Piano Teacher Pinterest Party

There are so many things I LOVE about my job.  The list of positive aspects about being an independent music teacher is so long! I enjoy being my own boss, setting my own hours, sharing the joy of music, making an impact in the lives of my students, helping students have an outlet for creativity and self-expression, giving children a gift that they can carry with them the rest of their lives.  The list goes on and on, right?

While I am so thankful for a career I love, there are a few things that are less than wonderful about this career.  I’m not complaining here, just keeping it real.  Taxes…how nice would it be to get handed a W2 with numbers neatly placed in categories and nicely laid out for us? I need to keep dreaming.

A second thing that I dream of is having co-workers. I miss the socialization, making friends at a workplace, water cooler conversations, getting together outside of the workplace, and having a circle of friends from the workplace.

One place that has been a great source for connecting with other teachers and forming friendships has been through Facebook groups such as Piano Teacher Central, Upbeat Piano Teachers, etc. I have met and became friends with wonderful teachers and enjoy the daily interactions that take place in those groups.

If you are not yet a member of these online communities, I highly encourage it.  Every day there are teachers supporting each other and it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of!

Since I enjoy these online connections so much, I thought “How great would it be if teachers were doing this on a local level?”

Something more than just seeing each other at a music association meeting—a place where teachers are leading the discussion and  talking about what’s going on in their studios, their successes, their concerns, what’s working for them, what they need help with, sharing ideas they have tested with their students, and supporting and encouraging one another.

So, I made it happen.  I reached out to six teachers in my area, some who I previously knew and others that I had never met, and invited them over for our first Piano Teacher Pinterest Party.

Everyone had a great time and went home with lots of new teaching ideas!

So….what is a Piano Teacher Pinterest Party? I’m so glad you asked! It’s what today’s post is all about!

The idea of a Pinterest Party is this: A group of teachers gather together and share teaching resources.  Each guest brings a game, tool, activity for the other guests at the party to take home.  By the end of the night, each guest goes home with several new teaching ideas and resources.

Why did I call it a Piano Teacher “Pinterest” Party and not just a party, meeting, gathering or other name?  I have hosted some regular Pinterest parties for friends and family in the past and I really enjoyed them! I thought it would be a great format for a teacher gathering! Plus there are so many great teaching ideas on Pinterest.

Check out my Pinterest boards here.  They are neatly organized into over 60 categories related to teaching and running your studio.

Today, I’ll give you a sneak peek of the resources that were shared at our party and some tips for hosting your own party!

Next week, I’ll introduce you to each of the teachers who attended, the resources they brought and share a freebie with you.

Check out our table full of fun resources!

Here’s how you can host your own Piano Teacher Pinterest Party:

1. Invite Your Guests

Choose a date, time, and location for your party. Host your party in your home or studio — or any place with a piano.

Be sure to tell guests to give you a definite RSVP at least one week before the date of your party.  This will give everyone enough time to gather materials. The final count will determine how many duplicates everyone will need to bring. Each guest brings one teaching resource for each teacher attending.

Create a FaceBook Event page for your party so your guests can get to know each other a bit before the event. This helps create a sense of camaraderie among the group and will provide more comfort for those who are meeting new people for the first time.

2. Tell them what to expect

Your guests may have never heard of the idea of a Pinterest Party, let alone attended one, so be sure to let them know what to expect.  Tell them that there will be a time for each teacher to share an idea (or multiple ideas) with the group.

Each guest should bring a copy of an activity for each teacher to take home and use in their studio.

Let them know your RSVP deadline and give your guests the final head count so they can prepare enough resources for all of the teachers at the party.

I recommend that your RSVP date be at least one week before the party, giving everyone plenty of time to shop/prepare their resources.

3. Choose a Theme (or not)

You can decide whether you’d like your party to focus on a particular teaching concept or idea.

If the majority of your guests teach beginners, you may ask for the games and activities to be geared towards that type of student.

If your party is around a major holiday, you may ask teachers to bring games relating to that holiday or season.

Here are some ideas for a theme…

Lesson activities/games for:

• Beginning students
• Intermediate students
• Advanced students
• Scales/chords
• Practice skills
• Recital preparation
• Music history
• Improvisation
• Technology/apps
• Technique
• Group games/activities
• Halloween, Winter, Valentine’s Day (or any other holiday)
• Etc.

Choose a theme –or not– I didn’t have a theme and everyone brought what they wanted.  It worked out great and we had a variety of teaching concepts represented. 

In addition to a teaching idea, you may want to include some time for playing piano and showcasing music.

Ask teachers to bring:

• A piece they’ve been working on
• A piece to play and sing along
• A piece their students are excited about

It was so much fun to play piano with other teachers, to sing, to explore different music and enjoy each other’s company in a laid back atmosphere.

4. Decide on food and drinks.

What’s a party without food and drinks? You can provide these for your guests, you can do it potluck style where everyone brings a food item to share, order in, or meet at a restaurant.

Our potluck style snacks

5. Remind

Keep your guests reminded of the upcoming event, especially in the week leading up to the party.  Remind them of the guest count, what to bring, be sure they have the address and directions of where you will be meeting and your phone number.

6. Have a blast!

Enjoy the time visiting with your guests, sharing ideas, and getting to know each other more. I’m sure you will laugh, make strong connections, share insights, get new ideas, and have fun!

7. Stay in touch.

Stay in touch with your guests. You can use this group as a networking group and share gig opportunities, piano student referrals, etc.

Happy party planning! Stay tuned next week to meet the guests of my Piano Teacher Pinterest Party and all of the ideas that were shared. Bonus: there will be a freebie for you – one of the teachers is generous to share her original resource with you!