Category: Incentive Programs

Incentive Program Package #3: Seven Summits and Beyond

(This post contains some affiliate links.)

As my incentive programs have developed over the past 20 years, they’ve expanded and become more graphics-heavy. Each year’s theme now includes a large wall display that tracks individual student progress towards meeting their (minimum) 10 annual MusiQuest Goals. So this third incentive program I’m going to share with you comes with more printables!

“Seven Summits And Beyond” is a mountain-climbing theme that celebrates the indomitable spirit of the world’s greatest mountaineers. Living where I do in the Pacific Northwest, the familiar sight of Mount Rainier dominating the skyline is always breathtaking. Since it’s a training summit for prospective Everest climbers, it was the first “destination” for my students. The theme continues through the highest summits on each continent (the “7 Summits”) leading to Mt. Everest as #10. Students who completed more than 10 goals went on to “climb the 8000’ers” — the Himalayan peaks over 8000 meters high. Continue reading “Incentive Program Package #3: Seven Summits and Beyond” →

Incentive Program Package #2: Out Of This World

star trophyMy second incentive program theme is literally Out Of This World! You could also call it Space, The Final Frontier; Into Space; or even Blast Off! I get ideas for my incentive programs from the variety of economy-priced awards I can purchase from Crown Awards. A star trophy like this one is perfect for a space theme. Crown Awards has dozens of insert graphics too, from generic “music” pictures to specific instruments. Some are embellished with glitter and others glow in the dark.

The downloadable Progress Chart has 23 spaces for logging student progress towards a variety of music study goals. See Package #1 for the downloadable/printable list of MusiQUEST Goals and the Practice Tracking Card.

Posted in Incentive Programs, Printables, Student Awards

Incentive Program Package #1: Knight’s Quest

Posted on by J Melin

cup trophyThe first incentive program theme I ever designed had a Knight’s Quest motif. Students mark their progress towards completing ten or more musicianship development goals on a chart designed to look like a map to find mythical beasts and medieval objects. The prize at the end of the year was a cup trophy like this one.

Printable Downloads for you include: Progress Chart (pictured at right), Practice Sticker Cards for tracking practice each week, and editable MusiQUEST goals list that you can fill with your own ideas. I print the goals list on the back of the Progress Chart, on sturdy card stock so it will last through the whole year.

Mark the students’ completion of the goals by putting a sticker or stamp on each number from 1 to 10 or beyond on the Progress Chart. It’s even more fun if you can find stickers to match the theme of the incentive program.

My favorite small stickers in lots of different theme designs are made by Trend Enterprises.

Beware the Knights who say Ni!

Posted in Incentive Programs

Student Incentive Programs

Posted on by J Melin

What teacher doesn’t have the dream that their students will practice, improve and perform simply for the feeling of accomplishment? Since I became a parent before I became a teacher, I already had cold water dashed on this idea! From the get-go, I’ve put my creative juices to work, constantly inventing new rewards to motivate my students. Some of them are given out weekly, some about once a month, some “as earned” (maybe a couple times a year if the student works hard), and some just once a year, at the year-end recital. Awards are earned for a variety of efforts and outcomes. Almost any student can earn some awards, with younger students eligible for more awards than older ones. The most diligent students get the biggest payoff. Sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it? 🙂

Rewards are given for:

  • Meeting weekly practice goals (minutes and/or assignments)
  • Completing technique and repertoire checklists: Technique Tassels
  • Completing a menu of music-learning activities over the course of the lesson year: MusiQUEST
  • Participating in extracurricular music activities, like orchestras, competitions, festivals, etc.

For each of these areas, I’ve developed tools for students and teacher (me) to track their progress.

The first level is the weekly practice tracker and sticker card. Every time the student completes 4 weeks in a row of 100% meeting their practice goal, they earn a mini candy bar. The sticker card is also used for year-end rewards: students who received a sticker on 30 of the 36 weeks in the lesson year, get a DIY S’mores Kit with a personalized tag.

Check for other posts under this topic as I add more incentive program descriptions and resources.