Studies have shown that if you weigh yourself each and every day you are more likely to lose weight than if you don’t partake in daily weigh-ins. Now I’m a piano educator, not a weight loss guru, but this seems to make sense. However… it also seems as though it may lead to obsessing over body image… but that’s a different topic for a different blogger!
What is important here, is that regular self-assessment equals desired results. And for piano teachers, the weight loss anecdote can, and will, pay dividends.
Piano Teachers Want More Students
So let’s work through a little something-something here! For many piano teachers the “desired result” from regular self-assessments would be more piano students. But simply assessing your student population (counting your students) at the end of every day is not going to increase your student population.
But there are assessments that can, and will, make a huge difference. Consider assessing your piano students’ completed pieces, exam results, or lesson enjoyment to name a few. Improvement in any one of these areas will likely lead to more students!
Let’s Talk Student Enjoyment
So this week, we invite you to begin assessing your piano students’ enjoyment. This is simply one area of assessment in which to begin. I‘m not saying it’s more or less important than the quality of completed pieces or exam performance… it’s simply a place to begin.
So, grab a shoebox! Tape it shut and cut a slit in the top so it’s looks like an old-fashioned ballot box (Pinterest it up if you want to go all fancy on us). Next, create some blank ballots. Good… your craftiness is done. Phew.
Now, after each and every lesson this week ask your piano student to rate their lesson enjoyment on a scale of 1 to 10, write it on a blank ballot, and plunk it in the box. The success of this particular assessment hinges on your students’ honesty, so give them every opportunity to feel comfortable in knowing that you will never know an individual student’s assessment. If you find your self raking in a mountain of 10’s after the first week, it may mean you should consider assessing a different factor. Then again, it also may mean you’re awesome!
At the end of the week, take out the ballots, add up the numbers, divide by the number of ballots and give yourself an “enjoyment score”. Adjust your teaching accordingly. Continue to do this week after week and I’ll bet your score gets higher and higher and higher.
I’ll also bet your studio starts to get bigger and bigger and bigger!
An Enjoyment Death Trap
If your enjoyment score is seriously suffering, no doubt theory is to blame! 🙂 I mean really, it’s almost not fair assessing enjoyment after a theory lesson. Unless, of course, you happen to use our newest resource, Pssst… Your Piano Teacher Thinks This Is Theory. In that case, you’re probably off the charts!
Cameron Weckerley says
That was a really nice nice post until the blatant self-promotion at the end. Maybe a little less throw you down and pummel you in the face with the selling. 🙂 Just a thought….This comes from someone who already likes your stuff and buys it sometimes…This ending of this post just BUGGED me for some reason.
Ahh, who cares 🙂
Cheers!
Andrea says
The internet Gods have advised me that after 487 posts filled with awesome piano teaching advice, occasional self-promotion on one’s own blog is A-OK 😉
Glad to see you’re still teaching!
Rick says
What is a little self-promotion? Aren’t websites and blogs about promotion. I mean really, should we expect all this great information for free and not a word of please support the author…. I say promote and let us know what other products you have. Thank you for all your hard work and time, I really appreciate it!
Rick
Andrea says
Thanks so much Rick – we really appreciate your kind words 🙂
Julie Pruett says
I love all of your posts!!! Thank you so much for all you do. Your blog/ website have helped me improve as a teacher and also just gets me excited and inspired. BTW, I don’t mind at all when you mention your products in a tiny little paragraph at the end of a post. I can’t wait to try the theory stuff and I’m going to start the composition material in the Spring semester with my entire studio!
Andrea says
Hi Julie – thanks so much for your comment. It’s hearing things just like this that make us so excited to get up in the morning and keep doing what we’re doing. We appreciate you taking the time to be so kind. Happy teaching!
Heather Krebs says
Where is the pin-it button ????
Andrea says
Hi Heather – we don’t have that on our blog yet! While we’re getting that functionality, you can add a “pin it” button to your browser tool bar really easily. There is a link within Pinterest that tells you how to do so and then you can “pin” anything you come across really easily!
Bronwyn says
Love your post, as usual. Just wanted to add that I love all the cartoons. Particularly this one, it gave me the giggles
antonia says
same here – I love all of your posts and I don´t mind at all when you mention your great products – I´m just glad that I get to use them even though I´m teaching over here in Germany 🙂
thanks for all you do!
Andrea says
Hi Antonia – Thanks for your comment and we’re so thrilled that the blog and our resources are helpful to you. We LOVED Germany when were were there 7 years ago. Stunningly beautiful and such lovely people. Cheers!
Victoria says
I just want to thank both of you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do and you do an incredible job!!! I wasn’t sure if piano teaching is something I want to do and because of your inspiring website, blog and energy I can feel through the words of wisdom you give to other teachers I have decided that teaching the piano is so awarding and even though I don’t think I’ll be a millioner teaching kids I will be happy! Can’t wait to try your products please keep mentioning what you have often! Thanks again!
Andrea says
Hi Victoria – you comment just made our day! Funny you should mention the rewarding career vs. millionaire thing. We just watched an great documentary on “happiness” the other day. I was really interested to find out that people who made $50,000 per year vs. people who made $550,000 showed no difference at all in their levels of happiness. So there you go… you’ve found a job you love and it is a rewarding part of your life… what could be better?! 🙂 Cheers!
Nick says
I love all your stuff as well.