I am very blessed to have some very hard working students. There are times, however, when students fall into a sticky-stucky, icky-yucky pit full of excuses as to why they just can't practice (it happens to the best of us.) I've discovered a resolution that might blow your minds, but will certainly help your students blow you away!
Give your student MORE music! That's right, I said it, and I do it, and it works. This Ultimate Practice Incentive might surprise you. It might even have you rolling your eyes, scratching your head, or saying things like, "Is this teacher CRAZY?!" While the latter might be slightly true, this has proven to be a successful way to unstick my stuck students and give them a positive and educational practice incentive that parents, students, and teachers are happy about.
Here's what you have to do:
First, have your students create a practice log in a notebook. Have them decorate it, give them stickers to put on it, just to make it fun! This practice log should include the following:
Date | Beginning Time | Ending Time | Total Practice Minutes | Total Minutes to Date
Here is an example of how your students practice log might look:
Date | Beginning Time | Ending Time | Total Practice Minutes | Total Minutes to Date
9/16/13 3:10 3:35 25 25
9/18/13 4:45 5:15 30 55
9/19/13 5:00 5:30 30 85
Set a goal for your students, either weekly, monthly, or quarterly (whatever works for you). Goals should be attainable. Make sure each student has goals that work for them. For example, one student might be able to do 400 minutes a month or more, while another might only be able to do 300 or less. Get into a routine of having them or their parents log their practice minutes The practice log should be checked by the teacher on a weekly basis. Give them sticker rewards for reaching a fair number of minutes per week. After your students have gotten into a logging routine introduce the Ultimate Practice Incentive.
The Ultimate Practice Incentive
Offer musical prizes in the form of, you guessed it! MUSIC! Make sure the music is fun and engaging. Themed music works well. Also, students love being creative so you can take this opportunity to compose a song as one of your musical prizes.
Here is an example of one of my UPI's:
120 minutes of practice = 1 new Halloween Song
130 minutes of practice = BONUS 2 new Halloween Songs
140 minutes of practice = DOUBLE BONUS 3 new Halloween Songs
You'll have your students out of that icky-yucky pit in no time!
So, give it and try and let me know what you think of this idea or if you have any other Ultimate Practice Incentive ideas.
Jennifer Lorys
Jennifer's Musical Moments
Give your student MORE music! That's right, I said it, and I do it, and it works. This Ultimate Practice Incentive might surprise you. It might even have you rolling your eyes, scratching your head, or saying things like, "Is this teacher CRAZY?!" While the latter might be slightly true, this has proven to be a successful way to unstick my stuck students and give them a positive and educational practice incentive that parents, students, and teachers are happy about.
Here's what you have to do:
First, have your students create a practice log in a notebook. Have them decorate it, give them stickers to put on it, just to make it fun! This practice log should include the following:
Date | Beginning Time | Ending Time | Total Practice Minutes | Total Minutes to Date
Here is an example of how your students practice log might look:
Date | Beginning Time | Ending Time | Total Practice Minutes | Total Minutes to Date
9/16/13 3:10 3:35 25 25
9/18/13 4:45 5:15 30 55
9/19/13 5:00 5:30 30 85
Set a goal for your students, either weekly, monthly, or quarterly (whatever works for you). Goals should be attainable. Make sure each student has goals that work for them. For example, one student might be able to do 400 minutes a month or more, while another might only be able to do 300 or less. Get into a routine of having them or their parents log their practice minutes The practice log should be checked by the teacher on a weekly basis. Give them sticker rewards for reaching a fair number of minutes per week. After your students have gotten into a logging routine introduce the Ultimate Practice Incentive.
The Ultimate Practice Incentive
Offer musical prizes in the form of, you guessed it! MUSIC! Make sure the music is fun and engaging. Themed music works well. Also, students love being creative so you can take this opportunity to compose a song as one of your musical prizes.
Here is an example of one of my UPI's:
120 minutes of practice = 1 new Halloween Song
130 minutes of practice = BONUS 2 new Halloween Songs
140 minutes of practice = DOUBLE BONUS 3 new Halloween Songs
You'll have your students out of that icky-yucky pit in no time!
So, give it and try and let me know what you think of this idea or if you have any other Ultimate Practice Incentive ideas.
Jennifer Lorys
Jennifer's Musical Moments
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