Have you checked your binder?
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Did you know that student binders are our main throughway for communication on weekly assignments between student, teacher, and parent? Every week we write an assignment sheet detailing WHAT, and often HOW, a student should practice that week. Following these assignments plays a key role in practicing intentionally to establish consistent progress! There’s space to track daily practices throughout the week, and a box to add questions or a quick note to let me know how practice went.
But I’ve been noticing this school year in particular, that the binder is barely on many students’ radar despite my weekly reminders at lessons. This tells me I need to do a better job highlighting their importance for both piano kids and studio parents to be checking in on.
Enter our January challenge! Its a ‘Check Your Binder' challenge in which I hide a silly word in the written assignment each week during the month of January. Students who can tell me that word when they come in the door for lessons the following week will get a star in their binder and on our challenge chart hanging in the studio. (It will be a unique word for all students, so asking your friend on the way in the door won’t cut it 😉).
Students who collect all 4 stars will get a brag photo! To help out with remembering to check the binder, I will pin a reminder to each student bag the first week of January lessons. The hope is that this challenge will kick off a new habit of checking student assignments and maybe even adding some questions
for me through the rest of the year - not just in January!
for me through the rest of the year - not just in January!