Getting some new students who have taken lessons with another instructor? Eric shares his strategy for preparing transition students for success.
“There are three things that I start every new student with. I would really suggest that you have these in some form for your lessons. Those three things are:
- Commitment sheet
- ‘Why?’ statement
- Goal sheet
Those three things are critical to success and the forward progress of any student.
The commitment sheet basically lets the student know what to expect from lessons, what my commitment is to the student as an instructor, and what the student’s commitment is to me as a student.
The ‘Why?’ statement basically asks the question, ‘Why are you taking lessons?’ and then lets the student put down a written response. This really helps differentiate whether the student is taking lessons because he/she is interested in music or if the parent has signed him/her up by force. This one really makes a difference by helping the student stay motivated when he/she decides he/she is not interested or doesn’t want to practice. When motivation gets low, review the ‘Why?’ statement. If the ‘Why?’ statement is significant enough to the student, he/she will practice even when things get kind of challenging or when motivation wanes a little bit.
The goal sheet allows the students to think about where they want to be and in what timeframe. The one that I use has:
- immediate goals set for one to six months from now
- short-term goals set for six months to one year from now
- medium-term goals set from one to three years
- long-term goals set from three to five years
I’ll often frame those goals based around what grade the student is in at school at that time frame. (For instance, I may tell a ninth grader, ‘Let’s imagine you when you’re graduating from high school. You’ve been playing guitar for four years and you’ve really done well with it. What can you do with your guitar? When and where are you playing music? Let’s write those things down as long-term goals.’) This exercise gives them a little bit better framework for understanding how old they will be when they reach certain goals. I also suggest that students start with the long-term goals (where they want to be in three to five years) and then work backward and figure out, ‘Well… if I want to get here, what do I need to be accomplishing in these time frames?’
You’ll review these goals on a regular basis with your student (no more frequently than once a month at least once every quarter) so you can track your progress and see what adjustments you need to make as an instructor or what adjustments the student needs to make as a learner so that they can continue to make forward progress.
I’ve seen a lot of success with students by doing this. I really suggest that you take the time and be intentional with your students to help them understand what they can expect from lessons. Help them define why they’re taking lessons and then set some goals for themselves so they can make forward measurable motion.”
Download Eric’s commitment sheet, “Why?” statement and goal sheet.