I'm hoping to find some advice and encouragement. For several months, I have felt bogged down in studio management (mostly involving recruiting and keeping students since my finances are very restricted at the moment). In the process of trying to fill vacancies and keep my financial boat afloat, I am losing the joy of teaching and constantly feel drained. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to keep energized and excited about teaching while feeling totally…
I am a very new SM teacher and have not started to advertise in earnest yet. However, I started teaching one adult student who was going incredibly well, but she promptly dropped out after the first month of lessons were over (I charge on a monthly basis). I can’t help thinking that some adult students – in particular – would be quite capable of ‘figuring out’ what they had to do from the DVD, at least in…
In my initial lesson with adult students, I often will introduce the Basics followed by Dreams Come True. It has become a common theme that people really don't understand that diagram; I am considering starting with the right hand of Ode to Joy. Sadly I have lost a couple of students, or their initial trust, because of their discouragement with Dreams Come True. Any suggestions? I say that the diagrams are…
Who has wording for an exit email? They're choosing other activities over piano and I'm fine with the, so I just want to say a nice goodbye. Just putting the question out there actually helped me write it. I kept it simple. This is what I said: "I respect your decision to choose your other activities over piano. No one can do it all! I have enjoyed working with you and your girls and will miss…
In this webinar Neil talks about the design of upset, what that means specifically and how to manage, and more importantly, prevent upset from occurring. This includes developing an understanding of some underlying dynamics in your relationships with students and coaches with regard to expectations. Topics include: The Design & Mechanics of Upset (00:11) Identifying the Type of Upset (10:59) Student Expectations, Teacher Expectations (15:43) Studio Example - Coach Expectations (19:02) Preventing & Identifying Upset (26:22) Adult Beginner Expectations (28:50)…
Do any of you have an enrollment protocol to keep people who are over-committers from enrolling, or do you just let the turnover happen? At the FIS, I make it very clear that I require a parent to attend class -- to see the value of what is being taught (kids cannot express). I also talk about the long-term relationship. I talk about peaks, valleys, and plateaus that last short, medium,…
I've lost a few students recently (starting Level 3) because the parents are taking them to a traditional teacher to learn to read notes, even though the kids were doing well and I told them that we were moving toward note reading soon. They compared some other teens we know who are very talented and work hard and can play anything. I was so disappointed. A few of my remaining students want me to teach note…
I am seeing a pattern of students growing restless in Level 4 and at the beginning of the reading process. This is usually around two years into lessons, and seems to coincide with students entering middle school. I feel sad to see them give up then, as they are not really self-generating, and seem to have "lost the dream". Do you have any suggestions for helping them find their inspiration again? One idea I had was…
One of my students will have a baby in a couple of months and she already has three other children, so she said she will need a break at that time. Any suggestions how to support her to keep up with her piano journey at this time? She absolutely loves SM and is making great progress, and she is a wonderful imaginative improviser and composer. I was thinking of offering her a once-a-month lesson instead of…
What is your take on parents who say "We're just going to try this for a year and see if it works"? Do you take on the student and think of it as an opportunity to impact the parents' viewpoint since this is the way a lot of parents think in this day and age, or do you view this as a non-commitment and not worth the investment? A year is…
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