The 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!
A Do-It-Yourself S’mores Kit is my “teacher’s choice” award for my best practicers at the year-end recital.
Students who met their 
I top it off with a punny label like this one. Here’s a 
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 
Need help preparing for that last big event of the teaching year — the studio recital? Here are some checklists, helpful hints, and even a punch recipe that might make your life a little easier!
I’ve been experimenting with different types of shoulder rests for several years now, trying to find the perfect design and placement to give me a secure hold so I can play with accuracy and comfort. However, since I’m built slightly like a 
chinrest with a 
shoulder rest has not worked for me. I cycled through virtually every type of shoulder rest on the market to find one that would work. (If you’re interested in my reviews of them, scroll to the bottom of this post.)
I thought I had settled on the small, firm 
A “star teacher” is one that I would like to emulate in my teaching approach. Having attended Mimi Zweig’s Workshop for Violin Teachers, I got to learn firsthand from this master teacher and her colleagues. Mimi has generously made videos of her teaching available, for free, online. All you have to do is sign up at 
In 2014 I made two videos of myself trying out several intermediate-level violins and bows from