Some time ago, I realized my students were getting a little bored of the same old routine. I thought they needed some stimulation, so I decided to re-think my rewards system. For a long time, I mostly focused on educational music games at the end of the lessons as being a good enough reward. But it didn’t help with energy levels throughout the lesson. I needed some help.
After searching online, I found this cool blog called ColourInMyPiano.com. This blogger has some inspiring ideas for piano teachers! One thing she recommended was stickers. I have to admit I really resisted stickers for a long time simply because I didn’t want to bother with them. I felt like, I’m already putting so much energy into providing good songs and music games in each lesson. I don’t want to add one more thing on my to-do list. But I was desperate, so I caved. I bought some Emoji stickers and wow… the kids acted like I had cupcakes sprinkled with video games and free iPhones. It did the trick. They go crazy over Emoji stickers and they love placing them in the perfect comical location after completing each song. You can purchase them on amazon here.
The other tool I love is the Sproutbeat app. I cannot live without this app! First of all, kids love anything done on an iPad, so even though it’s Music Theory, they think they’re playing a game. Win-win. I use this app in almost every single lesson. There are over 500 worksheets available in several different categories. You can download 20 for free and after that, it’s only $19.99. Well worth the cost.
Tiny Bookmarks. So cute!
The final little accessory I have having in my arsenal is decorative sticky bookmark tabs. Seems insignificant, but it’s all about the details! I have tried everything to get students to remember their practice songs. Special notebooks, folding the pages, writing in the lesson books. Some kids are fine with those methods, but others need extra help. So I made it fun by purchasing this cute little sticky tabs! I stick one to each assigned song in their books and we both make a big deal out of how cute the little critters are. I think it makes it a little more special. You can find a variety of styles here.
Do you have any other incentives you use? I would love to try out your ideas. Please share in the comments below!
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