Every year I talk to students who are thinking about dropping out of their school music programs. Every student I talk to has his or her own reasons for it. Often it’s because of other classes they want to take
The ability to find a great fingering for strings is perhaps one of the most under taught skills in string playing. I’ve found that many of us – even native string players who have studied our instruments for years –
One of the hardest parts of teaching for me is watching my students fail. I take it personally. If my students fail, then I feel I have failed as a teacher, even when logically I know that it’s not always
I bought my house about five years ago. It’s small but has a decent backyard, and I was excited to have the outdoor space. Unfortunately, the previous residents had done very little to care for the yard and it was
To All My Students, You aren’t perfect. If I’m being honest, sometimes you got on my nerves. I probably got frustrated with you at least once or twice – for some of you it was quite a bit more than
I never intended to teach Spanish. I got a minor in Spanish just because I wanted to improve my language abilities, yet here I am ten years later still teaching Spanish. I’ve learned a lot from teaching both Spanish and
I recently heard a story about people in London. Public transportation there is used by the majority of residents in the city. At some point there was some construction done and many of the normal routes were closed or changed.
Teaching has a tendency to become a negative profession. I’m sure you’ve heard it in the halls, the teachers’ lounge, or your own classroom. Teachers complaining about disrespectful students, uncaring admin, or ignorant legislators. Negativity spreads quickly and is frightfully
Lately I have seen and heard a lot of people talking about self-care. Burnout is real and rampant, and many people are looking for a way to combat that. According to most of the people writing and talking about self-care,
Today is a snow day for me. It was a little strange because I woke up to a light dusting of snow on the grass, not nearly enough to cancel school. I got up and started going through my morning