This past week I’ve had an intertwining of questions on my mind - What makes a good assignment for our students? How can we help students take ownership of their musical journey? And how can we integrate meaningful repetition into our students’ home practice sessions? After all, good assignments can make a huge difference. Ownership means that it belongs to students. And repetition brings students closer to fluency and mastery. So how can music teachers get all that to happen?
What makes a good assignment? I’m struck by how many ways you can answer that question. So I think I’ll try to get things right down to the foundation. For me - a good assignment is one that students are willing to take on. And you’ll notice I use “willingness” as the key word. Because if it’s something students don’t buy into, it’s unlikely they’ll give it much effort at home. “Willingness” is my starting place.
Like with my student Eric, who always needs more practice to get comfortable. The problem is that Eric easily gets discouraged after just a couple of run-throughs. It’s as if by the third attempt he’s emotionally and physically worn out. I know that with more repetition, Eric would experience success more quickly, but right now that’s not possible. So I keep his assignments to something I know he can willingly take on. There’s a lot more to his journey coming up and I don’t want to squash his sense of security by trying to get there sooner than he’s ready.
In this way, a good assignment builds on students’ willingness - which is often the doorway to persistence, and persistence is where growth can happen.
How can we help students take ownership? Ownership begins when teachers create spaces for students to recognize what’s going on, help define goals, and assist with choosing strategies. We put the process of students taking ownership into action when we involve students as active music makers.
Once more with Eric, it’s interesting to watch how simple questions can fuel his involvement as an active participant. Which line would you like to strengthen first? What strategy (stop & go, or playing eyes closed) helped you the most today? What should I write in your notebook? These questions shift ownership to him. And that matters a lot, because Eric will stay positively engaged longer at home when he feels like the process feels belongs to him. For me, it’s the aspect of having ownership that provides the most momentum.
Ownership is all about designing assignments with students.
How can we integrate meaningful repetition? Music teachers know a lot about repetition. Especially how repetition can help students move from Stage One of getting familiar with something to Stage Two of having something internalized. And sometimes, it might feel like we just need to be honest and tell our students to get the 100 times of repetition over and done with. But there’s something I’m not so comfortable with that approach.
Back to Eric. I could tell Eric that his progress on this piece will be amazing when he’s practiced it 100 times. I could do that. But, what if he achieves the goal with less repetition? What if he needs even more than 100 times? Meaningful repetition isn’t just doing things over and over. Meaningful repetition means both Eric and I are using our awareness to keep track of what’s going on. It’s not about me setting goals for Eric that only I can monitor, because if I’m the only one who can tell when he’s successful, we are in big trouble!! It’s about including Eric and helping him develop the awareness of things he can be in charge of.
Meaningful repetition has a twofold trajectory. It deepens students’ mastery while also increasing their music maker awareness.
Bringing It Together - I started with an interweaving of questions for this article. Much to my delight, the more time I spend with these questions, the more I appreciate how they reveal a connected way of working with my students.
Good assignments invite ownership. Ownership makes repetition meaningful. Meaningful repetition leads to mastery, awareness, confidence, and fluency. Assignments, ownership, and repetition each have something to offer. It’s remarkable how each aspect interweaves with the next. Their biggest impact lies in how each gives strength to the others.
I appreciate how there’s something genuinely remarkable about interweaving. How some of the deepest growth in teaching doesn’t come from isolated strategies, but from ideas working in relationship. When elements support one another rather than stand alone, learning often becomes more coherent, more human, and more lasting. It's a win-win strategy for teachers and students.
Do your assignments reflect what students should do, or what they’re willing and ready to take on?
How could you be more intentional about inviting students to participate actively in shaping their own assignments?
Does repetition in your teaching involve counting numbers or developing awareness?
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