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 [email protected] - 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.

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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. 

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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.

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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 [email protected] 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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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! 

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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. 

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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.

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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.  

• 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! 
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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

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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!