After reading an article in the Professional Skater's Magazine, I'm strongly considering requiring my students to keep a "skater's notebook."

According to the article:
"By far the most important goals in practical terms are those for the short-term, as it is these that keep skaters focused on the daily or weekly checkmarks which are influential to achieving the best performance possible for that particular skater. Therefore, short-term goals should be predominantly process-oriented. For example, many coaches use notebooks for skaters to record their percentages of successful jumps attempts or program run-throughs."

I'd love to get this started for September, the start of our fall skating schedule. I hope that requiring my skaters to become more aware of their own goals, practice sessions, motivation, etc. via daily/weekly entries will benefit them in the future by helping them understand what is necessary to achieve certain goals, see the gradual progress that their hardwork contributes to, make sure they are using practice time efficiently, and so on. Sometimes I think my younger skaters get a little lost regarding what to work on, so perhaps a simple list would help keep them on track.

I'm thinking of making a list of the elements I'd like each individual skater to work on during each practice session based on their ability, age, how often he/she skates, goals they'd like to achieve, etc. and checking their entries at the beginning of each lesson. I'd then like to focus my lessons a little more on what each skater feels they need to work on, what he/she is doing well, etc.

What I'm wondering is if anyone out there has required their own skaters to keep track of their practice sessions? Or if you've ever had to keep a skater's notebook? If so, what did you want to see your skaters recording and did recording their progress over time benefit them?

Any other suggestions or ideas would be great. Thanks for the input!

I keep a notebook myself. My coach thought I was crazy, she didn't believe in them. I'm a dedicated note taker and have adult onset parental disease which means that I regularly forget my car keys, so I have developed a need to write things down. So I used to write notes of my lessons after I left the rink. Do I need a refresher on salchows? I have those notes!

My current coach writes in my book with me. Great lesson! and stickers, I'm not too old for stickers. she doesn't write as much as I do, but it's more of ideas of things to put in programs, outlines of choreography. She doesn't write things for me to do because she knows that I'll do that. Quite a few skaters at my current rink use notebooks of various shapes and sizes and they are shared between coach and skater.

I've never used one myself with a skater, I just keep notes of the skaters lesson in my coach's notebook, it has date, lesson length and what we covered (briefly). It's more for me to remember what we did more than homework for the skater, but I share this with the skater. It also had dance patterns, ice schedule, phone numbers etc so it is my all around reference book.

DS, who is working his BUTT off at Mariposa, is now keeping a notebook. This is the first time he's really been on his own and it helps him to practice. What he needs to do, how many, questions for his coach. Those kinds of things. He is 10 if that helps

I think that stickers are a great idea. All of my skaters are young enough were the novelty of 'If I work hard, I might get a sticker!' could be effective. Great idea! I didn't even think of that. Thanks for the suggestion!

Actually my dd's coach gave every one of her students a notebook for present last season. The notebook is fancy and has a pen that you can attach in the side. My dd was thrilled. I am sure it does not cost a lot but to my dd's eyes was golden.
My dd is 7.5 and uses it. She is very hard working but she constantly forgets what to work on. So she writes a list of skills to work on. "She" writes them not the coach.
She usually fills a whole page. The sequence of skills and what she works are random. Just an assembly of stuff in her level. For her level and training the coach said it does not really matter as long as she is actually working. Sometimes if she forgets the notebook, scrapes the ice and she is bored unless I go to the door and tell her what to do which I hate. The coach does not check on it though. It works very well for young kids in the sense of remembering what to work on, not so much on tips and corrections which I assume it will work better for an older child.

I also gave out notebooks to my students last year. I told them I have a bad memory (true!) and that this would help me remember what we had to work on together. I put it in a big plastic zipper bag and had them tuck in their Basic Skills Record Book (the one with all the tests) and keep both in their skate bag. I always give them attached pencils, so they can erase and make corrections. I try to keep THEM doing the work, so they learn to organize themselves and plan their own practices. It's been spotty so far, because they're shy about staying on the ice when their lesson is over.

I've heard of coaches keeping a "Students Notebook" in a spiral binder with pages for each student, but I don't know anyone who does this, so I can't give you any advice on that.

In my students' notebooks, I have them write down what to practice, esp. exercises for the elements. I had them make a separate section for 'fun stuff' that they want to learn. We work on those elements together and they practice them as well. Things like hydroblades and spreadeagles, different jump positions, spin variations.

The rest of the notebook is pretty much theirs, although I wrote down my name and phone numbers along with the rink number/address on the back page. I noticed that one of the girls started a list of her friends' info in the back - cute! Another has a list of famous skaters that she likes (mostly men/boys ) and music she wants to skate to in the future.

Oh - it's also useful to write down their program cues, so they remember the order of elements and where in the music they fit. "SMILE after the Flip", things like that. I have one very argumentative student that gives me a hard time about remembering every second of her program. This stopped the arguments about where the spiral sequence belonged. (I swear we rechoreographed that program every lesson for four weeks until I put it on paper. It WAS a great program in the show - even with low-level jumps, she got a huge round of applause.)

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I have never used a notebook with skating, but I started as an adult. I always had a notebook as a child for music lessons. My teachers always wrote down what pieces we worked on, specific things to practice, etc. One teacher also wanted me to write down how long I practiced. I remember not always liking it, but it was also really helpful when I sat down to practice three days later and I still knew what to work on. I'd imagine it would work really well for skating also. By the way, I used this method from age 7 when I started through high school, so it works for multiple age groups.

I have had one coach use a notebook to keep track of students, but she was from out of the area and only saw us every few months. She uses it to write down what elements we worked on, order of program elements, etc. I'm sure it helps her keep track since she only sees us every few months.

Like the previous poster, my music teacher used a little notebook to keep track of everything from week to week. She actually tape recorded lessons for a while, but that stopped a few years ago.

I write in a notebook every week after my skating. I keep track of what I did, what I need to work on, and what will happen the following week. I started this as a child skater and picked up with it over the summer. This is due in part to being in college, I will have one coach over the summer and winter breaks and a different one for the fall and spring semesters. Both coaches know each other and actually competed against each other a few years ago. But I think it is a good resource for me to have when I am going back and forth every few months.

Being a visual learner, I like the ability to draw out the tracings of what a particular jump should look like, where toe picks need to be in relation to the gliding foot, etc.

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~Always Dream!~

Check my progress at www.freewebs.com/sk8tegirl06

Well, I did it. I just finished up my lastest newsletter, which will be sent out this week. I've typed up a big section about the skater's notebook, which I wanted to share with others who may be considering using one. Also, thanks to all of you who shared you wonderful ideas, which I've incoorporated into my notebook requirements. You're the reason why this forum is so helpful!

This is word-for-word from my August newsletter:

"1. Your personal skating goals (realistic short-term and long-term goals), which we’ll evaluate throughout the year to make sure we both do what we’re both doing our part to make sure you achieve these goals.

2. Elements/disciplines you worked on during practice. This will require that you either stay and practice after/before your lesson or get to the rink another day to work on your own. I cannot force you to practice and I cannot care more than my skaters do.

Your notes do not have to be detailed. Either check-off or write what you worked on after you’re done skating. For example, “I worked on the Dutch Waltz for 15 minutes” or “I practiced 10 loops.”

Whether you actually practice or simply check-off elements is up to you, but remember: it’s your responsibility. If you don’t do your part, I can’t do mine.

3. Any problems/questions you have. Keep track of anything you’re having trouble with, such as traveling spins, two-footed jumps, which foot to start a move on, etc. so that we can work on fixing these issues at your next lesson.

4. Something you did well. I would hope that even on your worst skating days you’d be able find something good about the sport.

We all have days when skating is the last thing we want to do; however, if skating ever gets to the point where its no longer fun, let me know so that we can find a way to make it more enjoyable or do some reevaluating.

5. “Fun stuff” you want to learn (i.e., hydroblading, spread eagles, spin variations/combinations, footwork, twizzles, etc.)

6. When and how long you practiced. Write this down at the top of the page. For example, “Friday, July 27th – 9:30-10:30 am.”

I hope that by requiring each of you to keep a skater’s notebook, you’ll become more aware of your own skating goals and what it will take to achieve those goals, how to use practice time efficiently, areas you are struggling with, and the gradual progress that results from hard work, commitment, and responsibility."

I have kept a journal since I started skating 1-1/2 years ago. I record every session, what I practiced, and what we covered in lesson.

I also keep "Rink Notes" for each week. That's a list of what I intend to practice, what I'd like to cover in lessons, and any questions I have for my coach. The Rink Notes go with me to the boards so I can refer back to them during the session. I also send my coach a copy of the Rink Notes so she knows what I am planning/proposing for the week.

I am chronically organized and have a memory like a sieve so one compensates for the other

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I do the same, Diane. I even write down my spills, just in case I need the date of occurrence for medical/insurance purposes. (One never knows; my shoulder's still on the fritz from a fall earlier this year.)

I think it would also be good for skaters to note the condition of the ice that day. I know when I skate at certain rinks, I struggle to center spins. It's usually very hard, cold ice. I skate there anyway because I know it's "good" for me to master all different kinds of ice. I have been making progress, although I'm still as loud as a drag racer when I skate around the rink. LOL

I don't think telling your students to do this is necessary, but since we're mostly adults on this Board, it might be a good idea. If you've been getting crummy ice (poorly cut, holes/gouges/etc.) and you want to make a complaint to management, it's handy to be able to identify which days the ice was bad.

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Okay just a note of reality before you get too carried away with making kids write down every single detail.

Both coaches have had my daughter do a notebook. It is helpful - just understand that is a teaching tool that works better for some kinds of learners than others. I am not a writer downer and when I read the suggestion of including ice condition, well that is just too much. Kids forget notebooks. It isn't helpful foreveryone. Just don't be too legalistic about it and if a kid continually forgets, don't get on them. It just may not be helpful for therm.

j

j - I thought I had stated that this suggestion was for the adults, who would be more likely to ask for better ice, esp. if they're paying for a freestyle. Guess I wasn't clear enough, sorry. I wouldn't ask my students to do this, although I do it myself as a skater, as do many adults.

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Skate Canada has a "skaters journal" it's geared towards skaters working on their preliminary test. I'll try to dig one up and see what else is in it, however the rink is currently closed so don't wait on me.

The other suggestion and I don't know how to delicately phrase it for your students is for your teenage females to track their cycles. I find that my monthly has an affect on my skating, or maybe it's the four chocolate bars I ate on the way to the rink. With teens though, they can be all over the map on attitude and it just could be the joy of being female.

Haha, well put. I'm just now beginning to experience this with a (gasp!) ten year old student!

While I know that this can play a large role, I don't think it's necessary for me to ask my skaters to record this. As a coach, most parents tell me when their girls begin their periods, although I doubt any of their girls know this. I know growing up that my coaches always wanted to know when their skaters started, although they never discussed this with any of us. My goal is to have this notebook be a developmental tool for practices, not every detail of their life off/on-ice, but thanks for the suggestion anyway!

Hi there fokes. LOL,I surely hope it's ok for me to answer this and to start posting here time to time. As I'm just a fan who became a Learn to Skate Skater. But I also just thought I'd reply with a little suggestion. That is...if you feel you need to use a notebook to keep track of how your skaters are doing that's good. I would however on top of that consider some kind of computer Program disk too. As we are now in the computer age and a lot of that kind of info. can be stored on computer disk as well. Just thought I'd help.

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FSWer

Thanks for your suggestion. I know that the USFS and ISI both offer computer programs to help manage their skating programs.

Personally, I keep track of all my students charges, payments, contact info. on my computer. It has been very helpful in keeping everything organized!

The problem with using a computer is that you can't really write in it during the lesson (which is part of the point - to write it down while it's fresh). It's hard to have a laptop rinkside as well, so a notebook works best.

True...but I'm suggesting your skaters could keep a notebook ALONG with a computer program disk as well. Maybe when they got home, they can also transfer notes onto a disk as well. Maybe have 2 disks. One as a Carbon copy.

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FSWer

You actually think a kid is going to do that? No way! I have a hard enough time jotting down all my notes from lessons in time and spending time reviewing them and I'm an adult!

I totally agree! Keeping one thing is plenty of work, two things is not going to happen!

I had a notebook I kept with me at practices for quite awhile, but it fell by the wayside. I should get it going again.

However, I've felt that my online journal is a nice way to track progress. I write it to keep interested friends updated and to keep track of what I'm doing- but it's also good to look back on.

Not quite the same thing, but at least there is some record.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

I have kept a skating log almost since day 1. It has helped me when I was feeling down about my "lack of progress"...looked in the log to see how far I've come; tracked my hours between sharpenings; etc.

I also use it rinkside for jotting down new routines. I have a new notebook with pockets so i can keep my "rink paper" which has the circles and lines; and my 3x5 cards with my warmup and "to do" skills.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!