Economist Gary North wrote the following in his e-mail newsletter this week. I always appreciate the bits of advice he shares at the beginning of each newsletter and have found it both practical and helpful on many occasions. You can sign up for his Tip of the Week E-mail Newsletter on the home page of his website. Since most Independent Music Teachers are small business owners, it behooves us to be business savvy.

I like a long, hot shower. In fact, I like two a day.

There is a problem with long showers. They are expensive. No, it’s not the cost of the hot water. It’s the time.

The more valuable your time, the more expensive a long shower is. The same principle applies to taking my dogs for a morning walk. It also applies to the time I spend on my treadmill. (Joke!)

Here is my solution: before I take a shower, I plan a mental topic for my shower time. I go over it as I shower. Earlier this week, I was struggling with a marketing problem. I usually think about marketing in my disciplined spare time. I got into this habit for drive time when I started my first newsletter in 1974. I had been stuck on this problem for several days. The solution came to me in the shower.

That will turn out to be a profitable shower. I am confident that the idea will work. Of course, I will test it. It won’t cost much to test. Maybe 5 minutes.

Convert spare time into profitable work. Don’t daydream. Plan. The mind is tricky. We don’t know when something useful will pop into our minds. I find that if I think carefully about something, solutions will occur to me unpredictably within a few hours.

Don’t you think we could use this same principle with those difficult situations we are facing with particular students? Perhaps coming up with a creative way to present a skill? Or devising a short game to play to reinforce a concept a student has been struggling to learn? I’m eager to give it a try this week and see what I come up with!

After a year of just dumping various items I thought I might need when it comes time to renew my certification into a folder, I finally decided it was time to get organized! I firmly believe that taking the time up front to develop good organizational systems saves a lot of time and stress in the long run. Because I know that there are many teachers who have to keep track of renewal points, I thought I would post the system I came up with here, just in case it is helpful for anyone else.

1. I started out by printing out the Renewal Application and Documentation of Professional Renewal Activities Points Form from the MTNA Certification website. (Note: I am printing two copies of everything so that I have one notebook to send in and one to keep for my own reference.)

2. I placed the application form in the front pocket of a three-ring binder and added a sticky note with the date that I received my certification so that I can easily determine when I need to send in my renewal documentation.

3. I placed a list of Renewal Activities as the first sheet in the binder so that I have a quick overview of what kinds of activities qualify for renewal points.

4. Next come four dividers, labeled as Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, Category 4. Following each divider is a copy of the Renewal Activities Points Form for that category and then a handful of plastic sleeves. In each sleeve is where I place things like handouts from workshops I give, yearbook officer lists, convention programs, etc. Now I can record my activities as I go and make copies of necessary documentation and place it in the appropriate place right away.

5. At the back of the binder are a bunch of extra plastic sleeves so that I don’t run out and get behind in keeping up with the system!

Ideally this system will be easy to maintain and when it is time for me to send in my renewal documentation everything will be ready to go. No digging around in a folder at the last minute, running off copies and trying to get everything listed in the correct places. I’ll let you know four years from now how that works out…

Just read this anecdote and couldn’t help but smile…

There was this man who, many years ago, worked for a large business. That was his lifetime employment, but he wasn’t happy there. He wanted to go into business for himself. He saved his money and finally had enough that he could quit and start his own business.

About two years later, I was on vacation and was going through the town where his business was located. I stopped by for a visit. “Hey, John, I heard that the first year is the hardest for a new business.”

“Yeah, the first year was pretty rough, but we’re doing pretty good now. In fact, I’m getting to where I only have to work half a day.”

“Wow, that’s pretty nice. Maybe I should think about going into business for myself.”

“Yeah, and the nicest part of it is that it doesn’t matter which 12 hours you work.”

Last July I did a review of Music Teacher’s Helper after setting up a free limited account with them. In January of this year I decided to take the plunge and pay for a full subscription - this would allow me to use the record-keeping system with an unlimited number of students. If you are looking for a way to eliminate some of the record-keeping headaches all of us music teachers experience, Music Teacher’s Helper (MTH) is definitely the way to go! There is so much to love about this program and it is well worth the [tax-deductible] $24.95 I pay for it each month. Here are some features I love:

* Every parent and every student receives their own secure page with a login and password so that they can access their account at any time and view schedule information, payment information, make on-line payments via a PayPal account, credit card or bank account, request lesson cancellations, view items on loan from the lending library, etc. There’s a handy script provided by MTH that I was able to place on my website so that students can login from there: http://nataliespianostudio.com/lessoninfo.htm

* Lending Library - When I lend a student a book or CD at their lesson I quickly enter it on the Lending Library page. This way I can keep track of who has what and the students can see on their account information what books they are borrowing. Now I’m not losing nearly as many books and CDs as a result of not remembering which student borrowed them!

* I can e-mail invoices to students at any time. Now, when I buy new materials for a student or there is a fee for participation in an event, I just add it to their account and send them an invoice. Checks come in with the students the next week and everything is paid for. And to think I used to cover a lot of these costs for my students just because I couldn’t get my act together enough to bill them for the books or felt bad about doing so!

* In my Year-End Evaluations this year I asked on the Parent Questionnaire if it was offered if they would be interested in paying for lessons on-line via a credit card or PayPal account. Over half of my studio responded in the affirmative, so I just finished the incredibly simple process of setting it up on my site. I can’t wait to see how this works! According to the instructions provided by MTH, when payment is made the information is automatically sent from PayPal to my MTH account and the payment for that family is recorded. This has the potential to cut out almost all of my manual entry work! Woohoo!

* Even the free MTH accounts include an attractive, professionally designed website that can be customized for your studio. You can view mine here. Since I have another website I don’t use this one much, but the more you can spread your name on the web, the better!

* Since MTH is all web-based, it allows for constant upgrades and improvements without any installation on your computer (which is what you would have to do if you purchased a stand-alone software program). Of course, this also allows parents and students to access their own information at their convenience. Brandon Pearce, the developer of the site, is constantly looking for ways to improve the system and is very open and responsive to suggestions. He’s developed a great product - one that can benefit every music teacher.

There are plenty of other features that I haven’t even tapped into yet, but hope to in the near future - such as the Repertoire Tracker, Automatic Invoicing, Expense Records… If you haven’t already, click on over to Music Teacher’s Helper today and try it out for yourself! Summer is the perfect time to make the transition and to convey a more professional image to your students and community when you pull back the curtains on your new studio perk this fall!

Anyone ever struggle to keep their studio organized? I just came across this great list of excellent and practical organizing tips! Here are the five main points given in the article, but go check out the website for more detail:

1. Organize with organizers.

2. Give everything a home.

3. Don’t procrastinate.

4. Make a decision.

5. Get in the organizer’s mindset.

I’ve just spent part of my two week break decluttering and reorganizing my studio. I think half the battle is coming up with a good system. If you set up an organizational system that does the job and is easy to maintain, there is much less chance that a mess will pile up than if items are randomly or carelessly placed. Here are a couple of systems that I’ve come up with in my own studio that have helped immensely!

Keeping track of business expenses. After I record my expenses in my spreadsheet, I drop the receipts into this binder system.

Student Worksheets. This system makes it easy to find appropriate worksheets for students who need to work on specific areas.

I’ve also got a system for organizing all my piano books and sheet music that works wonderfully. I’ll try to post about that tomorrow. And I’ve got a system for setting out books and materials for specific students each week. I’m working on a better system for handling billing and record-keeping (thanks to Music Teacher’s Helper. I’m hoping to give an update on that soon.) Now if only I could come up with a system for turning all my students into well-rounded musicians who can easily sight-read, play by ear, transpose on the spot, etc., etc.

[Below is the text of a short article I wrote for the May issue of our local Music Teachers Association (MTA) newsletter. I just received it in my inbox from MTNA as their July Certification Moment. If you are not a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM), I definitely encourage you to pursue becoming one!]

The call came after I’d already arrived in Austin for the 2006 MTNA Conference. The timing couldn’t have been better! Years of hard work had paid off—I was officially a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music! Or, as my sister’s message declared, I was now qualified to put initials after my name. And you better believe I didn’t waste any time adding those long anticipated initials (NCTM) to my official studio information and correspondence!

My journey toward certification began several years ago under the mentorship of Sylvia Coats. With no college credits to my name, I was determined, nonetheless, to do whatever it took to become an NCTM. The benefits to myself would be numerous, and the overflow to my students even greater, as I embarked on my course and devoted myself to the goal set before me and clearly outlined by MTNA. The process itself has helped me grow immensely as a musician and as a teacher.

The longest part of the process was meeting the performance requirements. In the course of my private study with Dr. Coats, she helped me prepare for numerous “mini-recitals” as I completed the requirements specified in the MTNA repertoire list.

Once my performance requirements were met, I was ready to send in my application, along with three letters of reference.

The next step was taking proficiency exams in Music History/Literature, Music Theory and Piano Pedagogy. Utilizing the study guide provided by MTNA, I prepared for and passed these exams last fall.

The final step was to either submit a portfolio or take the final exam. I opted to go the portfolio route, as it also gave me a chance to document my experiences, evaluate my teaching practices and revise some of my studio materials.

I finished compiling my portfolio in early March and sent it off to MTNA with a sigh of relief and a prayer that it would be accepted!

Before the expected eight weeks had elapsed, my letter of acceptance arrived in the mail, along with a beautiful certificate declaring me a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music.

Of course the initials after my name don’t automatically make me a better teacher, but I have no doubt that I am a better teacher today because of the process I went through to get those initials after my name! I am so grateful to the Lord for enabling me to reach this milestone and to the many teachers who have invested in me and encouraged me along the way.

For more information about the MTNA Professional Certification Program, visit the website at www.mtnacertification.org/home.htm

One of the best things I started doing several years ago is conducting interviews with all prospective students before accepting them into my studio. When people contact me with an interest in studying piano with me, I always refer them first to my website. I tell them to read over all my policies and if they are still interested in lessons to contact me again, either by e-mail or phone, so that we can set up an interview.

The interview gives me a chance to get to know the student and parents better and helps me assess their musical aptitude and/or current abilities and determine what books might be most appropriate for them. I also have the parents fill out a Parent Questionnaire for each student and this has helped immensely. I have found that the interview process helps me communicate the expectations I have for my students and also gives me a chance to understand the goals parents have for their children in the area of music.

Here are free downloadable files of the questionnaire forms I’ve developed to use in my interviews. (The images are of my own personal forms; the downloadable forms are blank at the top so that you can insert your own studio name and/or logo.)

Interview and Evaluation Forms - Beginning Student

Interview and Evaluation Forms - Transfer Student

This Parent Questionnaire (also blank so that you can customize it for your studio) is included in each of the above files.

Ask any Independent Music Teacher what they love most about their job and you will get a wide variety of reponses, but ask those same teachers what they dislike the most about their job and, almost without exception, you’ll get the same reply: Bookkeeping!

Wouldn’t it be great to have a way to organize all your bookkeeping and student and event info so that it’s easy to maintain and find when you need it? And wouldn’t it be great if there was an easy way for your students to access their schedule and payment information? And wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to streamline your communication process so that you could send e-mails to, say all your Tuesday students, or all your students participating in a particular event? Well…look no further! There is a way! Music Teacher’s Helper is the Easiest Way to Manage Your Studio!

Developed by Brandon Pearce, Music Teacher’s Helper was designed with the Independent Music Teacher in mind. I signed up for the free plan so I could test it out and see what I thought. I am very impressed! Here are just a few of the incredible features that I immediately liked:

* The site layout is very clean and user-friendly. It was easy to sign-up and get started right away with the free subscription. A very easy-to-understand tutorial walked me through each step and I had things set-up and running in less than 30 minutes!

* There are many report options and every organizational area of the site can be exported to an Excel file and saved on your computer for easy access and reference.

* The site is very customizable. Those who don’t have much experience with computers will find everything clearly explained and easy to navigate. Those with more experience often have the option of entering the HTML code themselves to allow for greater customization.

* Notes can easily be entered into the student files following each lesson and can even be sent directly to the student’s e-mail.

* All the birthdays for the month are listed on the teachers homepage and serve as a great reminder to send off an e-mail wishing the student a happy birthday.

One of the key things I look for in such applications is the level of Customer Service. In that respect, Music Teacher’s Helper is unbeatable! After exploring the site for a while, I e-mailed Brandon with a couple of suggestions. I received a response the next day and found the suggestions implemented almost immediately. Music Teacher’s Helper is committed to making their product the best it can be and is working on constantly developing it and incorporating new ideas.

This short review has not even touched on the student/parent features included in the teacher subscription. And, while Music Teacher’s Helper has some great student features incorporated into it, Brandon notes that “Music Teacher’s Helper is made first for the teacher, then for the student. We want Music Teacher’s Helper to be useful for teachers whether their students want to participate or not.”

With subscription plans ranging from Free to $24.95/month depending on the size of your studio, Music Teacher’s Helper is considerably less expensive that similar web-based applications. I encourage you to check it out - experiment with the Free subscription and see what you think. The time-saving features and excellent service are well worth the up to $24.95/monthly fee for a full subscription, but the peace of mind that will come from a well-organized, professionally run business - that’s priceless!

Check out this amazing offer from Vista Print! (Just click on the Free Business Cards link in the left hand column once you get to the VistaPrint site.)

Choose from 42 designs and receive 250 free personalized business cards. I just placed my order and the only expense is $5.25 for shipping. Of course, there are lots of other options available, if you want to pay extra for them. I especially debated about whether to pay the extra $9.99 to get the glossy finish instead of the matte finish. I finally decided to just keep it to the completely free offer (plus shipping) to try it out and see what I think. I’ve been making my own business cards for years, but I really like the idea of getting a glossy coated card. So, if I’m please with what I receive from VistaPrint, I may just take the plunge and give it a try.

In the meantime, it certainly won’t hurt to have a couple hundred free business cards!

The following is part of a presentation shared recently by Janna Williamson, a music teacher in Illinois, with a group of pedagogy students. I was able to read her notes from the meeting and thought what she had to share was excellent. She has given me permission to post from her notes here, so I hope to include several posts, chock-full of great tips for new and experienced teachers alike! Enjoy!

Top Ten Tips for New Piano Teachers
By Janna Williamson, NCTM
Wheaton Yamaha Music School

10. Read good teaching magazines (Keyboard Companion, Clavier, etc.)

9. Encourage your students to perform regularly, and provide them with developmentally appropriate performance venues.

8. Research all the teaching material out there – and use the best.

7. Join a piano teachers’ email list. It’s an unbelievable wealth of practical and pedagogical information. (I love the one I’m on – visit it here.)

6. Join the local piano teachers’ organizations in your area to stay connected with and learn from other teachers near you and take advantage of the performance opportunities for your students. [Natalie’s note: visit this page on MTNA’s website to find a local association in your area.]

5. Interview students and their parents before teaching them. Only take the ones that actually want to learn how to play the piano, and whose parents will abide by your studio policies and are doing this for the right reasons. It is better to have fewer students who genuinely enjoy lessons than more students who you will have to “cut” later on.

4. Know your strengths and limitations. Teach the ages, levels, and materials that you’re comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to tell a student that you’re not the right teacher for him or her.

3. Don’t just be a good teacher – be a good administrator of your studio. Have a good studio policy, and stick to it. Stay in regular communication with your students and parents about payments due, upcoming events, and progress being made.

2. Teach your students to be well-rounded, independent musicians, not just people who can play pieces on the piano. Include sight-playing, music theory, ear-training, and music history in every lesson. Encourage independent learning by giving your students these skills.

1. Demand excellence from your students. Insist on regular attendance, good technique, regular practice, completed assignments, and overall good musicianship from all of them.

[Natalie’s note: For several other great Top Ten lists, check out this page on the Piano Education Page website!]