I must admit I really appreciate this time of the year. With the holiday break just weeks away, the pace in my studio has slowed down. The big concert was a success in November. An informal family concert held online at the beginning of December brought everyone together. Now it’s time for December Reflections and looking back with students and parents to examine what’s happened over the past few months.
To help with the reflective process, I head back to the information I gathered at the beginning of September. (See my Blog from August 2024: Music Teacher Introductory Letter). Musical Goals, Life Skills, and Family Life provide the framework for our discussions, guiding the conversations in meaningful directions. We revisit the goals set at the start of the year, acknowledge achievements, and address areas that may need attention. It’s always enlightening to consider the connections between musical development and my students’ own personality. It’s amazing to witness the real life evidence of how the two go hand-in-hand.
Looking back at four months of music lessons, there’s no shortage of variety in my group of students. For example, Lucas who’s now in Grade 2 is experiencing a boost in energy and accomplishments after an exhausting year in Grade 1. Last year, there were times when we (myself, Lucas, and his Mom) wondered if we’d ever see more productive days. Now he’s benefiting from all the persistence of last year. In contrast, Marc (Grade 4) has experienced a slump lasting most of the past four months. We’ve tried a number of different avenues but haven’t really settled into something that feels like the right one. So we’ve got a renewed effort to try other directions in the new year. Talking things through and looking back allows for everyone to take an active role.
I hope you can appreciate how incorporating this reflective process in December offers a unique advantage as it tends to be less taxing for students and families compared to the more intense goal-oriented phases earlier in the year. With the holiday season fast approaching, there’s a natural slowdown. Students are less inclined to be enthusiastic about practice. Families have more activities than usual. I look at these weeks as the opportunity to shift our focus. We can step back, breathe, and take stock of what’s happened. It’s a time to celebrate accomplishments, big and small, and to reconnect with the joy of learning and growing.
As we all know, the new year is just around the corner. And we’ll have lots of time to make plans once we’ve passed the hectic weeks of December. For now, I’ve got a deeper understanding of what’s working and what needs attention. But everything that happens next will need to wait until January 2025!
What’s going on in your studio this month?
Do you find that December provides a good opportunity for slowing down and reassessing?
Do you incorporate reflection into your own teaching practices during this time of year?
All the best for your December Reflections.
