Maybe one of the best things I learned from Randall Faber at a recent conference was how different age groups approach learning.

• Under Seven age group:   Their mentality is “I can DO IT.”  They are more excited about the doing than anything else.  They don’t care so much about progressing or achieving goals.  They just want to have fun.  Activities at the piano and away from the piano are great motivators.  Because they are motivated, they achieve success more readily.
• Seven to Thirteen Year Olds:   “I CAN do it.”  They are motivated by their ability.  Stickers are great motivators.  Acknowledging and reinforcing their competence helps foster great self esteem and motivation in this age group. 
• Adolescents:   “I can do it.”  They are proud of themselves.  Treat them as competent and capable, and they will achieve better success.

I think I approach each of my students with the “I CAN do it” mentality- focusing on and praising ability.  This works well, because most of my students fit in the seven-thirteen age range. 

But I do have a few students under seven and one over thirteen.   I have been so glad to have this insight.  It has opened my eyes, and I am approaching my younger and older students much better, keeping their age appropriate mentality in mind as I teach.

You know those Hello…My name is… nametags?

I’ve been using them for a fun and silly way to recognize good effort.  My nametags just say Hello…(minus the My Name Is…)

When somebody does something exceptional, I write in on a nametag and have them wear it during and after lessons. 

For example, Hello…I’m a Dynamic Queen.

-or-

Hello…I practiced every day this week.

-or-

Hello…I’ve got rhythm

-or-

Hello…I listened to everything my piano teacher said  (Haven’t actually been able to use that one yet.  Wouldn’t that be nice?)

The kids think it’s funny and love to show off to their parents.

I was asked for ideas of incentives and rewards for music students who can’t have treats of any kind. I have only had one student like this, and she was happy with stickers for a while. I only taught her for a year, so that reward didn’t get old. However, I know it would have after a while.

One piano teacher I know lets her students accumulate points throughout the quarter, and then sets up a “store” where they can spend their points. The items are pencils, busts of composers, stickers, notepads, things like that. She also includes candy (which is always snatched up in an instant!)

So I pose the question to you: what do you give as rewards or incentives to students who can’t have treats?

I always thought a “no frills” approach (meaning no games, no prizes) to teaching piano would be the best and “purest” way to teach.  I thought that (now put your nose in the air and say this next phrase in a drippingly snobby tone) music itself would be fun enough and incentive enough for kids to learn piano.  (You can lower your nose and return to your normal tone).  You’re laughing at my ignorance.  Don’t worry.  It didn’t take long to realize that kids learn better and get more excited when there is FUN going on!  I haven’t yet determined how much fun is appropriate for stellar learning, but I am having FUN figuring it out!  Here is my incentive program I am using for this year.  So far, the kids are really excited and they are improving at a better rate than before.  Most of my students are beginners, so you will see that the requirements aren’t too terribly difficult. 

Incentive Program     

In order to motivate my students’ progression, I am beginning an incentive program that will reward practice, piano knowledge, song memorization, technique, and theory.  Each student will have a designated jar in my studio where they can place fuzzy craft pom-poms after sufficiently completing their requirements.  When the jar is full of pom-poms, they can cash it in for an ice cream sundae (with all the works) at their next lesson!  There are plenty of ways to earn pom-poms and each student has control over how fast their jars fill up depending on how hard they work!

PRACTICE:    My students are required to mark the days they have sufficiently practiced each song and warm-up throughout the week on their practice logs.  We will discuss during lessons how long they are required to practice each day. 

Required amount 4 days out of the week:                1 pom-pom

5 days out of the week                                               3 pom-poms

6 days out of the week                                               4 pom-poms

 v     Parents:  Please take note!  Students must have their practice sheet signed by you in order to receive their pom-poms!

 PIANO KNOWLEDGE:          I will give a short quiz at the last lesson of each month which covers piano terms we discuss during lessons.

70%                                                                            2 pom-poms

80%                                                                            3 pom-poms

90%                                                                            4 pom-poms

100%                                                                          5 pom-poms

 MEMORIZATION:                 If the students memorize a song we have learned in lessons that is FOUR lines or longer, they can receive 2 pom-poms.

TECHNIQUE:                         The students can receive 2 pom-poms for each 5 finger pattern with arpeggio and chord they complete to perfection.  More advanced students will earn these pom-poms with assigned scales.

THEORY:                               I will periodically give theory pages to be done as homework.  If these are completed (even if there are mistakes) students can earn 2 pom-poms.

 The kids have a lot of fun watching their jars fill up.  I think it’s a great visual motivator.  It helps them to realize they have control over their progress.

My two ice cream parties last week were so much fun.  Each student brought one friend to their lesson.  We started out with eating ice cream (duh…how could you start with ANYTHING else at an ice cream party?).  Then we played games, followed by a mini-recital for the friend.

One student brought a friend who has taken piano lessons for 5 years so we were able to play games without teaching piano concepts.  We first played Note Twister (see previous post).  I do have to pat myself on the back because my student knew her notes WAY better than the friend who has taken for 5 years!  Yay, go me!  (and my student, of course)

The other student brought a friend who has been thinking about starting piano lessons for a long time.  We played a game at the piano which requires knowing the names of the notes, so my student and I quickly taught the notes to his friend.  He learned them so fast.  I was blown away.  He then went home and showed his mom, who decided to sign him and his sister up for lessons!  Yay!

The best part of the ice cream party with a friend was seeing my students teach their friends things they know.  I never know for sure how well my students are understanding something.  But when they are faced with teaching it to somebody else, their true knowledge comes out!

Happy 4th of July!  In honor of the holiday where lots of good food is eaten, my post is going to be about food.

I told my student who is about to have her ice cream party that she may choose 5 toppings she wants me to have.   This is what she chose:  Magic shell topping, Hershey’s topping, Caramel topping, M&M’s, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. 

Yuk.

Two of my students have earned an ice cream sundae since I began my incentive program a few months ago.  They will both have their parties during their lessons next week.  I’m really excited.  I am allowing them to bring a (well behaved-I specified) friend to partake in all the fun and goodness!  (Hopefully, one or two of the friends I allow to come will want to take lessons- an idea my sister-in-law suggested!) 

We’re going to spend a few minutes eating ice cream and then we will play some musical games.  I still haven’t decided which games to play, so if anybody has some great suggestions for easy games two kids can play, send ’em my way!

At the end of the lesson,  the student will have a mini-recital for his/her friend.  I think it should be really fun!  I’ll let you know how it goes once it’s all over!

Oh, I just love the magic of stickers!  I let my piano students put a sticker on their song after they have learned it and passed it off.  They go absolutely crazy over the stickers.  One student chooses a theme for each day: “All of my stickers today are going to be red.”  Another wants to get the biggest ones on the sheet.  Others are obsessed with what other students are using for their stickers.  And they go absolutely BONKERS when I pull out a fresh, untouched sheet of stickers!  They are so easy to please!  What other simple, inexpensive ideas do you use for motivation?

I’m all about incentives for little kids, but can’t seem to figure out what to do about my teenage students.  I mean, if I myself feel ridiculous putting a sticker on their page or giving them points for practicing, how must they be feeling!  Any suggestions for me on how to motivate teenagers without behaving all silly-like?

My fabulous mother saw this ad in a magazine and sent it to me.  (Yes, I know the quality of the picture is horrible.  The page was folded and, yes, that’s my finger in the corner.) 

I had told my mom about my student who couldn’t remember notes so she suggested I play a game using jelly beans and a staff.  As everybody knows, candy is a great motivator!  (Everybody DOES know this right?) 

I couldn’t find jelly beans, so I used skittles in my game.  I’m sure I’m not the first person to do this, but I think it’s a pretty fabulous idea.  

I made simple grand staffs for each of my students.  Then, I gave them one bowl and I kept one bowl.  I took out 15 skittles and placed them at random on their staffs 3 at a time.  They had to pick up the skittle, tell me the name of the note, and play it on the piano.  If they got it right, they got to put the skittle in their bowl.  If not, it went in mine! 

We played the game at the beginning of lessons.  I let them put their bowl of skittles right by them so they could eat them throughout the lessons.  (Daring, I know.)  Then I sent them home with their grand staffs to teach the notes and game to their parents for theory homework!  Fun!