Planning Next Year’s Practice Incentive
Things have been a little more sparse around here because I’m trying to plan next year’s practice incentive. Trying is the operative word. 
For those of you who have been here a while, you know that each year I plan a big studio-wide practice incentive based on a particular theme. I really love coming up with new ideas each year, but it takes a lot of brainstorming, writing, planning, re-thinking, and preparing. I officially reserve the month of August for this purpose, but I like to start jotting down thoughts and letting various ideas percolate earlier in the summer so that I have plenty of time to solidify my plans and purchase and prepare all necessary supplies.
Something that is especially helpful to me in my planning is a set of questions that I ask the students on the Year-End Evaluations:
- What did you like about [last year's] theme?
- Is there anything you didn’t like about [last year's] theme?
- Do you have any suggestions for future theme ideas?
- What areas would you especially like to focus on improving next year?
Combined with input from the parents’ evluations and some of my own ideas and objectives, we usually end up with an engaging and motivating theme for the year. I have in mind what my theme title will be for next year, but I can’t say yet because I know that some of my students follow this blog and I wouldn’t want them to get the inside scoop ahead of time!
I’ve been planning my practice incentive lately as well. My students are interested in learning more about Beethoven, so we are focusing on him. Throughout the year they will be earning ‘Beethoven Bucks’ that they can spend in the ‘store’. For group lessons we will be learning about Beethoven and doing related activities. It’s a lot of work, but so much fun for all!