An American Adventure (2004-2005)

An American Adventure (2004-2005)

by | Sep 7, 2004

This adventure of setting and achieving goals from a list of suggestions earned students tickets each week that were used to purchase a spot at American Landmark Tours throughout the year. Each tour featured a famous American Landmark – The Statue of Liberty,...
Traveling to Triumph (2003-2004)

Traveling to Triumph (2003-2004)

by | Sep 1, 2003

A huge map of the world featuring 13 capitals as destination points was hand-drawn and affixed to the studio wall. Each student’s name was written on a little die cut figure and placed at the departure point – Derby, Kansas of course! In the front of each assignment...
The Box Club (2002-2003)

The Box Club (2002-2003)

by | Sep 1, 2002

One of the simplest, but most motivating themes, The Box Club is designed to help students develop consistent practice habits. The mother of one of my students had suggested that it would be helpful to have a daily practice guide that the students could follow to know...
Milestones to Musical Mastery (2001-2002)

Milestones to Musical Mastery (2001-2002)

by | Sep 1, 2001

The wall above the piano became a road map of sorts, with eight milestones placed along the way at regular intervals. Each student got to select their preferred mode of transportation, from camels to ships to airplanes, and write their name on it. At the front of the...
Practice Your Way to A Party (2000-2001)

Practice Your Way to A Party (2000-2001)

by | Sep 1, 2000

Each of the students set their own goal for how much time they wanted to practice each week. Once they reached specific goals, they got to color in circles on a page at the front of their assignment books. At the end of the year, everyone who had reached their goal...