By Robin Steinweg
How do you prepare for fall? A vacation from lessons or a lighter teaching load can offer opportunities to create a master list.
Here are some of my to-dos:
- Determine available teaching times
- Will I offer 30, 45 or 60-minute lessons?
- How many weeks will I teach?
- Will I give myself weeks off?
- Send my policy, schedule, and registration forms to students
- Let students sign up on MTH!
- Will I get a raise?
- Does my policy need tweaking or firming up (See other teachers’ policies for ideas)?
- Will I require parents to initial sections and sign an agreement?
- Weed my files
- What haven’t I used in a year?
- Are files titled for easiest retrieval?
- Shall I divide by grade level or genre? What works best for me?
- Might I use a retrieval system—such as Paper Tiger online?
- Will I donate or sell what I don’t keep?
- Clean/organize my studio
- Attend workshops
- Plan so I don’t purchase duplicates or binge
- Check instruments for needed maintenance
- Consider a theme for the year or season
- Will group classes, recitals and special pieces reflect this theme?
- Will I decorate according to the theme?
- (a bulletin board labeled “Prepare for Fall” could contain notes/symbols to identify, or a picture with hidden music symbols. A football field with lesson “yard lines” might make for a prepare for fall practice push)
- Choose new activities or games
- A studio-wide motivation chart to record goals met
- New game for group lessons
- Contact waiting list if there are timeslots to fill
- Look for décor, incentives and teaching aids at garage sales, thrift stores or a dollar store
- Laser pointer
- Stick with pointing hand
- Shaped erasers
- Stickers
- Prizes for goals met or to add to the studio “store”
- Waiting area materials
- Puzzles
- Books
- Music magazines
- Coloring books and crayons or colored pencils
- Water bubbler or bottles
- Swap out materials monthly or quarterly?
- Add technology—for the techno-challenged, push yourself to try just one!
- Tonic Tutor
- Music Maestro
- Scads more!
What would you add? Or do you prepare for fall in a totally different way?
In my August 28th post I’ll have ideas for creating teacher binders. See you then!
The post Prepare for Fall appeared first on Music Teacher’s Helper Blog.
from Music Teacher’s Helper Blog http://blog.musicteachershelper.com/prepare-for-fall/
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