I have two programs going in my studio that have been invigorating to many and ignored by others. The fact that they might have been ignored could be my own problem. Lesson time is precious and when we are learning I find it distracting to stop and ask if they recorded their practice minutes or if they brought their assignment sheet. My agenda just doesn't always pan out when that excited child comes through my door. But, my failings aside, after many months interest is rising due to the large chart on my keyboard.
Each little sticker is a level of notes read correctly in just one minute. I add new notes or amount of notes at each level.
It started like this.
The Thousand Minute Club was a challenge, not because it is hard to practice 1000 minutes, but because it is hard to log minutes on the assignment sheet and bring it to lessons. I think I may be teaching responsibility and organization, as well. I am looking forward to trying something new after June, for the summer months.
I use a lot of incentives too. Mine are based on completion of theory pages, scales, and pieces. I have about 30 students, so I divide them into about 4 groups. I make a thermometer for each child, and when they get 3 stickers, they get to put their name into a draw for a prize at the end of the semester. I usually do this in the fall and call it the Fall Challenge. This winter semester, I'm trying something different. I saw some practice chains on Susanne Hilton's blog - so plan to use them in the same way - as a results oriented incentive program. At the end of the semester, I'm going to melt their beads into suncatchers and present them to them at the year end recital. Hoping it works. Another thing I've done is to have about 8 or so different animals on the wall... that travel at different speeds... from snail to cheetah - and the ultimate - a roadrunner... and I get to decide just how fast they are moving that week. Their name goes under the picture of the animal.. the next week they can always do better or worse. Works pretty well.
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