TRACY SELLE
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​Follow Your Dreams -
Inside AND Outside Your Piano Studio

​
​

My Favorite Tip to Stay Organized

10/20/2016

 
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​How do you keep your sanity during a busy school year? 

I'll be honest. I've tried a LOT of things during my years of teaching piano: 3-ring binders, spiral notebooks, calendars, post-it notes, printed assignment sheets. On and on the list goes!

All those things are great, but sometimes I have so much "stuff" that I end up feeling...scattered.

In the end, I've found a super simple system that works for me:


FOLDERS!

1. Designate a folder for every student.

This doesn't require a lot of prep work. In fact, I literally set this up during the first lesson.

Simply put the name of your student on the folder, toss in a few sheets of notebook paper, and you're good to go.

2. Write important information on the inside cover

I jot down basic facts about my student - their birthday, age, and grade.
I also like to write down all of their lesson books. This has helped me multiple times - especially with my Skype students.

With one quick glance, I can see what books that student has worked through and make a note of what I'd like to get for them next.

3. Use your folders at every lesson

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Think of this has your place to brain dump anything that relates to that child:

  • Is your student having trouble with the bass clef? Make a note of that so you can start there next week.
  • Do you use digital music? Print out the songs and put them in the student's folder.
  • Maybe your student has a big algebra test next week? Jot that down in your folder so you can follow-up and see how it went.

Your students will LOVE that you "remember" what's going on in their lives!

(Philip Johnston talked about this in his stellar book The Dynamic Studio.)

And YOU'LL love that feeling of having your act together.


What helps YOU stay organized? I'd LOVE to hear!

FREE Halloween Resources You Should Check Out!

10/15/2016

 
​When I was a little girl, I loved dressing up and going trick-or-treating with my friends. It was something I looked forward to every single year.

But today? Not so much.

In fact... I'll be completely honest. I hate Halloween!  It's just gotten so....creepy!
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Anyway....while Halloween is definitely my least favorite holiday - many of my students like it, so I try to include some fun stuff.
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A Few of My Favorite Fall Things...

Creepy Shadows by Laura Spencer Davis (Quick warning - the first time I played this song, the sun was setting and I hadn't turned the lights on yet. SO creepy!)

A Mystery Story - by Rick Robertson


Monster Dance by Jennifer Fink

Attack of the Black Cat by Jennifer Fink

Graceful Ghost Dance by Jennifer Fink

It's Halloween by Chrisanne Holm

Five Little Pumpkins by Susan Paradis

Not Free But Still Fantastic!

The Boy Who Didn't Like Halloween by Susan Paradis (Can be played as a duet or stand alone)

Castle Escape by Daniel McFarlane
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Halloween Fun by Barbara Becker

The Candy Nabber by Wendy Stevens

Other Great Games and Resources

Bats and Cats Note Board Game by Susan Paradis (Free!)

Bats and Cats Rhythm Game by Susan Paradis (Free!)

Pumpkin Music Math by Susan Paradis (Free!)


FrankenFingers Worksheets by Melody Payne (I bought these YEARS ago! Always a hit with my young ones.)

The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs (It has nothing to do with piano, but as a Christian, it makes me smile!)

And finally - don't forget to put all that Halloween candy to good use! Leila Viss's blog will show you how. (I like #3 best!)

DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS?

Sara Campbell and I have done several Online Lesson Academies and now we've turned it into an evergreen course!

​If you're ready to eliminate makeup lessons - we'll show you how! Get immediate access here.
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OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY

Three Reasons to Use Games to START Your Lesson
10 Ways to Reset When You Don't Feel Like Teaching

Teach Piano AND Have Dinner with your Family? YES!

10/10/2016

 
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​Recently, a couple piano teachers have asked for advice about handling dinner time.

I need to teach through the dinner hour and my family is upset. They just aren't supportive of me right now. What do I do?

If you're in this situation, know that you're not alone! It's a struggle for EVERY family, but yes - probably more so for us piano teachers. After all, dinner time is an ideal teaching hour since most of our students aren't available until later in the day.
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But good news! You CAN make family dinners a reality in your house. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but it can be done and you won't regret it.
My Personal Story

My husband works odd hours and yet I make dinner time a priority for our family. Looking back, I can honestly say that I've always put our family before piano. I've taught before dinner and after dinner, but not during dinner.
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Did I always cook fancy meals? Absolutely not. Many nights I served sandwiches, but we enjoyed those sandwiches TOGETHER and that's what matters. You can do it too!

Here are my 4 tips to having dinner with your family:

1. Use strategic timing

Even the busiest teacher can schedule a 30 minute break. Making this a priority will mean the world to your family!

Perhaps you can schedule a late dinner? Or maybe it needs to be early. You might find that you need to have dinner at a different time each night of the week - that's ok

2. don't think all or nothing.

Your family probably has various activities at night. If that's the case, start small. Set aside just 2 or 3 weeknights for meals together.

If you're not having ANY meals together right now, even adding just 1 meal is a step in the right direction. That's enough to show your family that they are your priority.
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Plan something and then work the plan.

4. build a routine.

Let's say you decide to have family meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Keep those meals the same every week. Think "Taco Tuesday" and "Thursday Casserole."
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Or maybe you come up with a couple of easy meals that you alternate from week to week.

3. create simple meals.

Don't feel pressure to cook a full meal. The point is not the food, but the time together.

Here are some quick and easy ideas:
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  • Leftovers (Mondays are a big teaching day for me, so I like to cook something on Saturday or Sunday, knowing those leftovers will be there for Monday nights.)
  • Crockpot (This new Instant Pot is all the rage right now!)
  • Sandwiches
  • Pizza Bagels (They're super-fast to make and healthier than delivery. Cheaper too!)
  • Breakfast
  • Grilled cheese and soup
  • Sloppy Joes
  • Tacos
  • Freezer cooking (This can be a great way to save money too. Grocery University has taught me a LOT about saving money on groceries!)
  • Maybe your husband can cook something or even your kids?

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Whatever you decide - DECIDE SOMETHING!

If you ignore family meals, that right there is a decision. Be intentional with your family life and make that a priority.
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You'll never regret it.

Tell me how dinners work in YOUR family. I'd love to hear!

Do you need practical help setting up your day?

Just a couple summers ago, I was struggling to keep my head above water. We had just moved to a new city and it was all kind of overwhelming.

But I decided to do something about it by being more intentional with my mornings.

​​The Make Over Your Morning Course made a huge difference in my life. Shortly after I finished that course, I was so motivated and encouraged that I created Upbeat Piano Teachers. It completely changed the direction of my life!


What is Make Over Your Mornings? It’s a 14-day online course that includes videos, a workbook, and step-by-step projects designed to help you maximize your mornings.  You’ll experience more success in your business, more order in your home, and more joy in your life. 

If you’re ready to put some excitement and fulfillment back into your life, check out Make Over Your Mornings. (You can try the first day for free!)
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Find out more about it here.
Note: Some of links in this post are affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

How I Get Students to Practice

10/8/2016

 
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Most of you know that I'm passionate about piano practice! It just breaks my heart when I see kids struggle, thinking they can't play the piano - when really - they just didn't put in the work!

So...how do we get kids to practice? Here's are a couple things that have given me the most success:


1. Get Parents On Board

Let's face it - most kids don't want to do "the right thing." Whether it's brushing their teeth, or making the bed, or helping with the lawn, none of that is "fun" and kids will opt out in a minute.

It's the same with piano lessons. And yes, some students are passionate about the piano, but many need to be held accountable.

That's why I wrote my book - 101 Piano Practice Tips, which is on sale right now for just .99! It's full of fun, practice tips to get students to the keyboard.

Best of all? I wrote it specifically for parents. It's laid out in an easy-to-read format, so parents can get ideas fast. AND they'll see why practice is important and why they need to make sure practice actually happens.


2. Use Practice Incentives       

Everyone loves a reward! Incentive programs can work wonders for getting kids to practice and for us teachers - they don't have to be complicated.

Here are a couple of simple ones that I love:


  • Color A Key Practice Charts I created these for your artistic students! Get your FREE download here.
  • The Piano Phone by Teach Piano Today. Students will earn apps for completing tasks. All the work is done for you - even the handout to give parents. And yes - it's free.
  • Candace Crabtree, one of the guests on Group Lessons 101, is using a simple "check mark" system. If students earn 5 check marks for practicing - 1 mark for each day of practice - then they get a sticker on a chart and sucker. It's super simple, but it works!
  • Melody Payne has some practice cards that will help spice up your students' practice sessions.
  • What am I doing this semester? I'm going for consistent practice. My students are getting one of Susan Paradis' cute practice charts. (They're free and this one is editable!)
  • Need an out-of-the-box idea?  Give your PARENTS the reward! Let's say they get their child to practice 50 times this semester. That breaks down to about 4 practices every week. If they do that, then the PARENT gets a Starbucks gift card. Whatever works, right?!


The idea is to do something - anything! - to motivate kids (or parents!) to get piano practice going during the week!

3. Grab the Piano Bench Mag August 2016 issue.

It's the practice issue! For just 2.99, you'll get TONS of great ideas from several different teachers.
I even wrote an article that might surprise you. I ask the question - Is there ever a time to NOT require practice? My answer was yes. (Surprising, right?)

Go get the issue so you can find out when and why!

Other Helpful Resources
Flashnote Derby


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Grab Your Free Practice
Cheat Sheet!


This little PDF is all ready for you to hand out to parents. 

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These tips are straight from my book, 101 Piano Practice Tips. 

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    Hi there! I'm Tracy Selle. A Christian wife, mom, and author of 101 Piano Practice Tips. I'm also a piano teacher and founder of Upbeat Piano Teachers.

    Here's a little secret - I'm not always upbeat, but I do strive for an upbeat lifestyle!

    The truth is - I love teaching piano. But....I also love being a wife and mom.  And I believe with God - it's ALL possible!

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  • Home
  • About
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
  • Upbeat Webinars
  • Book Club
  • Store
    • Upbeat Webinars
    • Free Game!
    • My Books
    • The Shepherd's Adventure
    • Wise Men Matching Game
  • FREE RESOURCES!
    • Color a Key - Practice Chart
    • Valentine Printable
    • Summer Camp Checklist
    • Rainy Day Toolbox (for Preschoolers)
    • "What's Hot?" (Teens & Tweens Resource)
    • Super Monkey Music Game
    • Christmas Practice Charts
  • Blog