren't quite so demanding. I was always blessed by the experience, and I'm determined to try and make it more of a regular occurrence.

I'll keep you posted, but I'm hoping to get more of my students involved in visits over the summer! I want all my students to see their music as a ministry- something they can share with others, and taking it to a community like the one we visited today is an excellent way to get that thought process started.

Do you do trips like this with some of your students? Or do you minister personally in your community? I'd love to hear about ways you're using your music as a ministry!