By Julia Kossuth As we've begun the spring semester and gotten back into the swing of music lessons post-break, I've noticed a few practicing habits--or lack thereof--that I want to address with my students. Here are a few of the tips I walk them through during their lesson or have as a handout for them. 1. Some of my students have a set time that they practice...
Read MoreBy Julia Kossuth One of the opportunities I have at the Studios of Sarah Strout is to teach a group piano class to three 4- and 5-year-olds. Being relatively new to teaching group classes, it's been a great learning opportunity for me regarding teaching strategies and being creative in class time. A useful tool I've been using lately has been, surprisingly, play-dough. I will have my students...
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No matter how successful, motivated, and passionate you are when it comes to your career as a studio owner, it’s inevitable: at some point, you’ll need to add some fuel to the fire that drives your work.
Maybe you’re undergoing a shift in your personal life, or feeling burnt out, or just fighting a case of the winter doldrums. In any case, here are some ideas for reigniting the spark that made you fall in love with teaching in the first place.
Well, I finally did something I have been wringing my hands over for a long time. I made a couple dramatic changes to my studio policies. For several months before making the decision, I kept finding myself frustrated and feeling like a push over. Why? Well, the main problem was my payment policy. I had a very forgiving one. Students pay at the beginning of the month, but if there is a cancelation within 24 hours notice, they get a refund next month. Do you know what that means? At the beginning of every month I would estimate my earnings according to the calendar, but would lose at least a quarter of income because of all the planned cancelations and excused absences.
Several years ago, the following article appeared in our local newspaper. My dad clipped the article and I recently came across it again. It is still timely and valuable advice written by Lloyd Shearer. Shearer was a celebrity columnist for Parade magazine (an insert in the Sunday paper) and wrote the popular column Personality Parade.
10 Ways to Achieve a Good Attitude