Parents as Partners: Exciting Things Ahead for 2020

The Parents as Partners Online
video series is coming back
in 2020 with some fresh new
ideas, and we’re excited to have you
join and be a part of it. Registration
will open in January, so now is the time
to spread the word in your studio and
to start planning how your studio will
benefit from all the great information
and ideas that will be shared this year.
What is Parents as Partners?

If you’ve never participated in Par-
ents as Partners, this online video

series started in 2012 as a way to share
ideas from experienced teachers and
parents that we can all use to work
together and help students have a
successful learning experience.
Each week during the series, new
videos are released and highlighted that

provide fresh, creative ideas and time-
tested strategies on topics like practice,

motivation, learning, and more.
In 2020 we’ll be relaunching a new
series of videos with some new areas of
focus and new ways to connect to and use
the materials. We’ve heard your feedback
and are focusing on curating shorter
videos that will make it possible for busy
parents and teachers to make time for all
of the great information shared.
New this year will be:

• A number of interview-style vid-
  eos that will focus on a short

conversation about one of our
helpful topics

• A convenient discussion area on
  our website
• Videos available to participants
  January through November
• Emails will announce new videos
  each week and share ideas for
  using the videos in your studio.
  Highlights from the videos will
  help parents choose which are
  most applicable to them that week.

And good news: the fees remain the
same for the third year!
If you’ve never checked out Parents
as Partners, this is a great year to try
it for the first time and to involve
parents in your studio as well. Since
we are focusing on short videos that
can be watched or listened to with the
audio-only or podcast option—even if
you are crunched for time—you will be
able to fit them into your schedule in
just 20–30 minutes each week.

How can you use Parents as Part-
ners in your studio?

Teachers have found a variety of
options to engage the families in their
studios with PPO. We will share ideas
throughout the PPO winter season
and beyond. Whether you enroll your
whole studio or a smaller group of
parents, all you’ll need to get started
is everyone’s name and email address.
In my own studio, I found the most
success when I not only enrolled
parents and shared my excitement
about the video series in January when
it started for the year, but also sent
out a short sentence or two about my
favorite video each week.
When I get the email that new videos
had been released, I watch or listen
to as many of them as possible. Then
I forward the SA A’s email to all the
enrolled parents, along with a couple
of sentences about which videos I
recommended as “must watch” videos
that week.
Giving a little guidance to parents
has been great for a few reasons: It
requires that I watch and listen to the
videos. My schedule is full too, but
knowing parents are looking for my
recommendations helps me make time
to watch. Parents see my email and
the SAA email in their inbox, which
reminds them of PPO. My email keeps

parents from feeling overwhelmed and
gives them a place to start each week.
I encourage parents to tell me which
video was their favorite that week. It
becomes a group project; we all share
what we’ve learned with one another.
Here is how Suzuki violin teacher
Jennifer Yarbrough uses the series:
“I show a PPO video each year at our

beginning-of-the-year parent meet-
ing. It has been really awesome to

see it generate thoughtful discussion
amongst the parents in my studio

as well as provide support and en-
couragement to them. Many of them

subscribe to the series during the
year, too.
As for me, I will watch, listen, or
read transcripts of the videos during
my lunch break, and I benefit as a
teacher from ongoing professional
development and wisdom provided
by these master teachers.”
Other approaches teachers have
shared:

• Show a video in another room dur-
  ing group class and ask a veteran

Suzuki parent or another teacher in
your program to lead a discussion
about what they watched.

• Sign up for the “Podcast” option
  and listen to them on the go.
• Highlight your favorite video of

the week in the studio and encour-
age parents to watch and share

what they have learned.
Parents as Partners Online is a great
way to get a boost of motivation at the
start of the new year, for both teachers
and parents alike. We cannot wait to
share our new videos and interviews
with you and hope you’ll plan to be a

part of PPO this year. Look for regis-
tration and enrollment information

coming soon!