"Learn to say no, so your yes has some oomph." Kristin Armstrong

In last week's One Thought Thursday, I prompted you to make a list of all the things you said YES to this year.

It's no secret teachers tend to say YES to too many things. 😊

...so much so, we remind one another often about the importance of saying NO.

(and, for sure, that's advice we ALL need to hear. Ahem.)

Even still, I think it's easy to overlook the power of a good YES.

As we embark on these 2023 reflections - I find it helpful to start with the BEST YESSES of our year. After all, today's busy-ness turns into tomorrow's memories (many of which we remember more fondly in hindsight, ha!).

So, I'm curious: What YESSES from 2023 will become your fondest memories?

For me, there are a few things that standout:

• After years of saying I would, I finally committed to taking Fridays off from teaching. (and yes, it's amazing!)
• I said YES to attending all of my 13-year-old's cross country and track meets.
• I said YES to attending MTNA in Reno, NCKP in Chicago, and my state MTA Conference here in Indiana. I definitely dropped some cash on professional development this year, but time with my people is hard to put a price on!
• I said YES to creating more resources for studio music teachers. Launching the Studio Foundations Course last January was a big item on my list, and the VIP Launch Group helped inspire my Patreon Community offering of Teachers Teaching Teachers (which is SUCH a light in my life).

I could go on and on... but this reflection is not for me; it's for YOU!

As I said last week: Self-reflection doesn't have to be complicated; we just need to make space for it to happen.

If you're up to sharing, will you please hit that REPLY button and let me know one of your BEST YESSES of 2023? I'd love to hear about it.

🥂May we be mindful of our NO, but also of our YES. Here, here. 🥂

AND NOW! An Exciting Announcement...

I'm only one week into my year-end hiatus from the podcast, and my creative juices have been FLOWING!

I'd been struggling for months, wanting to share specific content with you, but trying to figure out how to do it with the lowest-cost to you.
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Well, friends: I figured it out!

I'd like to introduce you to my latest resource for studio music teachers: A First-Steps Guide to Making the Most of Your Chosen Method.

Method books are hot topics of conversation (and with good reason!). But I'm not here to tell you which method you should be using. That's a very personal decision and varies from teacher to teacher and student to student.

A lot of my presentations for teacher groups this year have circled around the fact that (as Frances Clark famously declared), The Teacher is the Method.

Even when you believe this with your whole heart (as I do!) - putting it into action can get complicated.

On one hand, our method series are put together by people who know a lot about teaching, and we are wise to learn from their materials.

On the other, your method books can't mold themselves to your students' evolving needs. Only you can do that.

My First-Steps Guide provides you a framework to infuse your lessons with a combination of input from your method books AND your unique experience.

And - get this - it's only $15 for the month of November.

Fair warning: the price will double in December... and another increase will take effect in January.​
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​SO, friends... if you've ever wondered if there's MORE to teaching than turning-the-page-and-seeing-what-happens-next, I've got your back.

Other Ways I Can Help You:

On the Podcast On the first of my year-end replays, I'm featuring Episode 049; Cheers to My Rule of Three. This is one of those teacher-life-lessons I can't seem to learn enough. Listen Here

Studio Teacher Thanksgiving! It's almost time for our SECOND ANNUAL Studio Teacher Thanksgiving, friends! Making gratitude a consistent practice is ULTRA-IMPORTANT to me, so I'll be sending daily gratitude prompts from November 13th-17th. Opt-In for Thanksgiving Here!

Can't-Live-Without Repertoire I finally got a dedicated page built for some of my very-favorite supplemental repertoire. Check it out! Give me ALL THE MUSIC!

Patreon Community Members of the Patreon community (1) are the reason I'm able to afford putting my work into the world, (2) have the opportunity to join me in Monday Morning Power Hours, and (3) have access to a pretty impressive video archive of TTT chats and other resources, if I do say so myself - for just $6. If you are interested in supporting the work I do, you can do so for $3 or $6. ​ Check Out the Patreon Here

A Favorite Thing It's so silly how something so small can bring me so much joy... but I can't go back to other sticky tabs (I've tried!). Post-it tabs are just superior. Find them on my Favorites List

One-to-One Teacher Consultations If you are looking to make any changes (or upgrades!) to your studio approach in 2024, I'm happy to help you work out your ideal vision. More details here

NOW: Hit that REPLY button and tell me YOUR BEST YES this year!

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Onward and upward to SAYING YES to all the right things!🥂

Want to check out PAST One Thought Thursdays? Find the Archives Here.​

*This email may contain affiliate links. That's just smart business, but please know all recommendations are purely my own, and are absent of any icky ulterior sales motives.

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