Student Retention

How confident are you for retaining fall semester students to the spring? How confident to keeping students to next year? Students are pulled in many directions, not to mention the challenges of dealing with Covid-19. The following are some considerations to maximize your student retention potential.

Know your stats. Current students and expected students. Know the "whys"--why students leave and why students stay. Ask the students! They're your best source of information.

Be intentional. Have a reason for everything you do. Find what works for your community. If you have to force it, leave it alone. Focus on what you can do. The ensemble reflects your attitude.

Reach out. Ask administrators if you're allowed to recruit. Ask if schedule changes will be happening. Pop in to classes where a large percentage of the population is (easy now with zoom.) Have a recruitment video and play during morning class announcements. Talk to students that are in your non-band classes. Ask band kids' friends that are not in band to join band. Use band kids as a recruiting tool; they will have friends who should be in band.

Create a positive virtual classroom culture. Set goals. Students should feel they're getting better, not just completing busy work. Be consistent. Create routines. Have fun lessons. Team-build. Create ice-breakers (scavenger hunt, "name that tune", movie nights, etc)

Use/Develop student leaders. Social media managers, activity facilitators, idea generators. Let them run a break out session for team building...let go of the control!

Advertise. Be confident and toot your own horn! Use social/print media. Be intentional. Communicate with students and parents. Don't forget to use the phone! Branding is a valuable tool; everyone loves swag!

Plan your events. In person or virtual? What can you do? Consider administrative and safety guidelines. Offer solutions, create a timeline. Reimagine your "normal" activities. Consider January and next year. Communicate with administrators/registrars/counselors at all levels.

Recruit and retain parents too. Bust up myths. Talk about time management. Ask current students to have conversations with band quitters.

Amy Hinkson taught band for 13 years in North Carolina and Arkansas, most recently serving as Assistant Band Director at Lakeside Jr. High in Springdale, AR. Prior to Lakeside, Amy worked as Percussion Coordinator for the Alma School District for 8 years. She earned a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Missouri in 2004 and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Arkansas in 2002. Amy's bands consistently earned Excellent and Superior ratings at Concert Assessments, and her students routinely landed spots in the All-Region and All-State bands. Amy resides in Fayetteville with her husband, JR, and two sons, Jack and Nolan. The Hinkson family loves to watch baseball (especially the Texas Rangers!) and, of course, all things Razorback! Amy Hinkson joined the Palen Music Center team during the summer of 2017 and was named MVP of Palen Music Center in 2020.