“A child develops exactly in the way he is taught.” — Dr. Suzuki, Ability Development From Age Zero What does it mean to teach well? What happens when a child’s teacher has to undo any bad teaching on the parent’s part? This episode is part of the “Reflections” series of podcast episodes, which are short, minutes long … Continue reading "Reflections — Teaching Well"

This episode is the first in a mini series about being a newbie. In this episode, I discuss the five mistakes that newbie teachers may make. I talk about the reasons why a teacher might choose to make these mistakes, what the consequences might be, and what better choices the teachers might make instead. Parents … Continue reading "055 TSP Newbie Series and the Newbie Teacher"

If a parent were to reword his or her complaint about a child’s misbehavior, perhaps the parent would discover a better way to teach the child how not to misbehave. Listen to this episode to find out why Dr. Suzuki wrote: “Adults, not the children, are to blame.” This episode is part of the “Reflections” … Continue reading "Reflections — Teaching Wrong Ability"

What goes on behind the curtain at Teach Suzuki? What does the life of a blogger and podcaster look like? In this episode, I take my listeners back stage and show them what it is like to produce a podcast or write a blog. I explain the issues that face teachers and other professionals in … Continue reading "054 TSP The Twinkle Project"

“Skillfulness in rearing a child comes from knowing and feeling as he does in his heart,” Dr. Suzuki said. This episode discusses how important it is for parents to view things from the child’s perspective and feelings and whether thinking as a child thinks will help parents enjoy practicing with the child more. This episode … Continue reading "Reflections – Skillfulness in Rearing a Child"

What can a teacher do with a “mixed bag group class”? A great many things. Today’s episode offers some ideas about group classes with disparate ages, skills, and levels. These group classes can be fun! I mentioned two of my favorite resources related to rhythm activities. Here are affiliate links to these resources: Rhythm Sticks … Continue reading "053 TSP The Mixed Bag Group Class"

Dr. Suzuki said, “The problem is how to combine interest and training.” This episode looks at the power a parent has to direct the child’s focus and how that focus will affect a child’s approach to learning. This episode is part of the “Reflections” series of podcast episodes, which are short, minutes long reflections about … Continue reading "Reflections – Interest and Training"

Children develop eight basic abilities in the study of music: Ability to Listen Ability to Observe and Imitate Ability to Memorize Ability to Concentrate Ability to Perform Ability to be Disciplined Ability to Persevere Abilities of the Heart All of these abilities are crucial life skills. This podcast episode looks at each of these abilities … Continue reading "052 TSP Why Study Music?"

“Stir up love in your life,” Joyce Meyer says. How do we do that? This episode suggests one simple way that we can stir up the love in our life. This episode is part of the “Reflections” series of podcast episodes, which are short, minutes long reflections about a quote or other thought from Dr. … Continue reading "Reflections – Stir Up Love"

Parents wield a great deal of influence over their children, and therefore Dr. Suzuki believed that parents bear the most responsibility for creating the desire to learn in their children. Parents can do this by building and fostering a relationship with their children based on unconditional love. This episode discusses five aspects of unconditional love, … Continue reading "051 TSP Unconditional Love"