This is the fourth post in a series. Check out Day 1 of the 12 Days of Inspiration over at Colourful Keys , Day 2 at Mallory’s Music Studio and Day 3 at Music Educator Resources and check back for links to the rest of the days at the end of this post!
It’s the fourth day of Christmas, and instead of four calling birds I’d like to share with you my own personal New Year’s Resolutions for my Studio! I’m big into goal setting and making sure that my actions funnel into fulfilling those goals because it really works for me!
First: Stay Organized–
I’m already pretty organized so at least I don’t need to “get organized” however my action plan for staying organized includes something new this year!
—–I’m adding the services of MyMusicStaff to my studio. I’m looking forward to entering less data and having less scheduling and billing headaches in 2018! You can find out all about what they offer here and let me know what you love about it in the comments if you’re already a user! While I’m not sure I “need” all the services that mymusicstaff offers in their low monthly fee, I definitely want to check it out so that I can answer the questions that many of my music teacher consulting clients have about services like these!
—–I’m going to continue using my awesome old-school-paper erin condren planner and having “planner Sunday” with my daughter, where we get excited about the next week and plan everything from meals and clothes to chores! (My pro tip for piano teachers is to plan your outfits so you’re not wearing your favorite ensemble every Monday, which leads your once a week Monday students to wonder if you only have one outfit, lol!) By physically writing each students’ name in my planner I have an extra few seconds to think about them and anything special I wanted to prepare for their next lesson and add that task to my “to-do” checklist. This system has worked really well for me the past few years and my daughter and I really love the time we spend planning and decorating our planners with washi tape, coordinating felt tip pens and seasonal stickers! You can get a $10 off coupon from Erin Condren when you click here!
—–I’m also hoping that by moving items from my supply closet to a newly created maker space in my studio adjoining laundry room that i’ll be inspired to use them more when they are set up with the accessories placed on a shelf above! I have a very loong (10 plus feet) table I’ve re-purposed for studio use that I’m placing my
- shilouette vinyl cutting machine,
- black ink copier,
- book binder,
- laminating machine,
- industrial 3 hole punch,
- paper cutter
- paper shredder
Second: I resolve to use EVEN MORE technology! 
—–I’m moving all my students as they graduate their current method books over to Carol Matz’s Interactive Piano Method. I’ve even created a facebook group for those teachers who are using this new method here: Please search and ask to join “Carol Matz Interactive Method Teachers” just in case we aren’t already Facebook Friends!
—–I’m also offering to buy each of my students their own app of NoteRush. Did you know it’s really easy to gift apps? I found this great post with instructions And the noterush app is so great and has proven results in my studio so of course I’m willing to always put my money on my students! It is available on google play or in the app store so all of your students can benefit!
Third: Game-ify learning! This is a fun resolution for my students! I’m already a heavy user (and I must brag, Gold Level Teacher/Two Time Teacher of the Month recipient) of the Piano Maestro App and for all the technology I use in my studio, the addition of the NOTE SPEED card game has been a huge hit with students of all ages!
I even had fun playing this SNAP like game with some colleagues in the Wichita Symphony on break this year!
My resolution is to have a game for 1-2 weeks of each month for each beginner-intermediate student in my studio!
Fourth: I’m making my studio welcoming for kids! Last year I focused on my parent experience. This winter break I’ve already started on my 2018 goal of kids having a positive experience in my studio.
—–I re-purposed a nice shelf and placed it near the studio bathroom (where my students wash their hands before their lesson) for Violin Students to place their cases on (and I’m trying my best to keep my own violin case off of it!) Now students have a perfect place to get out their instrument instead of the low coffee table or floor which involves a student getting on their knees to open their case . I also found THE cutest penny candy jars that fit perfectly on my bookshelves
and filled them to the brim with jelly beans, dye-free gumballs, and plan and peanut m&m’s. Students will be able to choose a treasure chest for a toy/novelty/non-edible prize or be able to take home a “sample sized” (think sam’s club or costco) cup (and lid) of candy after their lesson. The benefit for me is that I won’t have to “clean out the treasure chest” twice a year looking for those old expired fruit snacks or ancient suckers! I also turned a cube bookcase sideways to give my violin students a bit more elbow room to the left of my piano.
——In the past year I’ve also made a dedicated space in my entryway for students to take off their shoes and place them in a cubby with benches to sit on and a coat rack just for students. My students also enjoy this little “fake fireplace“that I have had for a few years and the comfortable waiting room chairs. I’ve also set up a coloring station that older students can get down off of a higher shelf in my waiting room. Who is a fan of Susan Hong’s music mandalas? They are so cute! Some of my students just love to color while they wait for a sibling and I can easily make that happen!
Are you inspired by my silly ideas and want to make a New Year’s Resolution List for your own studio? Please do and share some of your Resolutions and/or action plans in the comments! I hope you all have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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