Let's talk about volunteering as a teacher. And before you roll your eyes or start feeling guilty or think I can't do this . . . don't worry, this is not a guilt trip, I promise. I've been on both sides—seasons where I couldn't give a thing, and seasons where I've said yes to way more than I should have. And honestly, both have taught me something incredibly important.

I’ve often considered piano teaching to be the best job in the world—why?

Ever find yourself overwhelmed by too much to do and too little time, so you “purge” your schedule of all the extra commitments? You feel better for a while, only to find yourself in the exact same situation several months later. Sound familiar?

In the MTNA 2024 Member Survey, MTNA asked questions to teachers who identified as being retired from full-time teaching, including “As a retiree, why have you decided to continue as a MTNA member?”

As we face the later years, our relationship to our profession, indeed to our everyday life, is full of opportunity, but also limited in ways we may never have imagined. With some deliberate choices, but also as an organic evolution, my metamorphosis has been a reimagining and an accounting. Absent large amounts of wealth, what can I leave behind?

How old are you? Why would I ask, you may wonder. Because the younger you are, the more value you will get from this article. The older you are, the more essential this information will be. Self-care is a broad topic, fit for all of us. For example, you might have great studio policies and marketing strategies but have ignored saving money and are headed down the slippery slope of financial insecurity.

As teachers, we all know how hard it can be to say no. We often feel obligated to take on more than we can handle, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Thankfully, there are ways to politely decline without sacrificing our own needs. But don’t worry, we don’t have to narrow it down to just five. I may have gotten a little carried away as I came up with 75+ ways to say no, while also remembering there is value in saying yes.

An article about time management should not take a lot of time to read. So here it is, short and simple: five strategies for time management. Or depending on how one numbers them, there are eight “ate” strategies.

Teachers are emotionally connected to their work in a deep way. After all, students are more than numbers on a spreadsheet; they are long-term investments involving untold hours of planning and care. Essential as it may be, it’s that very emotional connection that sometimes leads us down the wrong path.

While reading this book, I was often stopped in my tracks by its profound and sometimes brutal truths, yet I ultimately found a great sense of peace and purpose as I worked through its pages. If you manage people, work with people or are a person, this book will help you.