Why does this even exist in the studio?
This is what happens when a piano teacher shops at Walmart at 2am…. rubber chickens…. because the kids will LOVE them. #truestory
Fast forward almost an entire year…. let me tell you…. the kids LOVE the chickens!
At first, I REGRETTED my 2am decision but now I use the chickens ALL THE TIME! I even have students REQUEST that the chickens be used.
Here are a few ways that I use the chickens:
Rewards and Consequences
For my younger kids, the chicken only squawks when the student is NOT behaving the way they should. Due to a little charade, the kids believe the chickens listen to our lessons (just like the little elf on the shelf). Depending on the student, the chicken will squawk when the student is not behaving well OR in some cases, students love to hear the chicken when they did something awesome. The parents in the waiting room can also hear the chickens which makes for a great conversation after the lesson! Parents seem to enjoy the chickens also because they can hear when their children are being awesome at a task or they know when their behavior was not as great as it should have been.
Solving Problems
For my flute players, some have the habit of putting their flute down when they shouldn’t. A couple weeks with the talking chicken and the problem is solved.
Recital Prep
Riley LOVES using the chicken when preparing for the recital because it creates distractions while she is playing. Why is this great? This helps prepare Riley for the “what ifs” during a recital. What if a baby starts to cry? What if someone walks into the room unaware that there is a recital going on? (It happens….)
Just for fun
These chickens make hilarious videos and pictures. Don’t believe me? take a look at some of these pictures. I even have a picture of the chicken as my screen saver on my phone. Make sure to follow Melodic Mentors on Instagram, that way you can see the funny chicken pictures!
We have many more uses for these funky chickens and I highly recommend other teachers and even parents to use them. BUT beware of the horrible squawking sound and some little fingers like to squeak it over, and over, and over.