Holidays can be rough on our goals to practice consistently with our kids. All the regular routines have gone out the window. Sometimes we’re traveling, or hosting relatives. And, for me where I live, it is winter. And that’s the worst. The dark days and gloomy weather just makes me want to hide in bed […]
Violin
Practicing with Interrupting Younger Siblings: The Unhelpful Helper
Shall we start this blog post with an embarrassing confession? Okay, great, here it is: Almost every time I finish practice with my adorable pre-Twinkler, I hide in my closet and eat chocolate for a few minutes. Between my daughter’s perfectionism and distractibility and my two year old literally throwing a basketball at us through […]
4 TIPS FOR TEACHING NOTE READING
Because I like to research things obsessively before I begin (like reading 10+ parenting books while pregnant), I’ve been researching how to teach my daughter to read. Reading about the steps of learning to read has inevitably lead me to ponder on the similarities between teaching reading (totally new to me) and note reading (which […]
What Your Suzuki Violin Students Need to Be Successful…
Does it seem like the other teachers get all the good students? Is your studio filled with poor practicers, wishy-washy whiners, no shows, and parents who forget to pay? When I was a new teacher, I envied the more established teachers that I knew. It seemed like, somehow, they got all of the awesome students. […]
To Learn With Love: Plucky Violin Teacher Book Club Reflection
I spent my few quiet moments in February curled up with my baby reading To Learn with Love: A Companion for Suzuki Parents by William and Constance Starr. Here are a few moments from the book that stood out to me, as a Suzuki teacher and parent, and why. “ALL CHILDREN MATURE AT DIFFERENT RATES,” […]
Suzuki Practicing and Example…
Parental involvement is a vital part of the Suzuki method and philosophy, and the major reason why it works. Without the help of devoted parents, our children would not be able to progress and thrive as young musicians. Suzuki parents are doing the tough work of getting their children to lessons and group lessons, practicing […]
Mistakes: A Tool for Growth…
Chances are, if you’ve done much reading on teaching and skill development you’ve heard of myelin. Myelin, a mix of proteins and phospholipids, wraps around nerve fibers. Skill is built by myelin wrapping around neural pathways, like pavement being laid on a road, making it more durable and easier to travel. Every repetition lays another […]
Lessons from a Master Suzuki Teacher
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to observe a Masterclass with one of my favorite Suzuki teachers, Deborah Moench. I’ve learned so much from her about quality teaching, and she has had a profound influence on my my own teaching. In the masterclass, Mrs. Moench worked with three students: a twinkler, and two […]
How to Keep Your Cool When Practicing with Your Child
Like most parents, I began Suzuki violin lessons with my child imagining all the fun we’d have together. I was excited to see him learn new things and make progress towards a goal. I was also looking forward to spending meaningful one-on-one time with my son while we practiced. I knew it was going to […]
Your Perfect Child…
I’m taking a maternity leave right now, soaking up cuddles with my six week old baby (plus plenty of bonus cuddles from my three and five year olds.) Despite the sleepless nights, there really is something magical about having a new baby in the house. I’m forced to slow down. We’re not leaving the house […]