So much to do….
…so little time! I know its cliché. But I truly have been flooded with various responsibilities ever since the new school year began. During the day (non-teaching hours) I have been trying to get a handle on prepping dinners and keeping up with house work. I have also been looking for some slices of time that I can practice piano before I start my afternoon teaching schedule. When it comes to my piano studio I have been doing lesson plans, trips to the music store, business related upkeep, and ongoing parent communication. I’ve had a hard time balancing these personal activities with professional activities.
Because I’ve gone from roughly 15 to 24 students this fall the need to keep my studio organized is imperative. And larger numbers also make it more demanding. I am taking it day by day, and hopefully I will start to see some relief in my schedule. To help myself, I am going to assign duties to specific days. I need “office hours.” Here’s an idea of how I plan to structure the week:
- 9-10 AM: morning workout
- 10-11 AM: shower, prep for the day
- 11 AM – 12 PM: dinner prep
- 12 PM: lunch
- 12:30-2:00 PM: office hours
- 2:30-lessons: practice
In addition to daily parent communication, here’s how I plan to allot my office hours:
- Monday: lesson plans prepared and printed
- Tuesday: practice student music
- Wednesday: blog, practice student music
- Thursday: business upkeep, practice student music, music store run if needed
On Friday I have the day off, so that’s the best time for me to run personal errands and go grocery shopping for the following week. I truly believe that if there’s a plan, particularly in writing, anything is doable!
3 comments
Oh you are so right! A plan in writing is a plan to be realized. Your schedule looks so much like my own after 20 + years of teaching. It has worked well for me. The only difference is that I have children of my own to manage which eats up allot of time. How great it would be for piano instructors to share how they balance these things – and most importantly, how to plan for our own ‘personal piano practice time’!
I am impressed that you have scheduled in “practice time” for yourself! Another time I have found to be good for that is just before bedtime. Easy to focus on just the one artistic thing, and this becomes a very good time to unwind, and to influence your children musically as they doze off too!
mrossborough – too bad I have failed my plan after a couple weeks of follow through. I am reluctant to admit that I must start over with my goals in the new year. I’ll let you know how that goes!
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