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I had a great day - even though I temporarily lost the book I was using for classes.  It ended up being a good thing that I lost the book.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything was my book.  I told it in my first 2 classes and the children enjoyed the story.  I left to go to Bikram Yoga and left my folder with my roll book and the story book in a room.  When I went to get the book there was a class in the room and I could not get it.  So, I taught one class without the book.   I ended up adding to the story and adapting it to the class.  It went really well.

However, my "plan" was to have the book.  So I went to the room between classes and got the book.  As soon as I started reading it one student was completely terrified.  I could not figure out why because nothing had happened yet - just the pair of shoes going CLOMP CLOMP.  We all got our shoes to "be the shoes" going CLOMP CLOMP and this still did not sooth the student.  After class, and after I told the story largely avoiding the book that I had been so focused on getting, the mother told me that they had the book at home and that her child was always afraid of it.  So much for planning!

My piano students today did well, all 4 are progressing.  I realized that each student's style of learning is valid and staying there with them as well as working through their blocks are equally important.

At the end of the day I had this brainstorm of an idea about piano teaching, but then I forgot what it was!  It will come to mind again I am sure.

Now I remember!  My final piano student was working very hard on something they have not been able to "get" yet.  I started talking about your brain on learning.  It can almost hurt sometimes - the way our brain has to reshape itself to grasp a concept or comprehened an idea.  I asked the student's older sibling about this and they agreed that learning can painful in a way.  But, once you work through it you are so excited to be able to play a piece!  Then, the next time you have to go through this process it does not "hurt" as much.

Good night!