J.D. Frizzell has written a great post about organizing your daily rehearsals so that you go from sight reading to impromptu performance each week.
I love the concept and encourage you to incorporate some or all of the “Frizzell Method” into your rehearsal techniques.
Just as important, though, is to take on musical challenges with a longer dip. A longer stretch between sight reading and performance. This stretch teaches our students about struggle, about patience. It teaches them about perseverance and that being unable to do it today doesn’t mean you’re unable to do it.
It also exposes students to some particularly rich repertoire that just can’t be mastered quickly. This goes for stretching beyond our regular concert season, too: start something in September that won’t be ready until April (with several concerts in between).
Take on year-long projects, for the sake of your students.