One of the best parts about longevity in a position is being able to say, “In the past, students facing this situation have done X.”
It comes with the important caveat that today’s students aren’t yesterday’s students; thus yesterday’s solutions might not be today’s.
But it has helped a lot to say, “The most successful Aces ensembles of the past have been the most consistent practicing at home in March and April.” Or “In past experience, we have sight read best if X.” Or “I believe in your ability to juggle all of those things, but previous students have struggled to do it unless they X.”
Every world is its own world; if I moved to a new school in a new place next year, I wouldn’t be able to rely on those experiences in many, many cases. But when you get to know your world, you can use that knowledge to your distinct advantage.