1 – Lesson Alternatives
This morning I texted the link to a video lesson I made for a student who couldn’t make their lesson this week. Video and Facetime lessons are great alternatives. Read about my first Facetime lesson experience here. Also, check out this recent post on Colourful Keys on how to teach a Facetime/Skype piano lesson.
2 – Left Hand Fun
Tim’s Ultimate Guide to Left Hand Patterns is a free download you don’t want to miss.
3- Tactile Learning
On Instagram, I recently shared a photo of me teaching the skips alphabet to two sisters using manipulative’s. The cloth staffs have stirred a buzz in other photos I’ve shared on Instagram so I thought I would highlight them here. It’s from the Kreative Keyboard Activities and Games pack. They’re compact – since they’re made of cloth and can be easily folded up, and versatile – as they have the staff on one side and keyboard on the other.
4 – Music
Long Recital Pieces for Beginning Students.
5 – Up and at ‘Em
While I’m sure she’s been in the piano teacher online world longer than me, I just started following Tracy Selle this past year. I’m pretty sure she and I could be BFF’s because the tagline for her website is “Piano, Productivity, Faith & Family.” Darn! Now I’m going to have to think real hard as I still haven’t nailed down my tagline. Check out her latest post 3 Ways I’m Revamping My Morning Routine.
6 – Refreshing
10 Things I Do to Refresh in Spring. Number one is already checked off my list. Number four I hate doing myself. I pay a car detailer generally once a year, but it really needs it again. A clean car interior would feel very refreshing. Number seven is not my strong suit. I would love to have a green thumb. Maybe someday…
7 – Google Drive Tutorial
This past year I’ve become a bigger and bigger fan of Google Drive and Google Docs. Rosemary made a short (2 minute) video on how to create folders and add documents to Google Drive.
8 – App-Land Madness
Speaking of tutorial videos, I’ve been wanting to share with you how I organize my iPad (because yes, our devices require a little T.L.C. once in awhile just like the interior of our cars). Find out how to tame the mess of apps you have goin’ on in this post.
9 – Meal Time
My philosophy on meal planning and food prep lately has been that I don’t make any recipe that doesn’t make use of at least one item I already have. This week it was half a box of whole wheat linguine and two pieces of garlic bread. I cut a chicken breast into thin strips and seared in a cast iron skillet, roasted a pan of brussels sprouts, and bought a jar of basil pesto. The chicken and pesto got tossed with the cooked linguine. Instead of serving the sprouts on the side, I chopped them up and tossed them in as well (mostly because I oversalted them and they were too salty on their own). Voila. For more planning ideas, I like the philosophy of the bizarro meal prep from the lazy Lazy Genius.
No. 6–my intro to a wonderfully decadent NOLA based baker, oh THANK YOU. (not that I need the calories, just looking at the photos is a marvelous experience!)
Yes, Joy the Baker’s website is spectacular!
Amy, thanks for the share! I’m a fan of #8 on your list as well. Apps can overrun an iPad so quickly it seems! I try to go through them at least once a year to see what I’m still using …though just like my other spring cleaning it doesn’t always happen as regular as I would like. Lol
Glad you liked #8, Rosemarie. Devices…yep, just one more thing to “spring clean,” but it’s necessary and feels so much better when you do!