Practice records vs. Assignment sheets

Oh practice records! They really are the bane of a band director's existence. I necessary evil you might say. Having kids watch a clock and count the minutes to try to accomplish an arbitrary minute goal is proven not to work. Not only do kids tend to fudge the numbers, but they aren't necessarily practicing efficiently or effectively.

I made a change a change five years ago after a session at The Midwest Clinic. The presenter proposed giving more specific detail oriented Assignments vs. the traditional practice record. I developed my own version, it's gone through many versions but it has been far more successful in student progress and growth.

Even the students who are not so great at turning in those assignments still have guidance for their home practice. If you want to check out my version of the band assignment sheet go to this link here.