There are SO MANY method books out there for teaching beginners how to play piano... and there are even video courses and such to learn from home without going to a teacher!
Here's my favorite piano method books for beginners and how I recommend best utilizing it.
1) There are multiple first places to start -- whether you are or have a 5 yo, 10 yo, teenager, or grandma wanting to learn for the first time, there's something for everyone! Most of the beginner books do not have cutesy pictures and diagrams, so they're great for older beginners who don't want to feel like a little kid as well as the young beginner to not have too much "eye clutter" on the page.
2) They have a GREAT transfer guide -- as a piano teacher, this is awesome for those students who've taken a bit of piano but are just starting with me; this helps me place them at a good spot in the method series so that there's a bit of review but not too hard or too easy... like goldilocks, just right!
3) There are so many amazing supplemental books and single pieces by a variety of composers in the community -- these are handy for so much: hooking a kid's interest at the appropriate playing level, honing in on a transfer student's ability before having them buy books, picking something fun for a recital, and more.
4) I really like the approach to introducing the grand staff, various theory concepts, and pacing -- the minimal explanations of various theory concepts that are written on the pages allow me to teach the concept how I want to, which varies sometimes student-to-student so that I can meet their learning style and level of understanding the best way possible. I've also found that my students are MUCH better readers with this method than any other I've used before.
5) They make everything listen-able and sample-able -- I can look at every page in the books if I want to online before purchasing (with parts greyed out, of course)! This is invaluable, as I can have a good look before buying a bunch of books that I don't know will be a good fit for a student. This again allows me to customize my teaching SO well to each individual student.
If you're a potential student, here's how I recommend best using the PP resources: get yourself a good live teacher (not just online video course). Find someone who is friendly and kind (doesn't make you feel silly for asking questions or making mistakes), who makes it fun and motivating for you/your child by seeking to connect the learning with your/their interests (including finding styles of songs you'd like to play), and who starts by reading the staff (not finger numbers or pictures or some other way, unless their is some learning disability present, there are exceptions to this rule of mine!). This will help you move forward better in the long run and play from any music you want to in the future!
If you're in the west Twin Cities metro area MN, I'd love to connect with you about taking lessons in-person, or I also offer limited virtual lessons via Zoom (currently I only offer daytime hours, but if your time zone is different, it may still work!). You can learn more here or message me and I'll get back to you!
When I first started teaching music outside of the public school system, I was so disorganized with how I kept track of student/client contact information and interested leads who hadn't yet signed up for classes but wanted more details sent to them in the future.
I had little slips of paper everywhere... or a page in a random notebook with email and phone contact info, but I misplaced these things frequently and was horrible at following through on sending people the info they'd asked for.
This was a huge part of what was holding me back from being successful -- just staying organized. Until I created a system for keeping track of these important pieces of data in a way that was duplicatable and that I could keep up with.
Win!
Here's my 3-Step System:
1) Collect contact information in a consistent way. Don't do it on paper one time and in a spreadsheet another time and your CRM system (here's what I use as my all-in-one system) a third time and your email contacts a fourth time! Be consistent so that you always know where to find the info you're looking for. Once I stopped changing it up all the time, I didn't spend wasted energy and time looking for someone's contact info.
2) Use tags to organize people's contact info. Chances are, you teach multiple types of classes or lessons. I utilize tags in my CRM to keep track of what people were giving me their contact info for so that I don't waste time or brain space trying to remember what they needed. I can also quickly shoot an email to my whole tagged list for a specific interest that way with just the click of a button. Win!
3) Use landing pages to seamlessly send collect people's contact info and send them the information they were interested in! If I'm participating in a fair of sorts or have a booth at a homeschool convention or somewhere, having a place for people to enter their info in exchange for me sending them the info they requested automatically (without me having to manually enter anything) saves SO much time and ensures that they receive the info they asked for without human error of my forgetfulness or busy-ness.
If you're not familiar with the idea or verbiage of a landing page, here's an example. I have created a list of self-employed music teacher budgeting tips that I wish I'd had when I was just starting out. If you'd like to have it, you can grab it here. The process of entering your info in exchange for the specific list I mentioned is what I'm describing above. If you don't have a way to seamlessly do this with your offerings, I encourage you to find a CRM/landing page/email campaign system that allows you to do this. It saves SO much time and energy on my end and frees me up to do the fun stuff -- making music! Here's what I use for mine if you need a recommendation.
How do you keep track of client/student contact info?
As a music teacher, I love to use toys and props in my homeschool early childhood music classes and lessons to help children learn musical concepts. It is so much fun to see their creativity, and it's always an added bonus if they have that toy at home already that they can go home and use musically.
Here are my top 3 favorites! Let me know if you try these out in your home or classroom!
1) Pop-up Squirrels
These pop-up squirrels are so much fun! They're a great fidgety-type toy to give your hands something to do, but I love using them with my squirrel songs. I have multiple squirrel songs, but my favorite one to use with this toy is Peep Squirrel (here's a demonstration video in case you don't know the song). I find that having a prop or toy helps young children stay engaged in the song for many more repetitions of the song than if I just sang it alone, allowing their ears to hear the song more times and sing it way more accurately once they do! I usually pass this toy around the circle and sing it myself while they keep the beat. Then another day, I will have them sing the song while they pop the squirrel on the beat.
2) Hoberman Sphere
The hoberman sphere is often called a breathing ball, and I enjoy using it to teach young children what their lungs are doing when they breathe! It's a great way to start off a children's choir rehearsal, or to use with any class if children got a bit wild in the middle as a way to reset and regroup. I like having students take turns opening and closing it; I always pick students who are demonstrating a specific skill I would like to see (ie low diaphragmatic breathing or silent breaths).
3) Googly Eye Rings
I just love using these googly eye rings for vocal exploration or Arioso (if you're familiar with Feierabend's First Steps in Music)! You can get them in different sizes (like these big ones here) but I find this size to be the best for little fingers. I like to call mine hummers and have the children make humming sounds with them. They are SO willing to sing on their own if they have a fun toy/prop in hand to do it with! They'll even have musical conversations and make up tunes together with these little guys. I always buy the 100 pack because they're tiny and we lose them easily. :P
Well, there you have it! My top 3 favorites. Which one are you going to try or have you tried and really liked?
Dealing with HOT summer days like I am today? It's 99 degrees here in Minnesota, whew!
Here's a few of my favorite ways to stay busy, cool, and mentally active with your dog on those hottest days:
1. Interactive treat toys! These are GREAT to use with part of your dog's breakfast, and they're really mentally fun for our furry friends to figure out. There are different levels of difficulty; I will put a few examples below, simply click on the photo to take you to the item if you'd like to look further at one.
2. Frozen treats! Making some fun, healthy treats in the freezer is a great way to cool off your wagging friend in the heat.
Our favorite: ice cubes! Simple and so fun. You can plop them in the water dish too for some bobbing for ice cube fun, though it's recommended to do this outside as my pup likes to get things wet when she does. :)
Other fun options: frozen banana slices, frozen pumpkin or watermelon cubes, frozen veggie pieces
3. If your pup is still struggling to stay cool while resting, a cooling mat or bandana can be helpful. The self-cooling ones that don't require water or electricity are best:
Hope these fun tips are helpful for you and your furry friend!
One final note...
BE CAREFUL walking your dog in this kind of heat! The pavement and sidewalk can get so much hotter so fast; you don't want to burn your pup's paw pads. This is a good rule to go by: if the back of your hand can't rest on the pavement for 7 seconds, it's too hot for your pup. Here's a diagram showing why...
Struggle with nice walking with your dog? Doggies sometimes love to pull. Learn more about what to do about that here.
4. Give yourself grace.
I am generally more comfortable around children than adults, with the exception of my core group of friends and church community. It turns out that it’s easy for me to be “in front of” 120 children directing a concert or 30 children in class, but I get nervous talking with a parent or family. The irony makes me laugh, but it also shows me that I am making the most of my strengths and giving myself grace to work on the things that are harder for me.
As a teacher, you’re in a role where your HSP strengths are extra valuable. Don’t get too hung up on the parts of it where you feel out of your comfort zone.
5. Create a “stage persona” for stressful situations.
Not every highly sensitive person is a performer (some would dread it!), but most of us are creative in some way — which is a gift we can draw on in overwhelming situations. In my case, I use my ability as a performer to step into a “stage persona” when needed for my job.
My persona is still me (I’m not creating a false personality or anything), but I’m able to confidently step into that “role” even when my body or mind is on overdrive. It helps to center me and lets me address the overarousal when I cannot take a break or escape the situation immediately. And now that I teach freelance instead of public school full-time, I rarely need this persona now.
I believe any highly sensitive person can do this. Imagine what your “teaching persona” would look like, if there was someone cast in your role on a TV show or in a book or play. How do they talk? How do they act? What’s their signature phrase or look? Maybe even give your stage persona a name, and consciously remind yourself that that’s who you are when you’re feeling overstimulated.
6. When things get tough, lean on your support system.
My first semester, I cried in my principal’s office at least four times. I was so grateful that she saw these instances not as weakness, but as a sensitive personality that can be an asset to taking care of students in our school.
I’m also grateful that my husband understands when I need 15 minutes to “decompress” when I first arrive home from work, and he gladly creates that space. He also knows that if I’ve been home alone all day (spring break!) I will usually be excited, chatty, and ready to go out or do something fun with him.
Not all of us have such supportive, understanding people built into our lives, but it’s important to seek them out — or learn how to speak up for our needs with loved ones. Especially when you’re in a profession where you have to nurture others, you need your own support system in place. Know who you can turn to, and don’t hesitate to open up to them when you’re stressed. They may be the difference between burnout and success. This is why I created Freelance Music Teacher Moms -- to be just that kind of space for people. Come join us, if it would bless you to be surrounded by these kinds of awesome educators.
7. Adapt your environment to fit your needs.
I don’t play music in my classroom as loudly as some students would probably like it, but my students who are HSPs would thank me for that decision! Likewise, my classroom has two banks of fluorescent lighting, but I only ever use one set. (Often, I turn the lights off altogether and use the window or strings of lights to create the atmosphere I need to work well, or light covers like these.) And I definitely don’t give twenty-five kindergarteners each a triangle all at once, even though it is music class. I’ve learned to teach differently so that all the students are engaged even if just one or two of them have a triangle.
The list goes on and on. My biggest breakthrough personally is to schedule concert nights, when possible, the night before a “non-student” day, like professional development or a grading day. These are my personal adaptations — but it’s essential for any highly sensitive person who’s going to teach to find ways to adapt like this.
Much of your arc as a teacher will involve continuously modifying your environment from a hectic one to a soothing, creative one. The result will not just make your days easier, it will also improve what your students get out of it, whether they are an HSP themselves or not.
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I hope you found these tips helpful! Let me know below which one you're looking forward most to implementing in your own teaching.
Like what you read here? You can catch more good content on my YouTube channel here or grab the planning concert considerations checklist here.
Being a highly sensitive person or HSP as a music teacher isn't necessarily a walk in the park; it comes with some challenges for sure. But it can be done well and you can thrive as a music teacher HSP! I know because I am. :) Check out these tips below or watch here to get you started on thriving rather than feeling so overwhelmed:
Let me paint you a picture of my life a few years ago. My first music class comes into my classroom at 9:30 a.m., talkative and full of energy. We are ready to begin our fun but hard work for the day of becoming tune-ful, beat-ful, and art-ful people. I have a 30-year plan for my students: to be able to sing to their own children one day, to clap on a steady beat at a ball game or concert, and to be moved by expressive music in all sorts of contexts. My students experience the joy, the seriousness, the hard work, and the playfulness of music, and I consider it a great joy to accompany them on the journey.
As a highly sensitive person (HSP), I also consider it an exhausting vocation. I work with more than 500 children total: 10 half-hour classes per day with around 200 K-4th grade children. On my feet the whole time, every day, five days a week.
Not sure what an HSP is or if you are one? Learn more here.
When my last class of the day walks out of my classroom, I sit briefly before bus duty and I sigh, always worn out but some days more encouraged than others. I might have more energy in the evening if I had a regular desk job, or perhaps a job that is less emotionally and physically taxing. Sometimes, I envy those jobs. But I don’t believe I would feel as fulfilled as I do knowing the impact I am making on the young people at my school.
Here’s why highly sensitive people like me are drawn to teaching — despite the overstimulation — and how I don't just survive but thrive.
Why Highly Sensitive People are Drawn to Caring Professions Like Teaching
Not all teachers are highly sensitive, and not all highly sensitive people are teachers. But I do believe that we HSPs are drawn to caring, nurturing, and creative professions like education. I’ve personally met countless other teachers who are sensitive (and some who are not...) and I think there’s a reason for it. Highly sensitive people tend to love students of all ages, learning, and helping others. In some ways, teaching fits us like a glove.
That doesn’t mean we’re necessarily well-suited to the environment of the classroom — in fact, my first semester teaching was awful. I struggled to balance my work and home life. Many of my students came into the classroom dealing with trauma of their own, and took it out on me. (This still happens, though each school is different.) I didn’t feel at all equipped to handle it. Honestly, I cried on the way home from school most days, and I'm not even much of a crier for being an HSP, I just had no other way to express the overwhelm I felt.
But I believe that highly sensitive people can overcome these challenges. In fact, I think our empathy, our creativity, and our awareness of others’ feelings help make us especially valuable in roles like teaching.
And I’ve learned a few strategies and ideas to make it much easier.
7 Ways to Succeed as a Teacher When You’re a Highly Sensitive Person
1. Learn to let go when your lessons don’t go as planned.
In my desire to do everything really well, I struggled a lot my first semester. Most things in education don’t go “as planned.” I learned that it’s more important how I respond when things don’t go as planned than IF they go as planned. This realization (which can be applied to most things in life) will take a lot of pressure off of you and allow you to be a better listener and educator.
2. Give yourself permission to say no.
It’s okay to have a day to eat lunch by yourself at work (even if you feel weird at first for not joining your coworkers in the staff lunchroom). It’s okay to build in “down” weekends to rest. It’s okay to stay home for an evening or two during conference week or concert week. It’s okay to not get another “real job” during the summers (in my case, I do odd jobs and plan for the next school year, teach music lessons, and teach occasional community education classes). Your body and your loved ones will thank you in the long run.
3. Your empathy is the superpower your students need.
There are many students who struggle in louder, chaotic, collaborative spaces like a music classroom. It’s more unstructured and less predictable, and that can be over-arousing for me as well as many of my students (whether or not they’re highly sensitive).
As highly sensitive people, our ability to say, “I see you, I understand you, and I am with you” — even while challenging them to grow and take risks — is a game-changer! It helps them confront their challenges without shame or self-doubt.
Our empathy also means we need to be gentle with ourselves. For example, you may struggle with secondary trauma when you see the hurt some of your students go through, or experience it yourself when they lash out. Being able to recognize your feelings not as being weak but as caring helps separate their pain from your own, and be a little more resilient on days when you struggle.
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Click here for part 2 of this series!
Spring fever got your choir extra squirrely, lacking focus, or just struggling as we near the end of the year?
I can relate; we've had some antsy and not-our-best rehearsals in my groups lately too.
Thankfully I have some strategies for refocusing and recentering a group as we hit this point in the year to invigorate and inspire everyone to finish strong. I talked about them in this video here, and share them below as well:
1) Play a singing game, take a movement break, or try out a folk dance! These methods work really well for my younger choirs (3rd-7th ages) as they get more physically antsy in the spring as the weather gets nicer, and it really helps to refocus us in the middle of a rehearsal. I find that if I can teach them a few of these at the beginning of the year, they are great team building and connecting activities that help students get to know one another, and they are really easy to pull out this time of year as a 5-8 minute break in the middle of rehearsing concert repertoire because they already know how to play/what to do.
2) Keep something motivating or something they are looking forward to as top-of-mind. This could be a concert, event (like taking your students to a sports game to sing the national anthem like I am!), an outing, a tour, or even something like a party they are planning. Remind them that they are working towards that event and how much you are looking forward to seeing them succeed. Take moments during rehearsal to envision together what it will look/feel like to accomplish that, how you all will feel afterwards, and how you want to see it play out. This can really help remind an ensemble why they are here, their collective purpose, and help them look forward to how their hard work will pay off.
3) Re-visit our choirs commitment/values. I wrote about creating these here, and this point in the year is a great time to revisit these if part of your group is struggling to remember the ensemble's goals or why they are all there together.
I hope these tips were helpful. What other ways do you help your choir reset and be inspired this time of year?
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Like this and want to surround yourself with more people on this journey with you? There's great conversation in New & Freelance Music Teacher Community about this topic and more. Come join us!
Just as I put my hands down and they stopped singing, they turned to one another and started chatting, distracted and some disruptive. Some were whispering or talking as I was talking to give them the next feedback I had for them.
I will not talk over them. My vocal health matters too much to do that.
I felt discouraged. We'd wasted at least 10 minutes of our 75-minute rehearsal on these interruptions to the flow of a rehearsal, and I was tired. There had also been some typical teenage drama coming out earlier in rehearsal too, and I don't like feeling like a drill sergeant. I would way rather they learn how to self-manage and work with people they don't prefer, as in real life sometimes we do need to interact with people we don't prefer. But that won't just happen by chance.
So I decided to implement one of my favorite choral management techniques: a Choir Commitment that they write, agree to, and are held to.
My 7th-10th grade students did not disappoint, in fact, their wording was much deeper than I could've imagined or chosen myself.
The discussion that I guided as they came up with these guiding principles by which we would function in rehearsal together was the most important part of this commitment. If they don't know what it looks and sounds like for these to play out in a rehearsal space, how can they follow it? Clarity is key.
The word change from Respect to Honor occurred as a girl raised her hand to say, "Respect is something earned. What if someone is acting in a way that doesn't earn our respect? I think we should change the word to Honor. The Bible calls all to 'honor your father and mother.' There are kids in the world who have parents who do things that are not earning of respect, but they are still called by God to honor them. I think we should all honor each other even if someone does or says something that doesn't deserve respect."
"Wow." I agreed as I wrote in the additional edit, others nodding their heads as they thought about what she said.
There was a perfect teaching moment during the writing process too. When I wrote 'mistakes ar OK' on the board, I accidentally left off the "e." One girl, who can sometimes respond in an immature way, raised her hand and politely said, "Umm, Mrs. Orem, I think you made a mistake when you were writing."
"You're right, I did!" as I went to correct it. "Thank you for correcting my mistake in a respectful, kind way. I don't mind you calling out my mistakes or each others' at all, as long as you do it in a way that is honoring to the person who made the mistake. We all can keep learning."
We even had a conversation about changing voices in this context too, since that is a reason some do not give Maximum Effort -- fear of teasing when their voice does something they didn't want. It was SO good, and really shifted the atmosphere of the room from a space where there are things to hide or be embarrassed by to a sense of safety or transparency.
We even had a conversation about changing voices in this context too, since that is a reason some do not give Maximum Effort -- fear of teasing when their voice does something they didn't want. It was SO good, and really shifted the atmosphere of the room from a space where there are things to hide or be embarrassed by to a sense of safety or transparency.
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"Now that you have created this commitment, you can hold me to my word that I will follow it. Do I have your word?"
*Nods of heads, looking around at each other seriously.
"Good. I'm here to develop you musically, of course, but my calling is greater than that. I know I have a responsibility to develop your character and speak into your life spiritually as well. I will hold you to these principles you put up here today. I will do it with ultimate honor and kindness, but I care about each of you too much to allow you to break your commitment on my watch. I am here to help you develop the character to keep your word. Alright, take out 'Praise His Holy Name' from your folder. Let's do this!"
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The most important part of choir rehearsal? It's the little things, the small moments where we get to shape minds and hearts and build character.
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Like this and want to learn more? There's a training coming in New Teacher Support & Community about this very topic (and the replay will be available if you're reading this in the future). Come join us!
Exhausted.
That was the emotion I thought I felt. I know, I know.... exhaustion doesn't sound like an emotion word, but I felt it in my bones, I lived it day by day and hour by hour.
That weight of never being done practicing or lesson planning. The long hours under fluorescent lights, trying to study through the pain or finish up cleaning recorders before running home to teach lessons and finally collapsing in bed after scrambling to put a semblance of a meal together. The loneliness of working non-stop, rushing from class to class without true connection with another adult.
The lack of deep friendship and understanding. The never feeling good enough. The push push push without relief, without let-up. The feeling like "classroom" teachers aka grade level teachers (I never liked that term, don't I teach in a classroom too?!) were superior just because we provided their prep time during the day to have a full, uninterrupted hour to plan while we were left with the scraps of 10/20/30 minute chunks to try to get something meaningful accomplished before running out to do bus duty.
This was the biggest thing, though, that I felt when in the rat-race of the typical college education degree and subsequent years of teaching in public education: Exhaustion.
This is why burn-out happens so quickly and easily, especially with the younger generation. Why?
Because we've pulled back the curtain, we've seen that it doesn't and shouldn't have to be this way.
That was the emotion I thought I felt. I know, I know.... exhaustion doesn't sound like an emotion word, but I felt it in my bones, I lived it day by day and hour by hour.
That weight of never being done practicing or lesson planning. The long hours under fluorescent lights, trying to study through the pain or finish up cleaning recorders before running home to teach lessons and finally collapsing in bed after scrambling to put a semblance of a meal together. The loneliness of working non-stop, rushing from class to class without true connection with another adult.
The lack of deep friendship and understanding. The never feeling good enough. The push push push without relief, without let-up. The feeling like "classroom" teachers aka grade level teachers (I never liked that term, don't I teach in a classroom too?!) were superior just because we provided their prep time during the day to have a full, uninterrupted hour to plan while we were left with the scraps of 10/20/30 minute chunks to try to get something meaningful accomplished before running out to do bus duty.
This was the biggest thing, though, that I felt when in the rat-race of the typical college education degree and subsequent years of teaching in public education: Exhaustion.
This is why burn-out happens so quickly and easily, especially with the younger generation. Why?
Because we've pulled back the curtain, we've seen that it doesn't and shouldn't have to be this way.
Do I judge any of my teacher friends for continuing to choose the public system, or friends who have kids in that system? Absolutely not! What is right for me in these situations may not be right for you, and vice versa. What I DO know, though, is that there are SO many teachers like me, well-meaning and very good, but just not suited for the mold that is public education.
In particular I have created a space where I no longer have to feel caught in the middle to provide for my family.
I can have BOTH. I can experience the joy of teaching AND make a good income (a lot more than I did as a young public school teacher). I can experience rest AND meaningful work. I can lesson plan AND have time to use the restroom whenever I want. I can enjoy kids and their smiles and laughter in large or small group settings AND go home at a reasonable time of day to make dinner for my family and enjoy the sunshine and snuggling my dog. I can get all I need to done and more AND have my weekend to myself now!
There's more to this life than work. But I wanted my work to be fulfilling and meaningful and have IMPACT.
I can choose how to run my schedule now. I choose my hours. And I don't have to teach private music lessons unless I want to (which I do, but it's my choice, not my duty to make a few extra $).
And you can too. It's not rocket science. :) But there are practical steps and considerations to make. Come learn with me how.
In particular I have created a space where I no longer have to feel caught in the middle to provide for my family.
I can have BOTH. I can experience the joy of teaching AND make a good income (a lot more than I did as a young public school teacher). I can experience rest AND meaningful work. I can lesson plan AND have time to use the restroom whenever I want. I can enjoy kids and their smiles and laughter in large or small group settings AND go home at a reasonable time of day to make dinner for my family and enjoy the sunshine and snuggling my dog. I can get all I need to done and more AND have my weekend to myself now!
There's more to this life than work. But I wanted my work to be fulfilling and meaningful and have IMPACT.
I can choose how to run my schedule now. I choose my hours. And I don't have to teach private music lessons unless I want to (which I do, but it's my choice, not my duty to make a few extra $).
And you can too. It's not rocket science. :) But there are practical steps and considerations to make. Come learn with me how.
January 29th, 2020
Feeling sentimental as sweet Aries, our first SD long-term foster, leaves us today to go to FETCH at the U of M for the spring to live with pre-vet students. She will then go in for final training in the summer before hopefully being paired with her forever person.
I am SO grateful we've gotten involved. I have learned so much and gained more from Aries than I feel I've given her; we have loved her dearly. God blessed us with her.
Public school teaching is kind of a stressful job, and my first 1.5 years I really struggled with anxiety. I still have a hard time in the dark winter months. Having Aries, though, has melted away so much of my anxiety. It's not gone, but she does pretty good therapy.
She forced me to go on walks every day, which are healthy in many ways, including for my poor flat feet that need stretching after standing all day. She helped me focus on the present and the now, not on the what-ifs from my day. She accompanied me everywhere except for school for her training, being a comforting & grounding presence that made people smile wherever we went. She was great at snuggling, a calming activity. 
We even got a comment on Monday from a man when we were at Costco, "She doesn't even need a leash hardly, does she?" I'll take that as a big compliment. 
So though there are tears on this turn-in day, they are happy/sad tears, but mostly happy. Happy that we made an impact for someone we hope to be friends with someday... Happy we could love her while we had her... Grateful for all she brought to us for her time... Grateful for her wiggle-butt and many kisses and kitty-rubbing greetings... Grateful for all of the wonderful memories... And blessed to give to others. We can't wait to do it all again.
So "see you later," girlie! Go be great!!
And now... We eagerly anticipate graduation day.
I am SO grateful we've gotten involved. I have learned so much and gained more from Aries than I feel I've given her; we have loved her dearly. God blessed us with her.
Public school teaching is kind of a stressful job, and my first 1.5 years I really struggled with anxiety. I still have a hard time in the dark winter months. Having Aries, though, has melted away so much of my anxiety. It's not gone, but she does pretty good therapy.
She forced me to go on walks every day, which are healthy in many ways, including for my poor flat feet that need stretching after standing all day. She helped me focus on the present and the now, not on the what-ifs from my day. She accompanied me everywhere except for school for her training, being a comforting & grounding presence that made people smile wherever we went. She was great at snuggling, a calming activity. We even got a comment on Monday from a man when we were at Costco, "She doesn't even need a leash hardly, does she?" I'll take that as a big compliment. So though there are tears on this turn-in day, they are happy/sad tears, but mostly happy. Happy that we made an impact for someone we hope to be friends with someday... Happy we could love her while we had her... Grateful for all she brought to us for her time... Grateful for her wiggle-butt and many kisses and kitty-rubbing greetings... Grateful for all of the wonderful memories... And blessed to give to others. We can't wait to do it all again.
So "see you later," girlie! Go be great!!
And now... We eagerly anticipate graduation day. 
December 6th, 2020
Career Changed. It is not news that we ever want to hear when it comes to these amazing dogs that we bring into our home to love, train, raise, and give our hearts to. The path of greatness to be a superhero in a red cape 
is not an easy one, and even circumstances unrelated to training can remove the dog from training. It is not a path that is destined for every dog in the program. Sometimes things just don't work out, and God has a different plan for these special dogs.
is not an easy one, and even circumstances unrelated to training can remove the dog from training. It is not a path that is destined for every dog in the program. Sometimes things just don't work out, and God has a different plan for these special dogs.Aries, our first long-term foster, was career changed this week due to medical reasons and we were asked to adopt her. 
She is already loving her new life as she settles back in with us for her first night as a pet! She will be a great big sister to fosters we continue to help raise. We also hope to pursue therapy dog work with her, as she LOVES to work and has the drive for a job, even if it's not serving a client as we'd hoped. It is a bittersweet feeling knowing how much we were looking forward to the impact she potentially would make for a client someday, but I am overjoyed to see her so happy and healthy, and super grateful we get to love her for the rest of her life as her family. 
Best surprise Christmas present EVER! 
#CareerChanged #shesoursnow
She is already loving her new life as she settles back in with us for her first night as a pet! She will be a great big sister to fosters we continue to help raise. We also hope to pursue therapy dog work with her, as she LOVES to work and has the drive for a job, even if it's not serving a client as we'd hoped. It is a bittersweet feeling knowing how much we were looking forward to the impact she potentially would make for a client someday, but I am overjoyed to see her so happy and healthy, and super grateful we get to love her for the rest of her life as her family. Best surprise Christmas present EVER! #CareerChanged #shesoursnow
I sat there nervously twirling my hair, my thoughts trying to convince me I shouldn't.
"What are you thinking, hon? Are you thinking you shouldn't do it even though you told me a few minutes ago how excited you were?"
I nodded at my husband and sighed.
Two days later: I just took a big leap of faith this weekend. And I know that it was a decision I was supposed to make, but there were a few moments when I wasn't so sure. Yesterday, I applied and got accepted for something really cool, which I'll share more about as time goes on. But I had a lot of limiting beliefs & second-guessing myself.
"What are you thinking, hon? Are you thinking you shouldn't do it even though you told me a few minutes ago how excited you were?"
I nodded at my husband and sighed.
Two days later: I just took a big leap of faith this weekend. And I know that it was a decision I was supposed to make, but there were a few moments when I wasn't so sure. Yesterday, I applied and got accepted for something really cool, which I'll share more about as time goes on. But I had a lot of limiting beliefs & second-guessing myself.
I wanted to share with you some wisdom from my husband that also it really helped me clarify the thoughts that were racing through my head as I was trying to decide about doing this, taking this big step. The power of Should is what we tell ourselves, especially when our mind is racing. We have so many thoughts that go through our head each day. We tell ourselves so many different things throughout the day. And honestly, we are the ones who speak to ourselves the most out of anybody, anyone, even our, our close family and friends. We talk to ourselves more than anybody else talks to us. And sometimes we tell ourselves a lot of unhelpful things: "I should or should not think this, I should have done this, I should not have done that, I really should go do this, but I don't feel like it."
Does that sound familiar to anybody else? We tell ourselves so many different things throughout the day. And oftentimes we kind of guilt ourselves into doing things. We say, "Oh, I really should do the laundry, or I really should go do dishes," implying, "I don't want to go do that. But I should, because I it's just my duty, right rather than an obligation instead of something that I actually want to do."
Does that sound familiar to anybody else? We tell ourselves so many different things throughout the day. And oftentimes we kind of guilt ourselves into doing things. We say, "Oh, I really should do the laundry, or I really should go do dishes," implying, "I don't want to go do that. But I should, because I it's just my duty, right rather than an obligation instead of something that I actually want to do."
I realized that instead of saying "I should do this," I am choosing to focus more now on "I want to do this, I am doing this, I will do this, I or I will not do this," rather than using the word 'should' so much. Because 'should' just puts my mind in a mindset or a frame of guilt and shaming myself. And that's not necessary. I don't need that, any you don't either!
How can you choose to think and speak to yourself differently today about habits you desire to change or mistakes you have made? How can I support you in that?
One of the ladies I am coaching asked me to send her spontaneous texts that say something like, "I choose to eat _____ today. Remember how amazing you feel when you _____?" To help reminder of 1) what she wants to do, 2) how she wants to feel when she does it, and 3) the way she wants to speak to herself.
Or maybe you just need direction first and practical steps to take on your journey. My TMJ Strong course, if you're dealing with those issues, may be the perfect fit to give you step-by-step applicable action items to get you moving rather than sitting in analysis paralysis.
Or maybe you just need direction first and practical steps to take on your journey. My TMJ Strong course, if you're dealing with those issues, may be the perfect fit to give you step-by-step applicable action items to get you moving rather than sitting in analysis paralysis.
If you need a little kick in the pants or gentle nudge and coaching is for you, reply or reach out with the words "I choose" to get 50% off your first session. I'm here to help you!
Choose your language; it's more powerful than you think.
Choose your language; it's more powerful than you think.
What IS TMJ anyway?!
Great question! I'm glad you asked. :)
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, aka your jaw.
So why do people say they "have TMJ" then?! Everyone (or almost everyone) has a jaw!
Check out this short video to find out.
So much education and challenges to help you on your journey in my group, Fed-Up & Option-Seeking TMJ Warriors: Abundant Life Community. Check it out!
