Practice Triggers
By Philip Johnston
Page 1 of 5
 When students don’t practice, it’s not always because they
are actively avoiding it. It’s just that sometimes, in a week filled with
school, sport, family, television and Nintendo, the idea of practicing simply
doesn’t occur to them often enough.
There’s nothing shameful about this. Practicing has just
become one of those “at some stage, when I get some time, I really should…”
things. I have a back lawn that is knee high at the moment because it is in
a category like that. (In fact I’m telling myself right now that I will mow
it…just as soon as this article is done…)
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This article looks at Environmental Practice Triggers –
what they are, how to spot them, and how your students can use them to be ready
for their next lesson. |
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I call these students “passive non-practicers”. They’re not
the students who lie and cheat their way out of practicing. They’re the kids who
start the week with the best of intentions, but then realize to their horror
when lesson day rolls around that it’s been seven days, and they haven’t
actually remembered to practice. And among today’s busy kids, these
passive non-practicers constitute more of our students than we think.
If we cannot find a way of helping trigger practice for
such students, we will eventually lose them. Not because we’re bad teachers, or
they are lazy students. But because the daily adventure of being a kid simply
won’t allow time for them to discover their musical best unless we tweak their
timetable a little.
The traditional solution is to employ parents as Practice
Police. We all know how that turns out. But don’t give up hope - there’s a
powerful alternative, and it’s much more fun for everyone involved.
You see, our students don’t need parents to remind them to
practice. Our students are surrounded every day by events and objects
that could be potential triggers for practice. They just have to be taught to
recognize them.
This article looks at Environmental Practice Triggers –
what they are, how to spot them, and how your students can use them to be ready
for their next lesson.
Ooooh! Tell me more!
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