020: Creating Community Among Teachers with Jaclyn Mrozek

Our guest today, Jaclyn Mrozek, owner of Piano Kats in Cincinnati, Ohio, shares her remarkable journey of transforming her studio and building a thriving community of piano teachers. With a solid background in project management, Jaclyn has honed her skills in organizing and facilitating masterminds and peer advisory councils, specifically tailored for piano educators. In this episode, we delve into Jaclyn's insights on the importance of teacher connections, her active involvement in local and online communities, and her innovative approach to running masterminds. Join us as we explore how Jaclyn's passion for collaboration and her dedication to the piano teaching community have created a supportive and enriching environment for educators everywhere.Jaclyn shared a brief overview of her teaching background.The importance of teacher connections.She shares her personal journey from being a painfully shy student to actively engaging in teacher communities.Rachel shared her experience on how she met Jaclyn at a conference, emphasizing how reaching out to others can lead to meaningful connections.The benefits of participating in online events and groups.The role of podcasts and social media in connecting teachers and sharing diverse teaching methods and experiences.Both Rachel and Jaclyn encourage teachers to overcome their hesitations and reach out to fellow educators for support and collaboration.How she started on Instagram and created masterminds.Jaclyn's future plans on facilitating more masterminds in the future with a structured format to maximize participant benefit.Advice for starting masterminds.Her future activities and personal focus.Guest Links MentionedJaclyn Mrozek WebsiteJaclyn Mrozek Instagram Page: @pianokatsmastermindToday’s GuestJaclyn Mrozek owns and teaches in her home studio, Piano Kats in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she teaches both individual and group piano lessons. She's learned how to make her studio run smoothly, giving credit to her education background in project management. Jaclyn stays active in different clubs and groups, online and offline, where she enjoys helping other teachers connect and learn what works best for their own piano studios. As a certified facilitator of masterminds, Jaclyn also takes pleasure in organizing peer advisory councils and masterminds specifically tailored for piano teachers. She believes in the power of collaboration and enjoys sharing her own experiences while learning from others, both online and in person.About Rachel EhringDr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda.TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIALThank you for tuning in!Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show.Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Fridays weekly.