The beginning of the summer marked two years in my teaching career. In the summer of 2014 I began teaching with Monarch Suzuki Academy, received Suzuki Book 1 training with Dr. Laurie Scott and Book 2 training with Dr. Sue Baer, and also took on new students with UT String Project.
What is the saying? Zero to sixty in 3.5?
I wasn’t overwhelmed, but my brain, body and senses went into overdrive. I was aware that the first few lessons of my first summer of my first year of teaching were crucial to my professional teaching for a few reasons…
– I STARTED teaching (the hardest step of them all)
– My habits, formed on a clean slate, were much easier to direct than to change after years of experience
– My reputation, and therefore referrals, often come from the first impression I formed two years ago
The success I have experienced in two years of teaching can be traced back to the mindfulness I used to guide my first year of work.
In the following days I will provide you with a step by step guide to move from zero to studio. I’ll identify the insights, actions, tools, and references in an organized sequence that will lead you to success. I tackle difficult questions such as why we teach in the first place, is it okay to feel nervous before your first lesson, and what it means to teach when your ultimate goal is performance.
Day 1 – Start Teaching Violin: You Aren’t Going to Think You Are Ready
Day 2 – Do These TODAY to Start Teaching Violin
Day 3 – The Violin Teacher’s Mindset
Day 4 – Research, Network, and Immerse Yourself Through Observation
Day 5 – Set Systems for Yourself, the Professional
Day 6 – Set Systems for Your Violin Students
Day 7 – Conquer Fear Before Your First Violin Lesson
Day 8 – Where Are You Going? Working at the Frontier of Teaching Violin
This seven day guide is designed for violinists who want to start teaching but haven’t, teachers who started teaching but don’t feel they set a reliable foundation for themselves, and for the performing artist who doesn’t think teaching will be a part of their lives (spoiler alert: it will).
Each day is a capsule of crucial, relevant information from someone who is just around the bend. I invite you to join me in the journey from student to teacher today.