Month: March 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Sibling rivalry is familiar to all parents and teachers.

“It’s my turn!”

“I don’t want to go first! It’s your turn to go first!”

“I get the front seat!”

“I had the toy first!”

Sound familiar in your home or teaching studio? Maybe you have even heard these sorts of complaints in the workplace. Most of us are familiar with sibling rivalry and wish we did not have to experience it.

This episode explores the issue of sibling rivalry:

— what may cause it

— what messages children hear when parents try to resolve it, and

— what possible ways a parent or teacher can successfully handle it.

Monthly Focus: Humor

Humor is important in our life. It helps to improve our health and mood and lighten up stressful situations. Let us take a closer look this month at the topic of humor and see if we can bring more of this good thing to our lives.

WEEKLY MISSION: Prepare OURselves

What makes you laugh? Do you even know what kinds of things strike your funny bone? Our first weekly mission for April is to notice what causes us to giggle or laugh out loud. What do we find to be humorous? What do our children laugh about? Pay attention this week to those moments that make you smile and make a list.

What I am Reading

I am a big fan of Audible. I have used this service for years and I enjoy the process of deciding which books will be worthy of my time and attention. If you are interested in this service, click here for a free book:

How to Encourage the Teach Suzuki Blog and Podcast

Contact Me

I really enjoy hearing from my readers and listeners. If you have a question, a comment, a suggestion, or an idea for future articles and podcast episodes, please consider contacting me. You can find me by email (paula@teachsuzuki,com) or find me on Facebook (Teach Suzuki).

Leave a Review

Many listeners ask how they can support the podcast. If you are a fan of the podcast, you can help to support it by leaving a rating and review. Here is how to review the podcast:

1. Launch Apple’s Podcast app.
2. Tap the “search” tab, enter “Teach Suzuki,” tap the blue Search button, and you will pull up the podcast.
3. Tap on the album art for the podcast.
4. Scroll down to the “write a review” link, and leave a rating and a review.
5. That is how easy it is!

Buy The Twinkle Project

You can also support the blog and podcast by making a purchase of The Twinkle Project, which is my book to help teachers and parents of young violin beginners. This book takes teachers and parents through all of the steps to teach a complete violin beginner all the way through the “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” variations and begin the next steps to learn “Lightly Row.” Included in the book are many forms and checklists to guide teachers and parents through the progression of steps to learn this important initial stage to play the violin.

The Twinkle Project

Episode 54, The Twinkle Project

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing! Watch how you practice, and practice accurately!

—– Paula —–

© 2019 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

What connection is there between sleep relaxation exercises, chicken coop tarps, and Dr. Suzuki’s advice to self-reflect? Today’s episode looks at the “center outward” approach to teaching and parenting within the framework of the Suzuki teaching and parenting philosophy and the Suzuki Triangle roles.

Monthly Focus: Preparation

The month’s focus is Preparation, and March is the month that connects winter and the start of spring. As we finish one season and look ahead to the next, we may need to prepare ourselves and our lives for the things that we need to do in the next few weeks or months.

WEEKLY MISSION: Prepare OURselves

Our weekly missions for March have taken us to a survey of our upcoming events and calendar schedules, reflection about the necessary action steps we need to take to advance our projects, and preparation for the change in seasons from winter to spring.

This last weekly mission for March is to prepare ourselves. After listening to today’s episode, what do we need to do ourselves to prepare us for a more center-outward approach to our teaching and parenting?

What I am Reading

I am a big fan of Audible. I have used this service for years and I enjoy the process of deciding which books will be worthy of my time and attention. If you are interested in this service, click here for a free book:

I am currently listening to Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

How to Encourage the Teach Suzuki Blog and Podcast

Contact Me

I really enjoy hearing from my readers and listeners. If you have a question, a comment, a suggestion, or an idea for future articles and podcast episodes, please consider contacting me. You can find me by email (paula@teachsuzuki,com) or find me on Facebook (Teach Suzuki).

Leave a Review

Many listeners ask how they can support the podcast. If you are a fan of the podcast, you can help to support it by leaving a rating and review. Here is how to review the podcast:

1. Launch Apple’s Podcast app.
2. Tap the “search” tab, enter “Teach Suzuki,” tap the blue Search button, and you will pull up the podcast.
3. Tap on the album art for the podcast.
4. Scroll down to the “write a review” link, and leave a rating and a review.
5. That is how easy it is!

Buy The Twinkle Project

You can also support the blog and podcast by making a purchase of The Twinkle Project, which is my book to help teachers and parents of young violin beginners. This book takes teachers and parents through all of the steps to teach a complete violin beginner all the way through the “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” variations and begin the next steps to learn “Lightly Row.” Included in the book are many forms and checklists to guide teachers and parents through the progression of steps to learn this important initial stage to play the violin.

The Twinkle Project

Episode 54, The Twinkle Project

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing! Watch how you practice, and practice accurately!

—– Paula —–

© 2019 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today’s episode discusses Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D. This interesting book offers us entertaining stories and useful anecdotes to show parents (and teachers) how to build closer connections with their children. Through the use of play, parents and teachers can help to solve behavior problems, build confidence, and assist children to work through emotional difficulties. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to parents and other teachers.

by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.

Monthly Focus: Preparation

The month’s focus is Preparation, and March is the month that connects winter and the start of spring. As we finish one season and look ahead to the next, we may need to prepare ourselves and our lives for the things that we need to do in the next few weeks or months.

WEEKLY MISSION: Prepare for the next season

In the past few weeks of March, we looked ahead at the coming months and identified some things that we need to prepare for now, such as recitals, final exams, summer institutes, or spring cleaning. Then we thought about the next few steps we could take in our projects to move them forward.

This week, let us think about how we can prepare for the change in season that is about to occur. As a child, my family greeted this change in season by cleaning the house windows, cleaning behind heavy furniture, washing the garage floors and porches, cleaning and putting on the outdoor window screens, and airing out the spring and summer clothing from their storage homes.

The change in seasons will happen quite quickly in Texas, where we often will jump from a cool winter’s evening to a hot summer day as quickly as a few hours. Texans need to prepare now for this potential quick jump in seasons. What kinds of things could you do in your studios or homes to prepare for the change in season?

What I am Reading

I am a big fan of Audible. I have used this service for years and I enjoy the process of deciding which books will be worthy of my time and attention. If you are interested in this service, click here for a free book:

I am currently listening to Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

How to Encourage the Teach Suzuki Blog and Podcast

Contact Me

I really enjoy hearing from my readers and listeners. If you have a question, a comment, a suggestion, or an idea for future articles and podcast episodes, please consider contacting me. You can find me by email (paula@teachsuzuki,com) or find me on Facebook (Teach Suzuki).

Leave a Review

Many listeners ask how they can support the podcast. If you are a fan of the podcast, you can help to support it by leaving a rating and review. Here is how to review the podcast:

1. Launch Apple’s Podcast app.
2. Tap the “search” tab, enter “Teach Suzuki,” tap the blue Search button, and you will pull up the podcast.
3. Tap on the album art for the podcast.
4. Scroll down to the “write a review” link, and leave a rating and a review.
5. That is how easy it is!

Buy The Twinkle Project

You can also support the blog and podcast by making a purchase of The Twinkle Project, which is my book to help teachers and parents of young violin beginners. This book takes teachers and parents through all of the steps to teach a complete violin beginner all the way through the “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” variations and begin the next steps to learn “Lightly Row.” Included in the book are many forms and checklists to guide teachers and parents through the progression of steps to learn this important initial stage to play the violin.

The Twinkle Project

Episode 54, The Twinkle Project

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing! Watch how you practice, and practice accurately!

—– Paula —–

© 2019 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

What does perseverance, expectation, and awesomeness have to do with each other? Is there a connection? I argue that these concepts have a great deal to do with each other and will affect the development of our children’s and students’ character and are a necessary component of our teaching and parenting.

Monthly Focus: Preparation

The month’s focus is Preparation, and March is the month that connects winter and the start of spring. As we finish one season and look ahead to the next, we may need to prepare ourselves and our lives for the things that we need to do in the next few weeks or months.

WEEKLY MISSION: Prepare your projects

Last week we looked ahead at the coming months and identified some things that we need to prepare for now, whether they are recitals, final exams, summer institutes, or spring cleaning.

This week’s mission is to take these upcoming projects that we identified in our weekly mission last week and begin to note the next steps that we need to take to tackle these projects. I talk about how I do this project of setting next steps for my projects in the episode. Please comment below about how you do this step and what works for you.

What I am Reading

Aack! I am so behind in my reading! I need to set aside some time to sit down and actually read the books that I have stacked on my dining table. Maybe I should finish the following book, because it would certainly lead me down the productive road:

I am almost finished with this book (really, just 1.5 more sessions left!), and I plan to spend time offering a review of the many helpful suggestions that Dr. Cohen gives to help us connect with students when there is a problem. Teachers and parents will find this book very helpful. I look at my students’ behaviors in a new way, and I have found great success by interjecting more playfulness in my teaching.

I am a big fan of Audible. I have used this service for years and I enjoy the process of deciding which books will be worthy of my time and attention. If you are interested in this service, click here for a free book:

I am currently listening to The Threat by Andrew G. McCabe, and I am fascinated to hear the stories behind many of the high profile events in our country’s news headlines. I have a deeper understanding of how our FBI organization operates and makes decisions, and I highly recommend this book for anyone who is curious to learn more about how things work behind the scenes.

How to Encourage the Teach Suzuki Blog and Podcast

Contact Me

I really enjoy hearing from my readers and listeners. If you have a question, a comment, a suggestion, or an idea for future articles and podcast episodes, please consider contacting me. You can find me by email (paula@teachsuzuki,com) or find me on Facebook (Teach Suzuki).

Leave a Review

Many listeners ask how they can support the podcast. If you are a fan of the podcast, you can help to support it by leaving a rating and review. Here is how to review the podcast:

1. Launch Apple’s Podcast app.
2. Tap the “search” tab, enter “Teach Suzuki,” tap the blue Search button, and you will pull up the podcast.
3. Tap on the album art for the podcast.
4. Scroll down to the “write a review” link, and leave a rating and a review.
5. That is how easy it is!

Buy The Twinkle Project

You can also support the blog and podcast by making a purchase of The Twinkle Project, which is my book to help teachers and parents of young violin beginners. This book takes teachers and parents through all of the steps to teach a complete violin beginner all the way through the “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” variations and begin the next steps to learn “Lightly Row.” Included in the book are many forms and checklists to guide teachers and parents through the progression of steps to learn this important initial stage to play the violin.

The Twinkle Project

Episode 54, The Twinkle Project

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing! Watch how you practice, and practice accurately!

—– Paula —–

© 2019 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When we begin a journey or project, are we prepared? And even if we are prepared for the journey as we imagine it will be, will we be prepared for anything else that might come our way? How do we prepare ourselves for the journey of complete possibility? Today’s episode will look at the concepts of a “10 Feet Focus” and “the Preparation Road,” and I will relate several stories of how these concepts arose and how they can be used.

Monthly Focus: Preparation

The month’s focus is Preparation. March is an interesting month in that it builds the connecting bridge between the edge of winter and the start of spring. While we finish one season, we begin to prepare for the next seasons to come.

WEEKLY MISSION: Preparation for what?

Begin this first week of the month by considering what you need to prepare for. Do you have upcoming recitals, juries, summer institute applications, or auditions? Look around your life and notice what things you will need to begin planning for now. What do you need to get ready? What do you need to start doing now?

This week, make a list of projects or events that you need to think about and prepare for now in March. Scan your family and studio calendars and make a master list of these projects and events. Next week, I will add to the weekly mission to prepare to accomplish these projects and events.

Let me know what you discover. You may comment below or send me an email. If you have any ideas about future podcast episodes, including monthly focus or themes or weekly missions, I welcome all of it!

What I am Reading

I have slacked on my reading, although I have done well on my audio books. I have hadf several important things happen, and I have not made the time I need to actually sit down and read. I am still working on these books:

I really want to read more of this book! What I have read so far is wonderful, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and insights with my listeners.

I am almost finished with this book (really, just two more sessions left!), and I plan to spend time offering a review of the many helpful suggestions that Dr. Cohen gives to help us connect with students when there is a problem. Teachers and parents will find this book very helpful.

I am a big fan of Audible. I have used this service for years and I enjoy the process of deciding which books will be worthy of my time and attention. If you are interested in this service, click here for a free book:

I just finished listening to these books:

Calamity by Brandon Sanderson: I enjoy science fiction, and this is book 3 in the Reckoners Series. I especially enjoy the main character’s creative delight in crafting extremely ridiculous metaphors.

Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely: this was an Audible original. Audible provides its members with opportunities to listen to more concise books or audio productions as part of the membership.

How to Encourage the Teach Suzuki Blog and Podcast

Contact Me

I really enjoy hearing from my readers and listeners. If you have a question, a comment, a suggestion, or an idea for future articles and podcast episodes, please consider contacting me. You can find me by email (paula@teachsuzuki,com) or find me on Facebook (Teach Suzuki).

Leave a Review

Many listeners ask how they can support the podcast. If you are a fan of the podcast, you can help to support it by leaving a rating and review. Here is how to review the podcast:

1. Launch Apple’s Podcast app.
2. Tap the “search” tab, enter “Teach Suzuki,” tap the blue Search button, and you will pull up the podcast.
3. Tap on the album art for the podcast.
4. Scroll down to the “write a review” link, and leave a rating and a review.
5. That is how easy it is!

Buy The Twinkle Project

You can also support the blog and podcast by making a purchase of The Twinkle Project, which is my book to help teachers and parents of young violin beginners. This book takes teachers and parents through all of the steps to teach a complete violin beginner all the way through the “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” variations and begin the next steps to learn “Lightly Row.” Included in the book are many forms and checklists to guide teachers and parents through the progression of steps to learn this important initial stage to play the violin.

The Twinkle Project

Episode 54, The Twinkle Project

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing! Watch how you practice, and practice accurately!

—– Paula —–

© 2019 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.