If you are entering students in competitions, this will affect your approach to the overall curriculum, specific literature/technique/keyboard harmony, enrichment activities, and pace of the studio year.

Consider these points:

• For each student you are entering, write down why she is entering. "Winning" should be at the bottom of the list. Things you might list:
  • to gain self confidence
  • to gain self-esteem
  • opportunity to be heard
  • to be around other children with similar talents and goals
• There's no such thing as a "winning formula."
• Keep the student's self-esteem intact. A good approach is "You don't ever lose. Sometimes you just don't win." The process is important, not the winning. Focus on self-esteem, not the result. There are always more non-winning students than winning students.
• Examine your own motives for entering the student. Is it your ego talking?
• Consult with the parents. Is it -their- egos or vicarious pleasure talking?
• Don't enter students automatically every year. Consider each situation and student individually each year. What is beneficial one year may not be the next; and vice versa.
• Keep level-headed balance between what you would teach anyway and what you feel a judge would like to hear when it comes to literature selection during the year.
• Don't completely abandon ancillary activities during the studio year, such as accompanying, ensemble playing, etc.
• Prepare the student for the unexpected. Stop and start in unusual places. Play the program out of order. Play the program without warm-up. Play the program on an unfamiliar (and poor quality) instrument.
• Coach the student on procedures. Have a warm-up exercise prepared, should the judge ask the student if he would like to warm up.
• If you have parents from other studios approach you after your student wins, probe the parents' goals very carefully. Don't let yourself become a victim of parents who are "teacher hopping" in search of competition wins.