Piano practice is a finicky little beast. A teacher can do everything right, mess up one small detail, and an entire week of practice is doomed.
It’s like cooking pancakes with baking soda instead of baking powder. You can beat the eggs to perfection, add in chocolate chips and blueberries, and pour the batter into little cartoon character shapes but if that darned baking soda makes it into the mix, instead of flipping pancakes, you’ll have a massive flop.
So the questions is, are you accidentally adding in the “hypothetical baking soda” before your piano students even leave your studio?
(As it turns out, my own answer to this question was… ‘Yes’.)
The Faulty Piano Lesson Assignment Sheet
For many piano teachers, myself included, the baking soda in the practice pancakes may be that lesson assignment sheet you’ve been sending home with your piano students.
Why?
Because most lesson assignment sheets are made for teachers, not for piano students. Aside from the fact that they are often boring, the most dangerous part of the lesson assignment sheet is that the teacher, not the piano student, is the one who completes the entire thing!
Which is not what we should be doing if we want self-motivated practicers.
Self-motivation begins when piano students take ownership of their piano practice. And yet, the very first piece of the piano practice puzzle, the lesson assignment sheet, has generally been completed by the teacher.
When it occurred to me that I have been doing this all wrong for too long… I gave myself a major “Duhhhh… forehead slap!”
Of course it should be the piano students who have a hand in completing the lesson assignment sheets! They are the ones taking piano lessons. They are the ones who will be practicing at home. They are the ones who should be committing to memory what it is they need to work on!
The very act of writing their own notes begins the process of taking ownership over their own learning and of committing to memory that which needs to be completed.
How To Rethink The Assignment Sheet
The great thing about making this small, but very important change, is that it is easy. You don’t even need to change your lesson assignment sheets. Simply change who completes which sections, for example…
From now on I will be completing any sections on a lesson assignment sheet that pertain to pieces, scales, and exercises to be completed. I will also be completing notes to parents and studio reminders.
From now on my students (who are able to easily write) will be completing sections on the lesson assignment sheet that may include questions like the following:
- This week I must remember to (student fills in a reminder).
- The most challenging part of my piano piece this week is (student fills in a challenge).
- Andrea will be amazed next week when she hears me (student fills in a goal).
Bonus benefit? Using lesson assignment sheets in this way forces you and your students to have an engaged discussions that lead to very short, specific, and precise goals – something that also really benefits home practice progress!
And for all those teachers who use Shhhh… My Piano Teacher Thinks This Is Practice, don’t forget to add a special section to that lesson assignment sheet where your students can track their progress through 88 days of piano practice that are absolutely, positively, most definitely NOT BORING!
Susan says
I often ask my young students to add one or two points when I’m writing in their books. I include the questions ‘what?’ and ‘how?’
What goes in the book is usually a discussion between the two of us.
Bev says
I just had this discussion with a student last week. After a rough start to the lesson, as I was looking at the practice sheet in his folder, I asked him if he looked at it. He said no, of course, he didn’t have time. Bottom line, he’s working on one piece this week – just one – he knew he could find time to practice that.
Andrea says
Hi Bev – I think this is an effective way of dealing with this – breaking practice into manageable smaller chunks sometimes takes the feeling of enormity away that young kinds can experience if they feel as though they have a lot of tasks to complete. Sometimes they may even surprise you and do more than was asked – and the pride that comes from this accomplishment is way more motivating than simply doing what was asked.
Milla says
One of the requirements should be: piano practice before homework. In the end of the day, when a student is tired, what he is more likely to drop-math assignment ot piano practice? Piano practice, of course!
MaryAnn Vandenberg says
I totally agree that it is the students who must take control, but as you discussed before enemy is time, how to fit all in a 1/2 hour lesson. Any more ideas thanks for all your help!
Gilda says
Great idea! Plan to use this.
Jo Snowden says
Great idea! I’ll use this when I have students old enough to write 😉
Andrea says
Hi Jo – yes… in the interest of time you want to start this with kids who won’t take 10 minutes per sentence 😉
Christi says
If nothing else you could have them dictate to you the answers to these questions.
Ann Burgess says
Great idea, but I’ve taken to recording my comment on the Moosic. Studio iOS app and emailing them to parents or older students because it saves time and they find it more accessible. I can also record short excerpts of their music to help them get timing right etc. I’ll have to think this through. Maybe I could ask those questions and get them to answer on the recording.
Bonnie Haskell says
I am VERY interested in finding out more about Moosic Studio. I looked at the reviews on iTunes but there were only two…one positive and one saying it wasn’t as good as the subscription services. I want to consolidate “paperwork” and streamline communications. Nothing like a text from a frustrated parent over the weekend to motivate me to improve in this area. 🙂 Yes, the student was being less than truthful with parent, but I want to eliminate that wiggle room.
Nels says
This is a great idea though, time consuming. I tried this before with my students and it took way too long to fill out the home work sheet for my students. Perhaps older kids, at least 10 yrs old, will be great idea. Instead I showed the homework sheet to the younger student when I write and I ask them ‘so what should we improve this week for this piece?’ Or ‘what do we want to make sure to achieve when you practice the scale?’ And I write them down. I think that is more practical from my experience. Or maybe some people can do better which I don’t know how :p
Andrea says
Hi Nels – I think having a guided format to your assignment sheet where they just have to fill in 2-3 words is key. Have “starters” such as “This week, my assigned piece is _______” or “I will spend extra time at home working on _______”. This should eliminate any wasted time writing too much. However, I do think that time spent during the lesson discussing practice goals, strategies etc. and having your student feel as though they own their own practice ends up saving you time in the long run (less chance of “supervised practice sessions” in future lessons) and while it may take a few moments longer to get the child to do it themselves, it’s time well spent. This is the hope, anyway! 🙂 I do this with my students ages 8 and up. Anything younger than that means they typically don’t have the literacy skills yet to write fluently (and in my area most kids learn to write in French instead of English first… so that makes it even harder! LOL)
Renee says
Thanks for sharing!! I’ve been racking my brain for a new lesson paper format. Trying to decide what’s best. this is very helpful. Any templates that work well for FAST but HELPFUL lesson sheet reminders?! 🙂 Thanks!
Andrea says
Hi Renee – we have a bunch you can download for free on the site that work really well for kids to fill out themselves too – https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/09/07/a-printable-to-add-some-pizzazz-to-your-piano-lesson-assignment-binders/
Marcia says
I have enjoyed using using Moosic Studio….especially recording student performances. It is simple, the sound is fine for my needs and the students learn and improve from listening. Even though I do not utilize everything Moosic Studio offers I think it is a great app.
Miriam Shingle says
I just looked for Moosic Studio in the App Store, but couldn’t find it. There was Moosic, but is that what you meant?
Stacia says
This is a great observation! I just use a notebook to write their assignments in and I could see it being valuable to just have them write the assignments instead of me. Thanks for the idea!
Roni says
I have had this idea at the back of my mind, but it is always easier and quicker to write myself – where I teach (in Essex, UK), a lot of my lessons are 15 minutes! I love the compromise of the pupils filling in just a few key words (‘xcuse the pun…) and will try it after the summer break.
Barbara says
Those templates are brilliant. Will start using them after the summer break. I looked briefly at the Moosic studio app which seems excellent. My iPad is old though so will have to check if it’s compatible. The time spent writing in their journals and then in mine would be better spent with fingers on the keys 🙂