3 Ways Small Group Lessons Benefit Teachers
Small group classes are simply a more efficient way to teach piano. This frees up a lot of time for the teacher.
I used to do 30 minute lessons for 4 hours a day. That’s only 8 students.
Now I see 32 students in those same 4 hour afternoons. If I just do 2 hours, I can still see 16.
(An added benefit is that when I’m not at the piano all day long, there is more creativity and energy for when I am with students.)
You do it once and then it’s done. Hear me out on this one. It initially sounds like extra work but it was a whole different way for me to plan curriculum and set my goals. The extra time allowed me to better prep for lessons and develop better ways of teaching things like theory, performance skills, and rhythm practice.
I have themed outlines for each month, broken down for each week, and then for each student. Once it’s all planned, it remains easy and keeps me on track far better than when I don’t plan ahead. Theory is accounted for, rhythm levels are assured, performance skills become enhanced. (When teaching private lessons I didn’t do much planning ahead. I found myself just doing it when students came to lessons.) The prep time made possible by group lessons really raised the quality of my teaching.
Better still, this structure and prep provides fun for me too. With extras planned ahead, students are actually begging to use things like rhythm sticks. Fun little extras propel classes forward. If I’m having fun, I know the students are too.
I think the most obvious reason a teacher would consider small group lessons is the income differential from private lessons. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t ever the driving factor for me. It was just a genuine benefit. My real motivation to develop group lessons was to improve learning and to be able to accommodate more students from my long wait list. The additional income is definitely a plus.
Back in 2002 when I began this, I was charging $140/month for weekly private lessons. In my attempt to get parents to consider switching from private to small groups, I cut tuition by half to $70/month.
Once parents saw they were getting same quality lessons, the half price tuition was a real bargain. Most importantly, it allowed me a way to let more students into the lesson arena who could not afford private lessons. A Win Win Win for students, parents, and teacher!
