So, we all have 3 targets discussed in our Performance Management.  And a year to prove that we're working towards them.  The following is one of mine:

To improve pupil progress by encouraging more and better practice.

How - Reflect on own successes with pupil practice techniques, gather ideas from other teachers and look at published research. Collate the findings and offer to HMS website Easter 2017 for others to read and adopt. Success criteria – own pupils making more progress and other teachers trying out the ideas.

To be honest it could be very boring reading large tracts of my writing at Easter 2017, so I thought about a blog.  That way, I could bore you across a far longer period.  What I'm looking for is:

1.  Proof that some of you woodwind teachers are reading this;

2. Feedback on whether what I'm writing is of any use (actually, I'm looking for POSITIVE feedback);

3. Some of you deciding to try out what I've been piloting (and telling me it helps in your teaching).

Then I will have met my target!

I thought I'd write something every weekend (though I'm not promising).  Please, truly and honestly but without being rude, let me know what you think.  Abby Roch at HMS has set this up for me, with the possibility of other blogs from some of you linked to the same main address - hence using 'hmswoodwind'.  And she said I should put photos in (to remind you who I am) -  

That's nearly enough to read for now.  But I leave you with this thought:  it is estimated that it takes 1200 hours of work to reach Grade 5 level (it's related to the 10,000 hours to be an expert we all know about).  If our pupils come to every one of their 36 20-minute lessons in a year and never pick up their instruments in between, they will take 100 years to reach this level.  And think of the link with HMS's motto - 

Participate - tick, Enjoy - probably no tick, Achieve - certainly not.