Setting Goals in Piano Lessons

Like many other piano teachers, I use the beginning of the school year to set goals for my students. I do a mid-year checkup in January and then set a separate goal for the summer.

I call my student's goals their "Mission Statement" and they are responsible for helping create it each year.

The Goal Setting Process

I highly recommend that you get your students involved in setting their goals for the year. The importance of having students choose their own goals cannot be over stated. When children are able to have a say their own learning, they feel empowered and take more responsibility in their studies.

But choosing goals can be really hard for a kid, because you don't know what you don't know.

I've come up with some questions to help my students set their Mission Statement for the year.


Questions for Young Beginner Piano Students

For young piano students (5 & under) I ask them these three questions:

1. What do you love about piano?
2. What do you want to be good at?
3. How does playing piano make you feel?

Most of them don't give me a completely coherent answer - okay, let's be honest, the little ones ramble - so I listen and then rephrase their response to fit into a two to three sentence Mission Statement.


Questions for Elementary to Advanced Piano Students

For older students, we get a little more involved. They choose one "what" question and one "how" question from the following list.

• What do I want to accomplish this year?
• What do I want to learn more about?
• What do I want to be better at?

 

• How do I want to feel when I play, practice, & perform?
• How do piano lessons help me to become who I want to become?
• How will I find joy in my music this year?

Students choose one "what" question and one "how" question from each list to answer and together we create their Mission Statement.

I have them start their Mission Statement with "I (name)" then answer their two questions.

After they've written it down, we take it over to the Mission Statement board in the waiting room. Putting it on the board makes official and keeps them accountable. I've found it really helps my students stay on task throughout the year.

I've created this printable to help you and your students set their goals for the year.


Do your students set their own goals?
When do you set your student goals? Do you use a different method of setting those goals? I've love to hear your thoughts!