Today, I want to tell you a story about one of my piano teachers. She wasn’t my first teacher—in fact, she was one of my last teachers—but she was the woman who taught me how to overcome my fears, play with power and control, develop my own interpretation, and understand music and artistry at the piano in a whole new way. And in some ways, that meant starting at the very beginning...
Think about some of the great teachers you’ve observed or worked with throughout your life. What made them great? What separates them in your mind from other teachers you’ve had? One thing that I’ve noticed is that exceptional teachers have an innate ability to inspire and motivate those they teach. Here are three ways to do this in your teaching this year:
The book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink is based on scientific research by people like Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, Carol Dweck, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, among others, and provides insight into the role of motivation in our lives. Here are my three biggest takeaways:
As musicians, teachers, leaders, and creators, we’re never done learning (and that’s a good thing!). We’re constantly seeking out new ways to do things, new strategies to try, new skills to develop. I think it’s because we know deep down that there’s always room to grow. Today, we're talking about goal-setting for teachers + three questions to help you find clarity and direction this year.
