RESOURCES
In this resource area I have created fun, engaging and colorful piano teaching materials, including piano and theory worksheets (PRINTABLE). I have used all of these materials with my own students in both private and group lessons and they have proved to be really motivating and effective at all levels, so I would love to share them with other teachers and students. I hope you find them helpful!
PRACTICE LOG (updated 2025)
As many exciting TMTA/PMTA events are fast approaching here in north Texas area, we encourage students to practice and study more regularly. Monday and Tuesday students have now received their practice chart, however please feel free to print one out from the attached file just in case. Most of the rules are similar from last fall, but there have been a few adjustments made for this year.
Each box on the chart is still worth 5 minutes of practice, so when students have completed 5 minutes, they can check off a box. Each column equals 100 minutes of practice. Starting from November, students also need to log in their practice minutes on our website, www.mymusicstaff.com, with the goal of reaching at least 100 minutes (and ideally more!). The online record is for our studio, but the at-home chart can be used as a great visualization tool for extra motivation. We will send out more detailed instructions in the last week of October, especially for the new students.
Our practice system has been divided into two parts:
Incentive aspect (to log more than 100 minutes):
From the studio:
-Students will be awarded with 10 stickers whenever they reach 100 minutes
-Complete the entire chart (500 minutes) before December 15th students will be awarded for two items from the treasure chest (please note, there are a few items I brought from Europe trip). First come first serve, the first few who completed the entire 500 minutes would most likely receive something from Europe!
From the parents:
To enhance the practice motivation, we would also like to encourage parents to set up an incentive system at home to help students reach their goals, since parents know best what may motivate the students and can discuss this with them.
Consequences aspect from the teacher (less than 100 minutes logged): On the studio side, if a student hasn’t reached 100 minutes of logged practice time by the end of the semester, there will be extra assignments for the winter break, and 10 stickers will be taken away.
I have found that this practice system works wonderfully for both students and parents: students become more motivated to practice and take responsibility for their progress, while parents no longer feel the need to push as much.
I prefer to let parents decide on the reward system at home, since you know best what will encourage your child. With the holiday season approaching, this can also be a fun source of motivation.
The semester goal is very achievable: 100 minutes of practice time. I hope this system will encourage students to practice more consistently, and by working together, we can help them reach their best learning outcomes for the semester. For our new students, this will also serve as great preparation for our big event next spring—Practice Contest 2026!
Please use the attached practice chart and have fun with your practice time. Every step you take brings you closer to a higher level of piano performance—keep it up!
**Click on the image to download the file**
