“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not you’ll find an excuse.” I’m still pondering the results of the Practice Survey I conducted in my studio last week. It’s interesting to see how many of my students selected the option, “I am too busy; my schedule doesn’t allow time for […]
Philosophical Musings
Teaching Tips from Snowboard School – Part Four: Build Confidence by Teaching Mastery of Fundamental Skills
Like every good beginning student, as soon as I had mastered the art of staying upright on my snowboard for more than three seconds, I was ready to make my first run down the slopes! But you know what our instructor did? He took us to a special small hill reserved for students and made […]
Practice Survey – Free Downloadable Form!
Last week as I was doing my Bible study one morning, I was especially struck by some verses in Isaiah 26: 9b-10: “For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he […]
Teaching Tips from Snowboard School – Part Three: Plan a Systematic Approach
From the moment we set our snowboards down on the powder, it was obvious that our instructor had a clearly laid out plan for teaching us. He gave descriptive explanations and walked us through each step, familiarizing us with the board and what we should expect from the class. This was an incredible confidence-booster and […]
25 Things to Do at a Piano Lesson When a Student Forgets Their Books
Jenny Bay, over at The Teaching Studio blog, has posted a fabulous collection of 25 ideas that teachers can use if a student forgets his books. Not that that ever happens in my studio, of course. 🙂 As long as we’re speaking hypothetically, this is also a great list to refer to if a student […]
Teaching Tips from Snowboard School – Part Two: Give Students a Vision of Success
When I first fastened my boots onto the snowboard, the prospect of whizzing down the slopes like the other snowboarders I had observed for years propelled me forward. From my experience years ago, though, I learned that the gap between where I want to be and where I actually am can quickly seem insurmountable (i.e. […]
