Relationships

In the last few months Gretchen Rubin’s book “The Four Tendencies” was referred to me – I have found it super insightful wrt understanding both myself, and students. Here’s a link to a brief summary – reminder that one size doesn’t always fit all when…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• different facets of musicianship, Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin, learning differences, Obligers, personality, Questioners, Rebels, siblings moving at a different pace, students in groups with different abilities, students progressing differently, The Four Tendencies, Upholders

Any great ice-breaker ideas for piano lessons?!?!? I’ve been recommitting to group lessons this year and so I have several returning students who are coming together in new groups. While they all know me, they’ll be new to each other and I’d love to find…

• Last updated 4 years ago
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You know how you have a little small talk before the class begins…finding out how they are and how piano was that week? Well, this week I tried a little different angle. I asked “Did you make any musical discoveries this week”. The answers surprised…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• checking in, communicate, communicating where you are at, communication, conversations, discovery, question, relationship, relationships, small talk, talking about SM

Although we are super pleased we have such high retention rates due to lots of long term conversations, recently we are finding (within the last year or so) that people are tactfully avoiding 1. Talking to us about issues or things they are confused about…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• business calls, calling back no shows, calling no shows, communicate, communicating where you are at, communicating with parents, communication, communication with parents, discontinuation, discontinuation notice, discontinuation policy, discontinuing, discontinuing lessons, email communication, ending lessons, ending lessons via email, exit email, no notice ending lessons, notice, quitting, quitting lessons, short notice cancellation, social media, students ending lessons, students quitting, studio communication, talking on phone, talking to people on the phone, text, texting, want to quit

I have found quite a few of my students are very emotional at lessons. When that happens, lessons are a bit of stressful for me sometimes. Do you have similar experience? My own children (now grown) never exhibited this sort of behaviors when they were…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• behavior, behavior in class, behavior issues, challenge, challenges, challenging behavior, challenging student, communicate, communicating where you are at, communication, cry, crying, disappointment, emotion, emotional, emotional limitations, emotional student, emotional students, emotions, expectations for behavior, expression, feelings, frustrated, frustrated student, frustration, managing emotion, misbehavior, mistakes, negative behavior, playing through mistakes, relationship, relationship with coach, relationships, self expression, stress, student behavior, student makes me feel uncomfortable, upset

Sharing a requirement-based success story. I had a family recently whose two children never practiced consistently since they started. I told parents and children consistently the past week before spring break and week following that it wasn’t a problem, but that it wasn’t going to…

• Last updated 4 years ago
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How would my expert teachers out there manage a student who was absolutely adamant that they should only have 1 NEW song to practice each week. Regardless of if they get it easy or not; how can I correct this limiting belief in their psychology…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• claiming territory, coachabilty, coachable, communication, different facets of musicianship, introducing streams, learning pace, limitations, managing streams, multiple project management, multiple projects, multiple songs, multiple streams, normal progress, pace, pace of learning, pace of teaching, practice, progress, rate of progress, reclaiming territory, requirements, Robin Keehn, slow pace, slow progress, speed of learning, speed of progress, streams, student progress, students progressing differently, students speed of progress, teaching streams, too much homework

You know how you talk yourself blue in the face sometimes to your students about basic best practices and it seems to go in one ear and out the other? Well, I decided to let the STUDENTS speak – video tape them – and share…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• adult students, best practices, coaches, communication, learning strategies, learning tools and strategies, Long Term Relationship, making videos during lessons, strategies, student advice, student knowledge, student video, student wisdom, taking videos, testimonial video, tools and strategies, using videos, video, videos

Has anyone heard of school teachers saying children should use their own ‘internal motivation’ rather than pushing them to do something? We were discussing reward for completing tasks. Poor Mum is confused, I am telling her she needs to guide her children, manage their activities and…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• claiming territory, coach, coach responsibility, commitment, commitment to lessons, discipline, encouragement, encouraging parents, encouraging practice, encouraging students, enjoying the process, external rewards, extrinsic rewards, holding coaches accountable, holding students accountable, intrinsic rewards, Long Term Relationship, long term relationships, long-term relationship conversation, LTR, managing practice, motivation, parent support, parental responsibility, practice, practice habits, practicing, practicing guidelines, quitting, relationship, relationship conversation, relationship with coach, relationships, requirement, requirements, responsibility, rewards, student interests, student rewards, unmotivated, unmotivated students, unsupportive parent, want to quit

If you’re a requirement based studio, how much responsibility do you place on teenage students vs life coaches? I’d say if the student is not meeting the requirements on their own, the coach should still be responsible for making sure it happens. I agree that…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• alignment with coaches, busy teenagers, busy teens, claiming territory, coach, coach not coaching, coach responsibility, coaches, coaching, coaching teens, communication, holding coaches accountable, importance of life coach, keeping teens interested, Laurie Richards, lesson requirements, life coach, life coach for teen, life coaches, Long Term Relationship, managing coaches, method coach, motivating teens, parental responsibility, reclaiming territory, relationship with coach, requirement, requirement based studio, requirement-based, requirements, requirements in lessons, responsibility, Robin Keehn, supporting teens, teen, teen students, teenager, teenagers, teens, working with teens