8 Students vs 32 Students
8 Piano students in 4 hours can make lessons productive, but boring.
32 students in 4 hours are synergetic fun and time just flies.
Do you want your workdays to fly by? Consider trying my small group lesson approach.
I used to see 8 students a day and it took 4 hours.
Since 2003, I’ve seen 32 students in those same 4 hours.
Ask me which is more fun, and I will tell you it’s almost impossible for me to do an individual lesson anymore. They don’t compare to the engagement that happens with all kinds of music or concepts like they do in small groups.
Some teachers need to make adjustments to their typical lesson plans. Some find that their curriculum fits exactly into a small group lesson. But regardless of the adjustments needed, it’s amazing what happens when you invite more students into the listening, the practicing and the performing.
When I began this process in 2001 it was with 16 students at a time, in schools and after-school settings. I did a lot of running around that room to get to all the students but it was surprising how many students were playing with 2 hands, reading notes and learning rhythm within 4 weeks. Remember, that was with 16 kids at a time. After 4-5 classes with 64-78 students in 3-4 hours, it was too much. I felt like some of the students were being left behind. That didn’t sit well for me and it wouldn’t for other teachers either.
I began teaching 6 students at a time
That’s when I began just teaching 6 students at a time in my own studio. After doing 16 per class, 6 was a breeze.
I remember one Grandma of a student who approached me saying her grandson couldn’t possibly learn in that setting until I pointed out that he’d already learned about half of his adult beginner book since beginning in the classes of 16 at a time. She stopped and admitted it was remarkable. But she was sure it was because he was a genius, not that the classes worked. See Grandma had learned in private only lessons. She had heard about her Grandson’s beginnings and was convinced this didn’t work.
Later, I asked his mom if her son was an above-average learner. After all, by 3rd grade, I figured she would know. She casually responded he was average in all subjects at school, but that he loved singing. I think that was a big contribution to his interest in playing the piano. But I am absolutely convinced he did well because of the class structure because I didn’t detect any genius.
2 years later, this Grandma was visiting and made it to our recital evening where we chatted. She admitted she had been convinced I was not a good teacher, that I was focused solely on income, but that now she could clearly see that teaching in a group setting was legit. Okay, so she didn’t use the word legit, but that’s what her message was about.
I’ve spent a few decades now convincing other teachers that small group lessons really work. It’s rewarding to see others understand the benefits and incorporate small groups amongst their own students. I’ve yet to see 2 teachers do it the exact same way but the benefits are obvious. Practice pays off in more ways than one.
