This week, I wrote my first-ever guest post. I would love for you to check it out. It’s called, “The Top Seven Things Your Suzuki Teacher Wishes You Knew,” it’s published over on the Lovenotes Suzuki Parent Blog. Check it out, and let me know what you think about it in the comments there. I’d really appreciate it.

I’m still down with this cold, and I haven’t taught all week. (I know. It’s awful.) I’m hoping I’ll be back up and running today, but we’ll see. In the mean time, I wanted to share with you these five violin teaching tips, tricks, and resources I found on the web this week.

1. Do you have students that complain about continuing to do repetitions after they have played a passage correctly? There’s actually science behind why you need to do many correct repetitions once you’ve “mastered” something! Check it out on this post on the Bulletproof Musician.

2. I really hate standing up and talking at the beginning of studio recitals. I hate it so much. I never know what to say, and I feel so awkward and tongue-tied. That’s why I loved this post from Teach Piano Today about how to give the perfect recital speech. At least now I know what to say, even though I still feel awkward!

3. Would you believe I’m rethinking my policy about make-up lessons? I know. It’s shocking, I even have a rant about make-up lessons here. What has me considering a new position? These blog posts from GrowYourMusicStudio.com:

Never Get Hassled About Make-Up Lessons Again (Part I)

How to Permanently Solve Your Make Up Lesson Problem (Part II)

I would love to know what you think, should I change my policy??

4. I’ve been wanting to incorporate improvisation and composition into my studio, I don’t know how I’m going to do it yet, but this Ted Talk has me even more fired up to figure it out!

5. I loved this blog post, Music Practice, A Teacher’s Tips for Success, by Sue Hunt. This one is a must-share with your studio.

Thanks for your comments, I especially want to know what you think about the make-up policy change!

P.S. I know this seems crazy, since it is only March, but it’s time to start thinking about your studio’s marketing plan for fall! The summer slump is coming (seniors graduating high school, people moving, etc.) so now is the time to step up your marketing game so that you have a full studio in the fall. I highly recommend this book by Bree Lewis-Fennel to jumpstart your efforts.