How many of our pupils never open their record book between lessons - even if they practice?  I want it to become their own record of their own work.  They can look back through it to see the progress they have made.

I have been writing a question in the record books which needs a written answer before the following lesson.  'Write a 2 bar rhythm that is used in your piece', 'write down how many times you played the difficult section', 'what can you play well now?', 'what do you need help with in the lesson?'.  Or variations on those.  When the question is not answered in the book at the start of the following lesson, the pupil can be left at one side of the room completing it and join back in when this is done.

For the beginners, they have been recording how many notes they can play in one breath, or how long they can hold a long note for.  It's taking more writing time from me in the lessons at the moment, but I am finding more beginners writing in their books.  This was 2 weeks work from one of my pupils which I must admit to being quite proud of (it doesn't take much), especially the 'got it' on the second page.