The Weekly Spark for Music Teachers

January. New year. Fresh start... and you're already counting down to Easter break. Sound familiar? You love teaching. You had the break. But walking back into that classroom feels like returning to a treadmill you can't get off. Here's what nobody tells you: You don't need more motivation. You need to answer ONE question that changes everything. In this episode I reveal the "Bricklayer Story" that instantly shifts how you feel about your work PLUS the 30-second practice to do before your very first class that transforms your entire year. This is for you if you're teaching music but feeling stuck in survival mode. This is for you if you keep thinking: I just need to make it through this week. Grab your coffee. Ten minutes. One question. Your whole year could be different. Click play now and discover your bigger WHY for 2026. Then email me your answer at janice@funmusicco.com - I want to hear what shifts for you! If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us. Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights that transform how you show up!

"Feeling so defeated. The kids have been completely wild and out of control lately. I feel so swamped with everything I want to do, the rehearsing we NEED to do, the assessments I had planned on doing... How do you spread the joy when you feel like nobody appreciates your field at all?" Sound familiar? In this week's podcast, I'm sharing the ONE mindset shift that changed everything for me (hint: it has NOTHING to do with working harder or getting more recognition)... plus the 3-step system I use EVERY day to reclaim my joy in music teaching. Click play now – just by listening, you're taking the first step toward reclaiming your joy and teaching with appreciation for yourself again. ________________________________________ Teaching Music isn’t about luck —it’s about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment.  This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your teaching and achieve the goals you’ve always dreamed of.  _________________________________________ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Additional Resources:  Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco I posted this fun picture of the quote and explained it here @janice_tuck_funmusic Join me on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more.

Have you ever wondered why students can't seem to tell the difference between a beat, rhythm or track anymore?  We've all been there—asking students to "clap along with the beat" and watching them look completely lost. It's frustrating, it's discouraging, and it can make you question your own teaching abilities. But what if the problem isn't your teaching at all? Here's what's really happening: Pop culture is hijacking the word "beat," and even government education departments are promoting programs such as "Beat Lab" in schools. When the people creating educational policy don't understand basic musical terminology correctly, how can we expect our students to? In this episode, I'm breaking down how one simple language shift can transform your entire classroom dynamic. You'll discover the exact words that turn student resistance into enthusiasm, how to make corrections feel like insider secrets instead of criticism, and why students naturally show more respect when you speak to them like professional musicians. Whether you're a new teacher struggling with terminology confusion or a veteran looking to refine your approach, I want to help you save time, energy, and a whole lot of frustration. When you get this right, you're not just teaching music—you're giving your students a skill they'll use for life. Ready? Great! Press play on this episode now. _______________________________________________________ Teaching Music isn't about luck—it's about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment. This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your teaching and achieve the goals you've always dreamed of. If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us. Additional Resources: Get my FREE music teaching resources: How to Teach Steady Beat to First Graders (The Easiest Way): https://funmusicco.com/how-to-teach-steady-beat-to-first-graders-the-easiest-way/ How to Explain Rhythm vs Beat to Primary Students: https://funmusicco.com/how-to-explain-rhythm-vs-beat-to-primary-or-elementary-students/ Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The Spark for Music Teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more.

What if I told you that the real reason your music classes feel like chaos isn't because you need better lesson plans—but because you're missing the ONE critical step that happens before any real learning can take place? You might have the most beautifully crafted activities and expensive instruments, but if students aren't prepared for what you're about to teach them, no amount of fancy resources will fix that classroom resistance. That's exactly why I'm so excited for you to hear today's episode—because I'm exposing the barrier that could be sabotaging your classes and revealing the simple shift that makes students who used to groan "Do we have to?" now show up asking "What amazing thing are we doing today?" In this episode, I'm sharing the exact moment I went from making this critical error (and nearly losing my love for teaching music) to discovering the principle that transforms any classroom.  We're unpacking why your current approach might be creating resistance instead of enthusiasm, and the secret behind lessons that don't just deliver content but actually transform kids into lifelong musicians. This isn't another "tips and tricks" episode—this is me sharing the most vulnerable moment of my teaching career and the breakthrough discovery that my musician husband helped me see about the walls I was unknowingly building. And if you're tired of fighting for your students' attention and feeling “push back” or resistance every single lesson, I invite you to test this ONE simple shift before your next music class. The change is so dramatic that within minutes, you'll see kids who were previously tuned out suddenly leaning in and asking for more!.. When your principal walks by and stops to ask "What are you doing differently?",  you'll know exactly what transformed your classroom. Email me at janice@funmusicco.com with your "This completely transformed my classroom!" story because I live for these moments!  Your breakthrough is just 10 minutes away as you listen to this— don't let another day go by struggling when the solution is right here.  ________________________________________ Teaching Music isn’t about luck —it’s about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment.  This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your teaching and achieve the goals you’ve always dreamed of.  _________________________________________ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Additional Resources:  Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more. 

In this episode of The Spark for Music Teachers, host Janice Tuck explores how our deeply-held beliefs can sometimes work against us without us even realising it. From outdated ideas about technology and resources to limiting beliefs about what makes a "good" music teacher, Janice shares eye-opening examples of how old beliefs can hold us back from easier, more fulfilling teaching lives. Discover why beliefs like "good teachers create everything from scratch" or "I'm not musical enough to teach music" might be burning you out unnecessarily. Learn how to identify which of your beliefs are still serving you and which ones need updating for today's educational landscape. Perfect for music teachers, classroom teachers covering music, and anyone interested in examining the hidden barriers to their success. This episode will challenge you to question assumptions and embrace solutions that could transform your teaching experience. ________________________________________ Teaching Music isn’t about luck —it’s about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment.  This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your teaching and achieve the goals you’ve always dreamed of.  _________________________________________ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Additional Resources:  Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more. 

Have you ever heard this quote supposedly said about the invention of the telephone? “This thing is unnecessary, it’s intrusive, and frankly, we have better ways of communication!” Sounds ridiculous now, right? But at the time, it reflected a real hesitation—people assumed something new meant something bad. That it would replace connection, not enhance it. And yet, here we are: the telephone didn’t stop creativity or skill—it freed people to focus better on communications.  When Alexander Graham Bell made the first voice call, he didn’t see a threat. Instead, he saw potential saying: “I feel I have at last struck the solution of a great problem... The day is coming when wires will be laid to houses just like water or gas—and friends converse with each other without leaving home.” He wasn’t wrong. Today, we treat the telephone as a basic utility. It became a tool so seamlessly integrated into our lives that we forget how disruptive it once seemed. And that’s exactly the kind of sneaky assumption we’re talking about in this episode … especially assumptions called: “presuppositions”. When it comes to music teaching—whether you’re an experienced educator or completely new to the field—there are plenty of assumptions, presuppositions and inherited skepticism, especially around tools, or so-called “scripted curriculum.” But what if those assumptions are holding you back? What if using time-saving tools and structured support actually opens up MORE space for creativity and better classroom communications and rapport, not less? In this episode of The Spark, we’re unpacking those sneaky presuppositions that get in our way—especially when we don’t even realise they’re there until we look more carefully. 🎧 Click play, and let’s take one more step together towards getting you the confident, creative, and impactful music lessons you deserve!  ________________________________________ Teaching Music isn’t about luck —it’s about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment.  This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your teaching and achieve the goals you’ve always dreamed of.  _________________________________________ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Additional Resources:  Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more. 

Guess what?! One of your most valuable teaching activities that is making a difference for today's post-covid generation … is INTENTIONAL LISTENING. Intentional listening enables children to sit, focus, and truly absorb what's being shared!  Think about it- Right now, we're seeing a generation of children who have been through something no other generation in recent history has experienced. These post-COVID kids have spent years behind screens, with masks, and in isolation. And now that we're back in classrooms, many teachers are telling me the same thing: "These kids just don't know how to listen anymore!" Now, you might be thinking, “Of course we do listening activities in music class!" …But what I'm talking about here goes beyond the usual "listen and identify" exercises (though those are always a great starting point) . So if you’re ready to step up your teaching level in this area, this episode is for you! And—just a heads-up—about halfway through, I share my own personal story about its true power that reached me beyond the classroom, and let me tell you, it’s such a powerful testament to the importance of connections made by teaching this curriculum component in music class. ________________________________________ Teaching Music isn’t about luck —it’s about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment.  This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your teaching and achieve the goals you’ve always dreamed of.  _________________________________________ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Additional Resources:  Get my FREE music teaching listening resource mentioned here: https://funmusicco.com/listening Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more. 

Most music teachers struggle to feel fully supported by their school administration and fellow colleagues, students and parents because of everyday things that are said including feedback, judgements and criticisms. This leaves them feeling like music isn’t given enough priority amongst other teachers and in the school curriculum. In this episode, I break down exactly how to let go of destructive judgments and criticisms. If you feel like you’re constantly under the spotlight with criticism, and this stops you from making positive daily progress in your teaching, this episode is what you need.  Key highlights include: The secret to becoming criticism-proof, and letting criticism and judgement fall right off your back~ Most music teachers are experts at fitting a LOT into their schedules, but struggle and eventually burn-out when unforeseen challenges come up such as compounding criticism from other teachers.   Why learning about beliefs is everything! – because often it's not just the thing that happens, or what someone says that is the most destructive.  How to instantly dissolve negative, disempowering beliefs and embed new positive ones inside of you! The problem is that we’re not always aware of our beliefs and the meaning they can create. Yet, these are the two main things that can hold us back and keep us from being an AWESOME music teacher.  That’s why in this episode of the Spark for Music Teachers podcast we’re talking about how your beliefs will determine everything you do, feel and have and how to implement a simple but powerful “self-talk” tool to give you the EDGE in your music teaching this year!  ________________________________________ Teaching Music isn’t about luck —it’s about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment.  This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your music teaching and achieve all the goals you’ve always dreamed of.  _________________________________________ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Additional Resources:  Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The Spark for Music Teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more.

Are you going into another year of music teaching feeling overwhelmed or like it could be impossible to keep up with? Or maybe you’ve had a tough year last year and already feel like you’ve given up because it all feels way too much? I’ve been there, too. For years, I struggled with feeling overwhelmed and daunted with facing another year ahead. Gradually, after doing some learning and personal development, I adopted these three tools to help me to not just survive, but THRIVE! In this episode, we’re adding some fresh takes to the strategies you may have tried in the past—and throwing in some new mindset tips on how to approach goal-setting in a way that actually works with no overwhelm, no burnout—just sustainable, simple daily actions that feel good and actually stick! ________________________________________ Teaching Music isn’t about good luck or charisma — it’s about taking specific, deliberate actions and steps and practicing these with daily commitment.  This podcast will give you the steps and approaches that the most successful teachers, coaches and top performers use. Listen now to learn how to transform your teaching and achieve the goals you’ve always dreamed of.  _________________________________________ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Additional Resources:  Get my FREE music teaching yearly goal setting and planning here: https://funmusicco.com/new-year-new-goals/ Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teaching-resources-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more. 

We’ve all heard the saying: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” But how often do we take that advice to heart?  Today’s episode is a little different—and really special—because I’m taking you on an “inside out” journey of the Fun Music Curriculum by exploring this story. Grab your membership for 2025 at https://funmusicco.com/fun-music-company-music-curriculum/.  In this episode, I dive into how a single story such as this can control every single aspect of your teaching life and how what seems like the little decisions you make affect your whole life!  Because your life and everything you do is basically one big story. And stories we get told and the stories we tell ourselves do matter! Even as you read this, you are telling yourself a story about what you read. Keep listening because this is what I believe to be one the BIGGEST mindset secrets to having a fulfilling and long lasting music teaching career.  What stories do you tell yourself? If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts!

We all know we need to take care of ourselves to be the best teacher, colleague, spouse, parent, and person we can be. This includes taking care of both physical and mental well-being.  What I wasn’t aware of until recently was how impactful it is to take everyday language and intentionally use it to empower and impact ourselves (and others) for the better.  Often, particularly as teachers, we’re so busy! We don’t take the time out to stop and ask ourselves a simple question and actually care about the response we give back… but we really should! We’re teachers. We’re leaders. We have to get up in front of our classes everyday and lead them to greatness. We can’t do that if we don’t take this little bit of time to feel great ourselves.  Author Patricia Ireland once said  “I don't think you lead by pessimism and cynicism. I think you lead by optimism and enthusiasm and energy.” That is what we’re about here at the Fun Music Company. I want to make it my mission to really help teachers, and help them have the three keys of optimism, enthusiasm.. and energy they need to have a fantastic time teaching. And it’s that notion of these three keys that sparked the need for our newest K-6 Curriculum v2.0 update to include 280 done-for-you lessons. You’ll find all the details to it here: https://funmusicco.com/fun-music-company-music-curriculum/ If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us.  Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts!

Eat, sleep, teach music, repeat…For most this is the treadmill of teaching life we start to settle into at this time of the year!  But when was the last time you looked at what’s ACTUALLY working? Especially with behaviour management?  In this episode, I’m breaking down the philosophy of the three S’s you need to ask yourself to determine if you’re stuck in your comfort zone or if you’re trying to change.   And , If you’re struggling with keeping your music classes under control or seeking a fresh start, this episode of the Music Teachers Spark is a must-listen for you! PLUS, I’ll give you tangible tips on how to break free from all the predictable obstacles and get you enjoying your LOUDEST classes. Click play now – just by listening, you’re one step further on your journey toward impactful music teaching. If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us Here are the all  links discussed in today’s podcast:  The Taylor Swift Story is here:  https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=taylor%20switft%20fun%20music The Dr Bill Rogers Behaviour management video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTxGXiuLgb4 The Fun Music Behaviour Management video tutorial and and PDF Classroom strategy is here: https://funmusicco.com/classroom-management-for-bucket-drumming/ Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts!

2024 is here, and I am soooo excited about what it has in store for all of us.  And what better way to start the new year than with a set of simple philosophies and techniques to help us RESET, breathe again and create so much MORE with much less time, effort, money and stress as we head into teaching again in January.  These 3 simple philosophies are some of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned in my years of working with the top mentors, coaches and experts in the self-development and teaching industry and now I can share and pass it all on to our readers and listeners. These are the areas to continually GROW and improve in so that you can start the New teaching Year with fresh perspective, intent and creativity.   Are you ready? Let’s dive in. Key Takeaways:  Introduction (00.00) Are you starting the year half full or half empty? (01:48)  The attitude of gratitude and creating good habits in music teaching (04:54) How to Focus on what you want for 2024 (07:17) Powerful Story time Visualisation technique to start the year (09:22) Additional Resources:  Further reading Optimist vs Pessimist article links:
 https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/10/13/pessimism-versus-optimism-achieving-a-balance-to-hope-for-the-best-while-preparing-for-the-worst/?sh=2ce64ce378a7 https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/05/why-should-you-be-highly-optimistic-if-you-want-to-be-successful.html Further reading link on RAS:  https://medium.com/desk-of-van-schneider/if-you-want-it-you-might-get-it-the-reticular-activating-system-explained-761b6ac14e53 Get my FREE music teaching yearly goal setting and planning here:  https://funmusicco.com/new-year-new-goals/ Get 9 FREE work-anytime music lesson ideas here : https://funmusicco.com/music-teacher-secrets/ Get a FREE teaching ukulele guide and lessons here: https://funmusicco.com/teaching-ukulele-lesson-plans/ Get 3 FREE Boomwhacker activities here:  https://funmusicco.com/boomwhacker-activities/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Get my weekly emails and free resources here : https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more. 

We’ve all heard the saying, “use it or lose it,” especially when it comes to learning and teaching.  And you know what they say?!?… If you want to succeed with teaching music, you need more variety, more skills, more time, more ideas, more lessons, more personality, more qualifications, more training, more instruments, more services, more youtube videos, more information, more money, more meetings, more admin, more prep, more concerts …. more, more, more!  But what if I told you that these widely held beliefs might be misguided? What if, in fact, the key to growth, success, learning, results and personal fulfilment in music teaching doesn't just lie in piling more of everything on everyday?  Today I’m going to share a new perspective from the ‘talent code’ mentality that unexpectedly infiltrated my life over the past 20+ years in music teaching and publishing. What I’ve noticed is that there is  a compounding nature to learning music, associated with exposure and consistency. … and it starts when you slow things down into a learning zone called deep practice.  Today, I’m going to introduce you to the mindset and science that happens when you allow ONE small yet simple, carefully crafted musical skill to build upon another with no gaps or interruptions in between, and how it produces exponential results quickly and with less effort.  Are you ready to challenge the notion that more of everything is always better?  If you are, then let's dive into this exploration of WHY and then HOW this phenomenon of exponential learning works. Sometimes, small yet consistent and simple, focused steps are the keys to reaching your music teaching goals. Stick around, because by the end of this episode, you might just find yourself questioning your own approach to teaching and life! If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us. Here are the all  links to the six step lesson resource discussed in today’s podcast:  https://funmusicco.com/ukulele-free-teaching-resource/ https://funmusicmembers.com/ukulele-free-complete-lesson-1/ https://funmusicmembers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ukulele_Lesson30.pdf Get a FREE teaching ukulele guide and lessons here: https://funmusicco.com/teaching-ukulele-lesson-plans/ Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts!

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I can’t do this” or “I’m not expert enough at this” or “I don’t deserve to be doing this” and then proceeded to melt into a puddle of self-doubt …You’re not alone!  ‍Many music teachers question whether they are prepared to do the work they do. Here’s how to overcome that feeling, recognize your strengths and take that awful feeling and turn it into a positive motivating force. In today’s Spark Podcast you’ll learn two simple techniques to turn self doubt into your secret superpower. If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends and colleagues to join us Here’s the link to the TED talk resource discussed in today’s podcast: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are Get the full K-6 Fun Music programs here: https://funmusicco.com/ Get my weekly emails and free resources here: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ Get nine FREE most effective work-every-time ideas for music classes here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teacher-secrets/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts!

As music teachers, we all tend to get “too busy” doing things . But being busy doesn't actually mean we’re being productive. The most successful music teachers I know have figured out how to use their time and make it as productive as possible.  We all get the same 24 hours in a day, and YOU get to decide how you want to use those hours.You can fill your time with lots of after hours preparation...Or you can be productive with your time, and use small amounts of time to get the best results!   Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! Get nine FREE most effective work-every-time ideas for music classes here: ⁠https://funmusicco.com/music-teacher-secrets/⁠ Get a FREE teaching ukulele guide and lessons here: https://funmusicco.com/teaching-ukulele-lesson-plans/ Get 3 FREE Boomwhacker activities here: https://funmusicco.com/boomwhacker-activities/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Get my weekly emails and free music teaching resources: ⁠https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/⁠

A few days ago, I stumbled into a show called comedians in cars getting coffee. It didn’t take long while watching it to realize that even though comedians look effortless on stage, they actually have to work really hard behind the scenes to come up with new material that people will laugh at! What I didn’t know was that there is a specific process comedians use to get the best jokes and materials to their audiences via testing. While music teaching isn’t quite like a comedian's performance where every component needs to be original and funny, in music teaching we can “stand on the shoulders of giants'  while incorporating the comedians process. And that's also what sparked our newest free resource called “Music Teachers Secrets” which includes the top nine active ideas for music teachers for you to use in ANY classroom. You'll find it here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teacher-secrets/ Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! Get nine FREE most effective work-every-time ideas for music classes here: https://funmusicco.com/music-teacher-secrets/ Get my weekly emails and free resources: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco

There’s no doubt about it.. These are changing times! And music curricula are changing. Here’s the thing: creating an upgraded music curriculum can be incredibly confusing and frustrating So it’s no wonder you might  feel overwhelmed and overworked just thinking about curriculum and how to implement it into the classroom! So today I thought I’d share with you some insights which were gained from our work here at the Fun Music Company as we analyse and look at all the different curriculum documents that come across our desks. We look at them all from our home country of Australia of course, plus the international ones as well. In this podcast I want to share with you three GIFTS that any curriculum document will give you, as well as three challenges that can be associated with them. This is because I really am a firm believer that everything in life has two sides. Its yin & yang, day & night and there is always two sides of a coin!  Psychologist Carl Jung is quoted as saying "Wisdom accepts that all things have two sides" Let's awaken our confidence about working with a new curricula by looking at both sides to take that overwhelm away,  so we’ll be ready to implement and upgrade to the next level. We’re getting you SET today!  Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! Get 7 FREE k-6 music curriculum lesson plans here : https://funmusicco.com/music-lesson-ideas/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Get my weekly emails and free resources: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/

A long time ago, it occurred to me that music teaching is like going on a big treasure hunt. Always looking for that next tip, that next idea, that next nugget of gold, that next piece of the puzzle…but really all that time I was asking myself a question : “What formula or steps do you take to get students from where you find them now to where they need to be?” Everyone has one of these formulas, although they don’t always realise what it is. I now call them “frameworks”. It’s worth thinking about, so that you can share what you do with your students and colleagues and share it with intention so they’ll better understand. Life is full of questions and the most successful teachers are always solving the answers to the questions they ask! NOW is the time to get started! Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! Get my weekly emails and free resources: https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/ Get 7 FREE k-6 music curriculum lesson ideas here : https://funmusicco.com/music-lesson-ideas-2021/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco

Have you ever been in that season of “something needs to change here”? It’s that feeling of balancing where you are now with climbing that “great teacher” mountain. It’s balancing that reality of what’s really going on right now with what you truly want. It’s about all the things you have to do to get there, the overwhelm and taking those first steps towards making that dream come true. That’s exactly what happened to me, and truthfully that feeling could have kept me in a music teacher “slump” forever. Instead I had to  learn some of  the most important lessons that I still implement into our programs, even today over a decade later … The power of doing and personally evolving teaching practices into the NEW. That's what we’re diving into in this latest conversation on the podcast. Enjoy & Let me know your thoughts! Get a FREE "Mystery Boomwhacker" game as mentioned in the podcast here: https://funmusicco.com/boomwhacker-games/ Get 3 FREE Boomwhacker activities here: https://funmusicco.com/boomwhacker-activities/ Get 7 FREE k-6 music curriculum lesson plans here : https://funmusicco.com/music-lesson-ideas-2021/ Tweet Me! @funmusicco Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funmusicco Get my weekly emails and free resources here : https://funmusicco.com/resource-archive/