Category Archives: Teaching

Running, Teaching

So Cold!

I guess it’s a good thing I’m going to Phoenix, Arizona tomorrow!

Friday in St. Louis:  High of 34, Low of 27 (all temps Fahrenheit)

Friday in Phoenix: High of 73, Low of 46.  MUCH BETTER!!

So I’ve got my “spring” clothes packed, and I can’t wait.  I haven’t been out to AZ in about two years, so this trip is long overdue.  And after my little race on Sunday, I’ll have four days to relax and celebrate, before returning to the cold.

Race day weather:  Partly Cloudy, High of 73, Low of 52.  I think that’s actually hotter throughout than the Lewis and Clark Half in October…I hope it’s not too hot for me to run decently!  I am planning to run in black capri leggings, a purple tank top, and start with a light jacket.  I’ve got a special “13.1” Sweaty Band for the occasion as well. 

Can you tell I’m excited?

 

I do have some teaching to do beforehand, and one last training run to squeeze in.  I’ve got 8 students at the school followed by 9 students at home.  I just hope some of them have practiced since last week—I think I gave out some darned good practice assignments last week, and there shouldn’t be any excuses—after all, most of the kids had a snow day, perfect for extra practice, right?  *sighs*

I do have to finalize the Solo and Ensemble stuff before I leave, but I’m also taking my laptop with me so I don’t get too behind on “business” stuff.  I need to streamline the paperwork/email/phone calls process.  I  spend way too much time doing that sort of thing each week without actually getting everything done. Maybe I need to dedicate a certain block of time on a few days to working on that stuff (and nothing else)?

What is generally involved?

  • Inputting payments into my computer program
  • Invoices and receipts
  • Dealing with special events such as concerts/contests—planning, emailing parents, memos
  • Rescheduling lessons
  • Resending invoices for parents who haven’t paid
  • Returning phone calls from potential and current students
  • Returning phone calls from potential and current clients (wedding business)
  • Returning emails from the same
  • Putting together wedding contracts
  • Signing checks
  • Taking checks to the bank
  • Planning classes
  • Making practice charts
  • Keeping up on repertoire ideas for the groups and orchestra
  • Xeroxing of important handouts for the students who continually lose them
  • Keeping travel bag clean and up to date (some music I use on the go and at home, I have to make sure it gets back into the bag afterwards)
  • Directions to gigs
  • Organizing gig music if needed (for instance, getting trio music or quartet music out, making sure I have the correct songs for the event)

If I have a week with regular teaching and a wedding or too, that is all the stuff I might have to get done!  Obviously the phone calls and emails vary, the invoices are primarily a end of month thing…but many of those things have to be done at the end of each teaching day or by the next morning for  sure.  I often feel overwhelmed by the paperwork (computer work, what have you.)  I am thinking I should just dedicate, say, 1 hour, three days a week to this stuff and then stop.  Does anyone else deal with this stuff in a better way?  (Other than having a personal assistant…)  When I get back I may try that—scheduling a few hours a week to dedicate to the about list as needed, and then not go past that time.  Maybe an hour Tuesday, an hour Wednesday and an hour Friday?  And if I don’t need that time, great.  If I need more time, I’ll just have to carry the work over till the next day. Then again, emails I generally want to respond to quickly.  But I could do that once or twice a day rather than all the time?  Help??

(I’m actually writing this on Wednesday night, and I’m exhausted, but I want to read a bit of War and Peace before bed, so I apologize for any incoherentness.)  Have a fabulous Thursday!

Teaching

Looking for improvement

“If you look at a thing, the very fact of your looking changes it…if you think about yourself, that very fact changes you.”
— Robert Penn Warren

Today’s quote on the Happiness Project website.

I would definitely agree in many ways.  And I know there are many ways to apply this thought to self-analysis and self-improvement…but today is not a self-improvement day.

Today I thought of my students.

I often ask them to check their bow hold, to look at their bow, to check their wrist, to look in the mirror.  I will ask them how their “low 2’s” were, or if they played the correct dynamics, or if they got the correct bowings.  I try to get them to look at their playing, to observe it, and to critique it.

Often a student will check their bow hold, and as they glance down, I notice them curving their pinky and bending their thumb.  They will say to me, “it was good!” when in reality they simply fixed it immediately.  

And really NOTHING fixes a straight bow like watching it.   If you look at your bow, it will automatically improve, and not slide over the fingerboard as much.

(I know there is some technical jargon in today’s blog post.  Remember this:  to play the violin well there are some important techniques of how to hold the bow and the violin that must be followed, and much of a beginning teacher’s job is to instill proper techniques to greatly increase a student’s chance of success.  What some say is “talent” I say is “hard work and great teaching.”)

Random thoughts, Running, Teaching

Stress and a little rant

Today’s topic idea:  “Are you stressed out?”

Answer:  Of course!  I’m way too high strung to not be stressed out.  I set my standards for myself very high and constantly berate myself for not meeting them.  Of COURSE I’m stressed out—that’s why I constantly chew on my fingers and fingernails.  Duh.  *kicks blog impatiently*

Unrelated jump to teaching:

My students at Child of God School were great today.  I am very pleased with my new class arrangements (completely by grades, not level) as the behavior was better.  I have totally spoiled them however, as they were begging today “when is the next party?  can we play a game?”  Today was review day, since FEW had practiced over break.

Got a 4 mile run in this afternoon.  It’s not that cold outside, but my ear headband thingy kept slipping and my ears kept getting cold.  Boo.  Also I stepped in a pile of mud.  I should really just run inside.

Now I’m off to the Ballet School to teach my four students there.

Other random thought:  I was surfing the web (yes, I am old to use that term) and ran across a quiz called “how bad is your diet?”  The quiz intrigued me since it assumed my diet was bad (I think it’s actually pretty good, since I lost 35 pounds on it and now have maintained for months…).  The questions had to do with chocolate, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners.  Now, I’m not a diet expert.  But—what I needed in my diet when Joe changed it was more fruits/veggies and more lean protein.  What was the key for me was thinking of food as something GOOD for you.  Food gives you energy to live.  Versus, trying NOT to eat certain things, or eating dark chocolate because it’s “good for you” and using that as an excuse to be 100 pounds overweight.  Seriously.  More vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, cut out the junk.  Oh, and portion sizes.  I consider vegetables to be an unlimited portion, just fyi—as much as you want.  (I will stick to my old “nobody gets fat from eating too many fruits or vegetables”).  And guess what people:  every meal doesn’t need dessert, and if you want to lose weight, you’ll probably need to go to bed hungry on occasion.  And I probably should drink less coffee, but seriously, I’m not a saint. Okay, rant over.

HBBC:  January 5: 4 miles: 4 points, 7 f/v: 1 point, total: 5 points, January 6: o points, January 7: 1.3 miles: 1.3 points, workout with Mike: 4 points, 7 f/v: 1 point, total: 6.3 points

Teaching

Not so bad after all

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Today was my first day back teaching this year.  I had been dreading it because I really like my vacations.

Well, it wasn’t so bad after all.

I managed to impart a little bit of wisdom, a little bit of guidance, and had a lot of patience.  Of those three, patience is the most important for teaching children to play the violin.  In fact, patience is the most important for teaching anybody anything!

My students were generally in good spirits and happy to be back to school and violin.  Most hadn’t practiced, but that’s okay.  I even had a few Christmas presents waiting for me, since the last couple teaching days at school had been canceled due to ice, so it made the day seem a bit more festive.  All in all, a great start to the “working week.”

I was also able to spend about 30 minutes planning for the semester of orchestra.  I think I’ve selected a few pieces that will be fun but challenging.  A couple I know will be very challenging, but the fall pieces weren’t challenging enough for a couple of students, so I want to push them.  We’ve got a variety of levels (and work ethics) in the group, as would be expected, so it’s a constant challenge on my part to keep everybody engaged and involved without boring half the group while the other half has no idea what’s going on.  Typical classroom teaching, I imagine?  Honestly I would need magic to actually accomplish this but I keep trying.

Okay, time for a bit of randomness.

#1. New blog/writing project:  The Daily Post at WordPress.com.  I’m not going to promise to post everyday, but I plan to use this to give me inspiration when I need or want it.  I enjoyed the challenge of reverb10 and this looks similar.

#2.  I wore my new purple shoes working out tonight!  I’ve been shy about wearing them to the gym so far…(tomorrow I think) but I wore them doing Jillian’s 30 Day Shred tonight and loved them.

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#3.  New Year’s Eve Pictures:

1.  My interpretation of “blue steel” from “Zoolander”, 2.  with my friend Jennedy, 3.  with Chris and my friend Dave

bluesteelnye2nye

That’s it for now!  I might be back later tonight or tomorrow am to share “what makes me smile.”  Though, you can see in these pictures—my friends, a shiny dress, and having my picture taken!

HBBC (last week!): January 1: 10 mile run: 10 points, 7 f/v: 1 point, total: 11 points, January 2: 20 minutes stretch/20 minutes weights: 2 points, January 3:  30 minute workout video: 2 points, 7 f/v: 1 point, total: 3 points.  January 4: 4 mile run: 4 points, workout with Mike: 4 points, 7 f/v: 1 point, total: 8 points.

Teaching

1.1.11

Ah…slept in this morning…

I played two weddings yesterday afternoon—one at St. Cecilia’s Church and one at the Marriot at Union Station.

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We went to a friend’s New Year’s Eve party last night.  It was fun—lots of our friends were there and there was good food.  I took my camera but didn’t take any photos…maybe someone else will have some (I posed several times).  I decided to dress up so I wore my silver and black dress!  It was fun Smile

Today is my last relaxing day…I have to start preparing for teaching on Monday (and beyond!).  Orchestra doesn’t start until the following week, but I’ll need to give some thought to what repertoire the group should play this semester.  There are still a few pieces from the fall we didn’t get to, so we’ll start with those, but after that, I’m not sure yet.  For my other classes, I’ve changed the grouping so it’s now by grades, which will be better (K-2, 3-4), but I’ll need to be a little more creative to keep everybody moving forward.  I think it’s time for the 3-4 to learn music reading…and the k-2 all need some work on technique fundamentals.  For my private students, it’ll be a week or two of catch-up.

Last night a few friends asked if I had any New Year’s Resolutions.  I told them I had some ideas, but nothing overwhelming (lots of little things, really)…I’m looking at my list right now, and as it is now January, there are a few specific goals for each month.

1. Read one book about teaching.  I am going to actually read two books this month—both of Ed Kreitman’s.  They are on the shorter side—Teaching from the Balance Point, and Teaching with an Open Heart.  I’ve read the first before and started the second, but I want to read both again fully.  I’ll share my thoughts about both as it goes along.

2.  Try new restaurants. We have plans for tomorrow to go to Milagro with friends (also combines with “do something with a friend each week”), and then for Chris’s birthday to 1111 Mississippi, so I know January is covered for this one.

3.  Cook three new recipes per month.

4.  Read one “classic” novel per month.  Haven’t picked it yet…maybe something Jane Austen Winking smile

What else is on the docket for the month?  My trip to Phoenix, of course, with the race.  There’s the Suzuki Association’s Parents as Partners Online, the Chamber Project concert at the Siteman Center, my Spinning class, the Yoga for Runners Workshop, and of course my usual teaching and various gigs (not so many weddings in January).  Should be a great month!

HBBC (last week): January 1: 10 mile run: 10 points, 7 f/v: 1 point, total: 11 points, January 2: 20 minutes stretch/20 minutes weights: 2 points

Christmas, Food, Teaching

Ice day

We had a bit of freezing rain…and no school today!  I am still teaching at home today, though a few students have canceled.  My “inclement weather policy” for my home students is that they can decide whether to come or not, with no penalty.  Most of the roads are pretty good by now, though the sidewalks are still slippery in places.  I really hate ice—give me a foot of snow ANY day.

I was glad they canceled school last night rather than waiting until this morning because I got to sleep in with no worries!  I do miss the students though—I won’t see them until January now.  I’ll also have to mail home some things I was going to hand out, but that’s probably better anyway because then the parents definitely get the memos.

Tonight we are planning to go to a friend’s holiday gathering.  I wasn’t going to go because I thought I would be exhausted after a long day of teaching, but I’m down to four students now (and we’ll see if they all show) so my energy should be high! 

I’ve decided to make a nice Christmas dinner for Chris and I before we go to Long Island.  I love making/planning big holiday meals and I don’t get to do that when I visit the “in-law’s.”  I don’t want to go overboard, but I have planned a menu of Ham  (not Ham Solo), Corn Pudding, Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli, Smoky Cheddar Loaf, and for dessert, Egg Nog Tres Leches Cake.  Sounds good?!?

hamsolo

Ham Solo

After the meal we’ll exchange our Christmas gifts (and open any that were mailed as well).  Should be fun! 

HBBC:  5 mile run: 5 points