I am an introvert by nature. And because of that, I have had many of what I like to call, "stretching moments" in my life. I remember one of those stretching moments very clearly when I was growing up. When I was a teenager my Mom was the choir director at church. She...
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. My hope is that you 1) took a break and 2) spent at least some of it not doing anything related to teaching. If you didn't, make it a goal this year to do exactly that, perhaps this summer. Breaks are not only good for us...
12 DAYS OF INSPIRATION DAY 3: Three Simple Ways to Reduce Stress this Year
I am collaborating with some other piano ed bloggers for a 12-day inspiration blogging journey. Today is Day 3! (Scroll to the end of the post to see the others you may have missed) One thing that I have noticed more and more among teachers regardless of what they...
Mistakes CAN be a GOOD thing!
Most of us have heard the saying, "Mistakes are proof that you are trying." It's a great reminder, that the learning process is not perfect and that is not only okay but totally normal. It's a process! And as long as we are trying, we can improve. The other day I had...
NCKP 2017 Photo Highlights
I thought I would post all the "behind the scenes" outside the sessions separately as I took quite a few pictures (but still missed a bunch!). I hope you enjoy! Tuesday, July 25, 2017 Lynnette and I met at the Phoenix, AZ airport and flew over to Chicago on Tuesday...
How Do You Clean Your Piano Keys?
Every once in awhile this question will come up in the Facebook forums and it is a valid question. How do you clean your piano keys? Over the years I have tried several different ways to clean my piano keys. I thought it would be a fun post to share my experience with...
When Lessons Get Challenging…
I have never been a big hiker but I do love the view at the end of a hike. When we were in Hawaii almost a year and a half ago, my husband wanted our family to hike Diamond Head. He warned the kids and me to be physically ready because we were doing it whether we were...
From Stagnant to Engaging!
As teachers, we know all too well that no two students are exactly alike. For this reason, it is important that we change up our teaching styles, strategies and techniques to prevent our lessons from becoming stagnant. The not so great news is we are creatures of...
Establish an Engaged Learning Environment
Engaging our students can sometimes feel overwhelming especially when a teacher might be feeling a bit burned out. But did you know that when we truly engage our students in their learning we can also be engaged in our teaching? And visa versa. This is because...
3 Ways to Activate the Students Brain
Have you ever had a student tell you, "You never taught me that" when you know that not only have you taught them what they were claiming you didn't, but you have gone through it multiple times? There is actually a scientific reason in the brain that explain...