Showing posts with label musical leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musical leadership. Show all posts

Monday, 30 April 2018

Communicating With Parents





How many times have you tried to explain yourself online only to dig yourself deeper and deeper into a mess and end up having to resort to emoticons?  ¯\_()_/¯      

Generally, we don’t have as much face to face communication with people, even our friends, as much as we used you.  Depending on your age, most communication you have with others is done via text; on your phone or computer.  Because of this, you’ll know that things can be easily misconstrued.  It’s really easy to misunderstand someone because of a missed comma, a misdirected attempt at sarcasm or people who continue to use caps lock.  ALL OF THE TIME!

What does this mean for your music teaching?  I’m assuming you teach children.  Children who need rides to lessons, workshops, competitions.  Children who can’t pay your fees. Children who forget to tell the adults in their lives about the lessons, workshops, competitions, fees. 

You need some form of communication with their parents/caregivers.  If you keep parents onside, they will be more likely to support their children, are happier to be flexible when you need it, and are more likely to recommend you to others as the music teacher of choice.  And one of the best ways to keep them onside is through effective communication.

This post gives you 7 tips for better communication with the parents of your students.


Wednesday, 1 March 2017

Setting Expectations



Your students will do what you expect them to do.

If you expect them to be noisy and disruptive, then they will do just that.  Even without you giving them permission.

If you expect them to be well-behaved and to listen respectfully, they will.

Monday, 25 July 2016

Being Overwhelmed - It's OK!




It was only my second time conducting the choir when the hand went up for the third time in about as many minutes.  “Excuse me.”  Always so polite.  “I don’t think that harmony part is right.”  

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

How to tell off a student



It’s tricky when you realise you have to discipline a student.  You want them to like you, and by telling someone off, you’re risking them not liking you.  Or so you think…