As the end of year approaches, it’s a perfect time to discuss piano teachers’ resolutions. For inspiration on changes you can make to improve your teaching business, keep reading!
As the end of the year approaches, it’s a perfect time to discuss piano teachers’ resolutions.
Recitals are over. You’ve heard Jingle Bells for the last time this year… Time to look back.
How did 2023 treat you? Were those new ideas you implemented a success? What changes do you want to make for 2024?
To inspire you and encourage you to make specific resolutions, we’ll unpack eight resolutions for piano teachers (and even give you suggestions on how to meet them!)
PSST! Do you want to make 2024 your best year? Keep reading to the end to learn how!
Table Of Contents:
“This year, I will improve my pedagogy and business skills.”
When you became a piano teacher, you knew it would be more than just welcoming in little Jimmy, teaching him Mary Had A Little Lamb, and then sending him on his merry way.
But you didn’t realize quite how much more you’d have to do:
You have two options:
1. Bury your head in the sand and hope everything works out. (Spoiler: it won’t.)
2. Take action and learn how to do new things.
Even if you aim to improve one area of your business or pedagogy knowledge next year, for example, how to tune up your studio policies, you’ll feel on top of your game.
“This year, I will reflect on my teaching.”
What do you do when you finish your last lesson of the week? Shut your studio door, walk away, and forget about lessons?
Or do you take a moment to assess on the week just gone? Do you note what worked well and what could have been improved?
That lesson with the grumpy teen who rolled their eyes at everything you suggested…What could you have done differently? Would that improv activity you tried with a different student go down well next lesson? Speaking of that improv activity, you could try it next time with a backing track – make a note for next time!
Making reflection an integral part of your teaching routine will help contribute to a more effective and student-centered approach.
“This year, I will treat my students as individuals.”
All students are different. That’s what makes teaching so fun!
No two students will want to follow the same pathway. Some will want to learn classical pieces – others will want to learn pop songs (maybe even by ear).
It’s easy to pop every student on the same method book and give them the same repertoire (Hey, if it works for one student, it’ll work for another. Right?)
But if you personalize your lesson plans to cater to each student’s
You’ll create more engaging and motivating lessons for everyone. Plus (and this is a biggie), you’ll foster a deeper connection between you and your students. By taking time and effort to get to know them as musicians rather than just seeing each of them as “another student,” you’ll help boost their enjoyment of playing.
Related: Figuring out what you want to teach your intermediate students can be challenging. There are so many options and no pre-written curriculum for you to follow. That’s why Janna Williamson created this practical Guide To Curriculum Planning.
“This year, I will embrace technology in my studio.”
Welcome to 2024 – the year most of our students will be glued to a screen: phones, tablets, and game consoles.
In this digital age, in order to engage your students and catch their attention, we suggest integrating technology into your studio.
This could be through…
Make 2024 the year you embrace technology as a tool to enhance your students’ learning journey and make lessons more interactive and dynamic!
“This year, I won’t be afraid to ask for help.”
Do you have a supportive network of fellow teachers and educators? Or do you try and figure things out by yourself, asking your non-musical friends and family for advice and getting blank stares in return?
If you…
you will be able to share experiences, seek advice, and create a sense of community.
No more talking to your cat and asking how he would teach little Rosie rhythms in a way she’ll find more engaging. (He only ever meowed at you and pushed his empty bowl towards you, anyway. He was no help.)
Reaching out to other teachers in Facebook groups or on Instagram can help you feel less alone in the world of music education.
However, if you want a more organized community with no extra distractions (how often do you log into Facebook to check a piano teacher group and get waylaid by Amazon adverts?) then we recommend the TopMusicPro community.
An incredibly friendly, supportive, warm and welcoming group of like-minded piano teachers await you, eager and excited to celebrate your teaching wins and give you advice and suggestions.
You can join this community for just $10 a month – and you get SO much money for your money…We’re talking monthly sheet music, music games, teaching tips, and demonstration videos…Come and see for yourself!
“This year, I will look after myself better.”
While some people may look on and think you don’t have a demanding job (all you do is hear kids play Twinkle Twinkle, right?), we know the truth:
Teaching is hard.
Your mind is constantly switched on, thinking of:
Piano teachers are like swans – gliding along, but under the surface, you’re go-go-go all the time.
This is why it’s essential for you to prioritize self-care.
Taking time for personal well-being will let you recharge your energy, maintain a positive mindset, and approach each lesson with enthusiasm and creativity.
A burnt-out teacher is not a happy teacher. And an unhappy teacher creates unhappy students. And we all know what happens when students are unhappy.
We all have different ways we like to unwind.
Whether it’s a long bubble bath with a glass of vino and a true crime podcast, attending a yoga session, or bingeing the latest Amazon Prime series while munching on Doritos (no judgments here), make sure you schedule in some weekly you-time.
“This year, I will set goals to ensure I keep moving forward.”
You set your piano students clear goals to aim for, so why don’t you set them for yourself? Otherwise, you’ll feel like you’re just plodding along doing the same thing day in, day out.
Your goals could be:
For many teachers in 2023, setting the goal of becoming a TopMusic Teacher saw them striving to improve their teaching and business skills. The goal of becoming certified was the incentive they needed to jump out of bed feeling motivated!
“This year, I will stay on top of my resources and sheet music.”
As much as you try to stay on top of all those loose sheets and game cards throughout the year, when the end of the year rolls around, you look at your cupboards and sigh.
You tell yourself it’s an organized mess, but who are you fooling?
It’s time to stick on that “Cleaning Mix” on Spotify and figure out a new system you can stay on top of. This might help you with new systems for organizing games…
Motivating yourself to make changes can be hard.
“I could make changes, or I could do the same as I always do and binge that new Netflix series and finish off the Christmas chocolates…”
That’s where we come in!
Spend one day with our Queen of Organization, Tara Wright, and you’ll replace Netflix with a notebook full of ideas. You can keep the Christmas chocolates though – they go well with brainstorming.
This one-day challenge is 100% free and will help you make 2024 even better than 2023!
