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Making Music and Enriching Lives
Chapter 30
"Making the Teacher's Life Easier"
has more tips to help you have a life in and outside of teaching
for concrete solutions to your everyday problems and ideas to get more satisfaction from the
best job in the world!
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| It's not worth it unless it's fun! | 
 | For those of you who love or hate Arnold Schoenberg and his friends, you'll love this commercial parody of their "Favorite Hits."
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Greetings!
A few years ago, my husband and I visited his relatives on a farm in rural Eastern Washington. We drove out to the field and watched his cousin Leroy driving his tractor up and down and up and down and up and down the fields. "How can he stand it?" I thought.
Later, at dinner, Leroy said, "Bonnie, are you still teaching all those flute lessons?"
Yes!" I enthusiastically replied.
"Doesn't that get really boring after a while? he asked.
Wow. That was a lesson in "to each his own." It's a good thing Leroy had a tractor and a field to plow, and it's a really good thing that I have my wonderful job as a music teacher.
Hopefully, like me, you have found your dream job.
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| Love Your Job? Don't Keep it a Secret | |
 How do you get students to love their lessons? By sharing how much you love teaching them!
When your students hear you say, "That was such a fun lesson," or "I love teaching students like you," or "I have the best job in the world," or I"m so lucky to have you as a student," they will think, "I love my lessons and my teacher too!"
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| When It Doesn't Feel Like the Best Job in the World | | |
Had a tough day? Does it feel like all your students got together and decided not to practice this week? Do you feel like a 7-11 Store as they and their parents think you're open for business all day every day? Tired of the whining and excuses?
Well join the real world. There is not one job in the world that doesn't have its occasional problems. But how can you get past this feeling?
- Talk to your friends in the corporate world about their bosses, meetings, balance sheets, and timelines. Oh and their performance reviews too.
- Talk to your music teacher friends and share your horror stories! Theirs are probably worse than yours!
- Keep a file of the loving cards and letters you have received over the years. One read through of those will remind you of the good times.
- Take a day off for your mental health. Or designate a weekend as a "No thinking about my students" time.
 | | Would you rather be here or in your music studio? |
Perhaps they may make more money, but remember we music teachers Make A Difference.
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| Take Care of Yourself | | |
 | | Take a break |
Carve time out for yourself,
or you won't have any life left.
- Cut back a few hours of teaching
- Stop earlier during the week to have a normal dinner and make up that lesson time on Saturday morning
- Declare weekends off limits to students
- Get off the computer! Students should not expect answers on Sunday nights at 10:00
- Hire a housekeeper or trade lessons for house cleaning
- Cook dinners in large enough quantities to freeze so you can look forward to a homemade dinner when you leave the studio
- Get rid of the student who makes you dread Wednesday!
- Take a vacation
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| It's Not Brain Surgery | | |
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One slip of the knife!
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Realize the impact you have on student's lives.
Take the responsibility of teaching them seriously, but don't make it your whole life, or you will end up demanding too much of them and yourself.
As much as it seems like life and death sometimes, it's not.
Keep healthy and happy and enjoy having the best job in the world!
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Flute Flash
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 Does your right thumb or left index finger get sore from holding up the flute from those many hours of practice? Do you have students who can't keep their right thumb in the right place?
Try cutting a small patch from a Dr. Scholl's foot pad and making a cozy bed for those two problem fingers. Hmm. comfort.
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| Bonnie's Speech Calendar | |
February 22, 2013
Mt. Rainier/Puyallup MTNA
You Already Taught Me That? Saturday, March 9, 2013
MTNA National Convention
11:00am-noon
Creating Artists From The Very First Lesson
Disneyland Hotel Convention Center
Magic Kingdom Ballroom 1
Monday, March 11, 2013
2:15-3:15 PM
Get Paid What You're Worth
Disneyland Hotel Convention Center Convention Center
Castle Room ABC
April 2013
Gig Harbor Music Teachers
Topic TBA October 12, 2013 MTAC Santa Cruz Topic TBA |
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