3.04.2023
1.17.2023
🥅 Vocational Goal Setting for Piano Teachers
Setting goals is an important tool for having success in many different areas of our lives, whether that be relational, emotional, or spiritual. When focusing on our vocational goals, what are we aiming for this year?
The reason why I decided to start using the Full Focus Planner (see my blog post here) is because of the Best Year Ever course that Michael Hyatt & Company (now called Full Focus) offers. Many topics were covered such as reviewing last years accomplishments and having a positive future outlook. Today I want to tell you about one of Michael Hyatt's most impactful suggestions: the SMARTER goal system.
What does the acronym SMARTER stand for?
- Specific
- Measurable
- Actionable
- Risky
- Timebound
- Exciting
- Relevant
- Practice more
- Advertise
- Have more piano students sign up
- Teach well
- Practice Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 daily
- Create flyers and distribute them around my neighborhood
- Have 2 piano students sign up
- Create detailed lesson plans and long-term overviews for each student
- Practicing will be measured with a habit tracker
- Creating flyers and distributing them will be measured by the completion of this task.
- Having 2 piano students sign up will be measured by the completion of this task.
- Creating lesson plans each week will be measured by a habit tracker.
- Practice daily, memorize and perform Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2
- Design and print 20 flyers and distribute them around my neighborhood
- Follow up with all leads by text, email and or phone call until at least 2 students sign-up
- Write detailed lesson plans each week and create a spreadsheet for long-term overviews
- Practice daily, Memorize and Perform Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 Chopin Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2
- I have already learned Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2, but have had difficulty with Op. 27 No. 2. It is still within my capacity to learn, but presents challenges that I have limited myself to believing I can't surpass.
- Create flyers and distribute them around my neighborhood and directly to people with a prepared "elevator pitch"
- This requires me to actually talk to people I've never met before and present clear reasoning why my piano lessons are a valuable activity for them or their child
- Have 2 piano students sign up and encourage 45 minute lessons
- Another uncomfortable situation, but sometimes a necessary one. If a student is showing interest and attention, a longer lesson time helps us to do more activities outside of the method book
- Create detailed lesson plans and long-term overviews for each student by helping my students to craft their own goals
- This takes away some autonomy from me and can sometimes be difficult to encourage a student to create goals for themselves
The next step is to make these goals Timebound. Create a start date and a deadline for both habit and achievement goals. In addition to those, create a frequency and streak goal for habit goals.
- Practice daily, Memorize and Perform Chopin Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 starting January 5th, 6 days a week, until March 5th. (Habit Goal)
- Create flyers and distribute them around my neighborhood and directly to people with a prepared "elevator pitch" starting January 10th, completed by March 31st. (Achievement Goal)
- Have 2 piano students sign up and encourage 45 minute lessons by September 30. (Achievement Goal)
- Create detailed lesson plans and long-term overviews for each student by helping my students to craft their own goals each week and track plans for 20 weeks and overviews for 5 months. (Habit Goal)
Are these goals Exciting to me? Exciting means inspiring and engaging to the point of being willing to continue even when it gets hard. Internal motivation is what helps us to see goals through to the end. Asking if a goal is exciting may also be an evaluation of whether or not it would be fun. At this point, it's important to weed out any goal that we've made because we feel expected to achieve that goal by other people (whether real or imagined). On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most exciting, I have rated my goals below.
- 6 - Practice daily, Memorize and Perform Chopin Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 starting January 5th, 6 days a week, until March 5th.
- 4 - Create flyers and distribute them around my neighborhood and directly to people with a prepared "elevator pitch" starting January 10th, completed by March 31st.
- 10 - Have 2 piano students sign up and encourage 45 minute lessons by September 30.
- 9 - Create detailed lesson plans and long-term overviews for each student by helping my students to craft their own goals each week and track plans for 20 weeks and overviews for 5 months.
- Have 2 piano students sign up and encourage 45 minute lessons by September 30.
However...
So that means I need both of these vocational goals during this year.
- Create flyers and distribute them around my neighborhood and directly to people with a prepared "elevator pitch" starting January 10th, completed by March 31st.
- Have 2 piano students sign up and encourage 45 minute lessons by September 30.
Full Focus calls these related goals complex goals. They will count as one goal. Full Focus recommends limiting your multiple step complex goals to 2 per year.
I think once I have a 4 student studio, creating the lesson overviews will make more sense since I will need to do those to stay organized. For now, I'm able to keep a lot of it in my memory since I only have 2 students to track.
As for the last remaining goal, practicing and performing is something I'm always doing. I may still learn this piece as a major project, but I won't put it on my Annual Goals list.
And that's the SMARTER annual goal setting process!
What goals are you setting this year? How can you phrase your goals as SMARTER goals?
Happy New Year!
-Jenny
Source: Full Focus
This post is not sponsored.
12.29.2022
📒 Review: Full Focus Planner: How to Stay Positive, Organized, and Focused
My 2022 Full Focus Planners I painted Quarters 2 and 3. |
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
What symptoms did the Full Focus Planner address for me?
- 1,000 tasks in my brain at a time
- No idea where to start
- Long-term projects being pushed to the last minute
- Feelings of discouragement for "not doing anything today"
- Little tasks getting lost in the shuffle
How did it address the symptoms?
- Key Projects section - List your most important tasks for the upcoming quarter. Other Tasks and Notes spaces on Daily pages. Weekly Overview space where I keep rolling over tasks.
- Ranking my most important goals and projects. Using the Goal Detail pages to break down the goal into action steps. Sending these action steps to Weekly Big 3 and Daily Big 3 pages.
- Using calendar pages and quarter pages to set regular deadlines for the action steps.
- Feelings of encouragement from checking off my Big 3 each day and saying I accomplished important things today.
- Checklist-style entries with a key with symbols to code if the task is finished, waiting for something, deferred, delegated, or deleted. Tasks that are not completed or deleted get sent to the following day.
How did I learn about the Full Focus Planner?
Last year, my husband became interested in Full Focus through a podcast. One product they make, their Full Focus Planner, really caught his interest. I was very skeptical of this system because of the expense and also because I had experience trying planner systems that were far too cumbersome to set up or set up but with not enough space. I abandoned those systems and found that I was making long lists on loose-leaf paper and leaving them around the house. I would hang on to this list of never-ending tasks and feel bad daily for not accomplishing anything.
After using this method for a few quarters, my husband was keeping work at work and coming home when he planned and being present. He was more organized and positive.
My husband wanted me to try this method too, but I was reluctant. Like the Bullet Journal method, this planner required a lot of front-end setup. It was also a very expensive system because you need 4 planners for one year.
In contrast to the Bullet Journal, however, I didn't need to create my planner from scratch, which eventually became a chore. In contrast to a yearly planner, Full Focus had equal space for each day of the week rather than shrinking Saturday and Sunday.
I was very skeptical that this would help, but I was getting annoyed by the recurring reminders on my phone (to the point of ignoring them!) and my loose-leaf paper wasn't organized or motivating.
At the beginning of 2022, my husband bought the Best Year Ever course from Full Focus and encouraged me to watch with him. Almost immediately I was sold on this method as I realized they were using a researched-based approach to help people reach their goals. I was already learning how to implement challenging limiting beliefs and all-or-nothing thinking using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques and this planner is built specifically to implement those challenges.
How is the Full Focus Planner structured?
The Full Focus Planner is a quarterly planner that is centered around goal setting. To start small, the Start Here page gives a Simple Setup: On the first Day page, list your top 3 tasks for the day. This is called your Daily Big 3. Check them off as you accomplish them. Just 3 tasks. There is a list for other tasks below the Big 3, but the Big 3 are the tasks that have priority for accomplishing your goals and to help you feel like you did something today.Did I have my Best Year Ever?
What annual goals did you specifically accomplish?
- Have a fully licensed business by
August 21???Whenever Chicago can figure it out - Status: Completed, but much later than August 21st.
- Teach my 5-year-old how to read daily and finish lesson book by April 30
- Status: Completed by May 7
- Post 1 composition a month on Soundcloud, Pond5, and/or Arrange Me
- Status: Completed on time
- Finish reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown by March 31
- Status: Completed on time
- Read the Bible 4 times a week (48 times) by September 30
- Status: Completed
- Composition Competition by April 30
- Status: Completed. "The Voyage Home"
- Composition Competition Entry by July 31
- Status: Completed "Save the Sheep!"
- Spend quality time with my daughters everyday by December 31
- Status: Completed, however I didn't track this.
- Symphonina Competition Entry by December 15
- Status: Completed
What planned goals were not accomplished?
- Memorize Romance movement from Chopins' Concerto in E Minor (8 ½ pages) by June 5
- Status: Abandoned
- Do physical therapy or yoga every morning (80 times)
- Status: Abandoned despite the reward of cheesecake...
- Practice piano every morning for 30 minutes at 6am (60 times) by March 31
- Status: Partially completed (I have a ~ in the checkmark box)
- Plant lawn and garden by May 31st
- Status: I have an indoor tomato plant I grew from a seed. Hoping for a better season in 2023.
- Composition Competition Entry by October 31
- Status: Abandoned in favor of the Symphonina Competition
Conclusion
-Jenny
12.09.2022
🎹 Essential Piano Studio Set-Up Guide
Traveling Piano Teacher
- Reliable transportation
- Public transit or a car
- Access to a piano or digital piano
- Piano must be tuned and in good working order. It must also have a bench and music stand. A digital piano should not be on a table; an X-stand or furniture stand is necessary. It must have a sustain pedal.
- Private space with a waiting area
- Especially if you are using a multi-purpose space, you will need to assert that you and your students need quiet and no interruptions.
- Backpack
- Durable and comfortable. Space to keep books from bending.
- Onsite Storage (permanent classroom)
- Plastic box
- File box
- Method Series
- Create a system for knowing which books to take to avoid overstuffing your backpack.
- Repertoire Books
- Avoid heavy materials and consider making scans of material that both you and your student own.
- Flashcards
- Use an old stationery box to prevent bending.
- Stickers
- Organize in a 4"x6" photo album.
- Metronome
- If you are using an acoustic piano, make sure you have a metronome with you.
- Storage at home
- There's nothing worse than not having a place for your materials to be safely stored. Whether it's a bookcase or storage boxes, make sure that your paper materials will not get bent. Corral loose items and manipulatives into small boxes. I save boxes from mugs that have been gifted to me.
- Curriculum
- Prizes
- iPad or comparable tablet
- Optional, but this is helpful for music apps such as Note Rush, Piano Maestro, Rhythm Cat, Treble Cat, or Bass Cat. It is also useful for emailing lesson notes.
Home-based Piano Teacher
- Piano or digital keyboard and bench
- Click here for a detailed guide for buying a digital piano.
- Bookcase
- Hold all of your books and materials in a bookcase, preferably one with cabinet doors at the bottom to hide most of your materials and scores. Keep the shelves organized by decluttering and organizing often. Don't forget to dust!
- Method Series
- I have my go to method, Piano Adventures, but I also have methods from Alfred, Bastien, Music Tree and others on hand just in case a student needs supplemental repertoire to reinforce a concept or they have a different learning style.
- Metronome
- Repertoire Books
- Have a wide variety of music ranging from easy to difficult.
- Textbooks
- Important for referencing information about music without "Googling it".
- Carpeted Space or Area Rug
- This provides a comfortable area to play games.
- Rhythm and Movement Accessories
- I purchased nylon scarves from Amazon to help with listening activities.
- Stuffed Animals
- I will often communicate with antsy preschool aged students by use a stuffed animal as a puppet.
- Curriculum
- Prizes
Virtual/Hybrid Piano Teacher
- Tripod
- Camera
- I use the camera on my phone
- Skype
- Skype had the best sound quality when paired with an external microphone when comparing it to other available conferencing software. This platform is free. There are companies that offer subscriptions to low-latency conferencing software specifically for music lessons.
My Gear
- Yamaha P-255
- Adjustable Piano Bench from Amazon
- Manhasset Music Stand
- Sauder Bookcase
- Filing Box
- Ikea Step Stool
- MacBook Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPhone SE (2nd Generation)
- Tripod
-Jenny
12.05.2022
🖋 Sheet Music: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Click here to listen to my original recording on Soundcloud.
Also available as a fake sheet or jazz combo lead sheet on Sheet Music Plus and Sheet Music Direct.
-Jenny
11.30.2022
💡Aha Moments - The Principle Goal of a Piano Teacher
Sounds strange, right?
I love my students and I love piano teaching, but I want my students to continue playing the piano even after they discontinue lessons. I want them to move beyond my knowledge. I want them to explore the many, many musical topics.
The Principle Goal of a Piano Teacher
In her book, The Independent Piano Teacher's Studio Handbook, Beth Klingenstein explains that showing and not teaching creates a dependency on the teacher for every piece they will ever learn. She says, "Ultimately, such dependency means the last piece the student is taught will be the last piece played with accuracy" (156).
- Practicing
- Memorizing
- Performing
- Timing and Rhythm
- Technique
- Sight-Playing
- Fingering
- Pedaling
- Developing the Ear
-Jenny
11.26.2022
🃏Lesson Hacks: Label Your Flashcards for Quick Sorting
Alfred's Complete Color Coded Flash Cards and Piano Adventures Correlation Chart
Key
Primer
Level 1
Level 2A
Level 2B
Level 3A
Level 3B
Level 4
Level 5
Symbol | Card | Faber |
Canary | ||
Treble Clef Sign | 1 | 4 |
Bass Clef Sign | 2 | 4 |
Bass Clef: | ||
Low C | 3 | 1 |
Low D | 4 | 5 |
Low E | 5 | 5 |
Low F | 6 | 5 |
Low G | 7 | 10 |
A | 8 | 10 |
B | 9 | 10 |
C | 10 | 8 |
D | 11 | 8 |
E | 12 | 8 |
F | 13 | 5 |
G | 14 | 6 |
A | 15 | 6 |
B | 16 | 6 |
Middle C | 17 | 4 |
D | 18 | 6 |
E | 19 | 6 |
Treble Clef: | ||
A | 20 | 6 |
B | 21 | 1 |
Middle C | 22 | 4 |
D | 23 | 5 |
E | 24 | 5 |
F | 25 | 5 |
G | 26 | 4 |
A | 27 | 1 |
B | 28 | 1 |
C | 29 | 2 |
D | 30 | 3 |
E | 31 | 2 |
High F | 32 | 3 |
High G | 33 | 3 |
High A | 34 | 5 |
High B | 35 | 5 |
High C | 36 | 1 |
Pink | ||
Single Eighth Note | 37 | 3 |
Eighth Notes | 38 | 1 |
Quarter Note | 39 | 2 |
Dotted Quarter Note | 40 | 8 |
Half Note | 41 | 2 |
Dotted Half Note | 42 | 3 |
Whole Note | 43 | 2 |
Eighth Rest | 44 | 7 |
Quarter Rest | 45 | 10 |
Half Rest | 46 | 5 |
Whole Rest | 47 | 5 |
2/4 Time Signature | 48 | 2 |
3/4 Time Signature | 49 | 6 |
4/4 Time Signature | 50 | 5 |
White | ||
Adagio | 51 | 7 |
Andante | 52 | 7 |
Moderato | 53 | 7 |
Allegro | 54 | 7 |
Ritardando | 55 | 9 |
A tempo | 56 | 2 |
Pianissimo | 57 | 9 |
Piano | 58 | 2 |
Mezzo Piano | 59 | 2 |
Mezzo Forte | 60 | 3 |
Forte | 61 | 2 |
Fortissimo | 62 | 3 |
Crescendo | 63 | 2 |
Diminuendo | 64 | 2 |
Accent | 65 | 10 |
Green | ||
Sharp Sign | 66 | 6 |
Flat Sign | 67 | 6 |
Natural Sign | 68 | 1 |
Fermata | 69 | 4 |
Pedal Sign | 70 | 1 |
8va | 71 | 4 |
Staccato Note | 72 | 1 |
Slur | 73 | 1 |
Tied Notes | 74 | 9 |
Repeat Sign | 75 | 2 |
Repeat Signs | 76 | 5 |
D.C. al Fine | 77 | 4 |
Blue | ||
Melodic & Harmonic Intervals: | ||
2nd | 78 | 5 |
3rd | 79 | 7 |
4th | 80 | 4 |
5th | 81 | 4 |
6th | 82 | 3 |
7th | 83 | 3 |
Octave | 84 | 8 |
Key Signature: | ||
C Major or A Minor | 85 | 4 |
G Major or E Minor | 86 | 5 |
D Major or B Minor | 87 | 5 |
F Major or D Minor | 88 | 10 |
B-flat major or G Minor | 89 | Level 5 |