Summer
2006, Vol. 17 #2
Group lessons - a plus?
As a young piano student, I was extremely fortunate to have studied with a teacher who provided, in addition to the weekly private lesson, regular group lessons in the form of repertoire classes for all of her students. Therefore, I grew up having frequent opportunities to play for my peers as well as to hear them perform music that they were working on. "Rep. Class" day was always a highlight of my week, and I am convinced that this experience contributed greatly to my ever-expanding love of music and music-making!
I taught my own first group lessons in the late 1950's and have been doing so ever since. I have taught children in groups who did not have private lessons; I have taught them in a combination group/private lesson format (a weekly one-hour group plus a 30-minute private lesson - the ideal plan in my opinion!); and my present studio plan provides once-a-month group lessons for all of my students. (During group lesson weeks, the students' private lessons are abbreviated in order to free up some time in my schedule so that I'll have time to teach them.) I used to refer to group lessons as a "plus" for the private student. Now I view them as a NECESSITY! In fact, I am so committed to the importance of group lessons that I accept no students on a private-only basis.
Home Practice Dept:
Phyllis Lehrer supplements her article on Schumann's Romance
in F#, Op. 28, #2, with a performance of the piece, followed
by fifteen short audio excerpts that demonstrate points in her
article.
Over the years, I have attended
as well as presented many sessions focusing on the subject of
group lessons -- particularly those involving pre-college students.
Whenever group teaching is discussed, numerous questions always
arise - many of them being the same as those that were raised
fifty years ago. I have made a list of some of the most frequently
asked questions, both then and now, and have asked my friend
and colleague, Ted Cooper, to address them. (Those of you who
have ever observed Ted teach a class of pre-college level students
will surely agree that he is undoubtedly a master at it - obviously
one of today's leading authorities on the art of group teaching!)
Now, here are some of the questions followed by Ted's responses
to them.
Q: What do
you believe are the advantages of group instruction?
Groups have a wonderful
built-in motivation because of the peer interaction and the weekly
opportunities to perform. Classes are also an efficient and fun
way to teach fundamental skills like rhythm, ear training and
technique. The increased contact time is also a great help. But,
the greatest advantage and the reason I've taught in groups for
twenty years is that it develops independent learners
more predictably and consistently than private lessons alone.
Group teaching is rooted in the idea of creating independent
learners. Class teachers can't assist every student with each
new step we take. Groups require students to have a level of
independence in order to function within a class and that independence
is carried home.
Q: Can you
talk a little more about creating independent learners in private
vs class lessons?
I find in my private
teaching that I'm less likely to allow my students to have a
healthy struggle with their difficulties. It's just too easy
to step in and solve their problems, but that strategy won't
help every student internalize how to practice. Teaching in groups
helps me keep in check the tendency to help out too much.
Q: Do group
lessons also provide advantages for the teacher?
Yes! The biggest advantage
is how much the teacher learns. I can say without hesitation
that I've learned more about how children learn from teaching
in groups than from my other teaching. Class teaching requires
us to confront and examine how we think about teaching. It requires
us to plan more carefully, think more clearly and be more creative.
Groups compel us to constantly clarify and refine our vision
of how children learn with an urgency not always felt teaching
privately.
Q: Are there
disadvantages?
Class teaching is intense
work both in terms of planning and teaching. My planning time
each week is a minimum of two hours for each one-hour class.
I wish it took less time, but I've tried cutting it down and
it's rarely as successful.
Q: Do you
accept students on a "private-only" basis, or do all of your students
participate in group lessons on a regular basis?
Yes, I do accept
"private-only" students after they have completed the
elementary curriculum in a group. After that, students enroll
for private lessons, but they can supplement it with a theory
class.
Q: Please
describe the format that you use for group lessons in your own
studio.
There are two study plans
for group piano at the Levine School of Music where I teach.
The first is a one-year group-only lesson that meets for an hour
each week. The second is a two-year class for first and second
graders that includes a 60-minute group lesson and a 30-minute
private lesson with me each week.
Q: I have
never taught group lessons before but am considering incorporating
them into my teaching format. Where do I begin and how do I convince
parents about groups?
The real opportunity
to introduce a group format is with students who are new to your
studio. Organizing a group of four to six beginners would be
ideal from my perspective. Teachers can prepare a handout detailing
the benefits of class instruction and this can be discussed at
the initial interview. I believe that if a teacher shows his
or her enthusiasm and commitment to group instruction, parents
will see it, too.
Having said that, it can be a challenge to convince parents of the benefits of group study when they are already happily coming once a week for private lessons. In those situations, it's better to begin small. Perhaps adding two or three classes per term is the answer. A slow start-up not only gives parents and students a chance to acclimate to a new schedule, but also gives the teacher a chance to ease into group teaching. The last thing I'd recommend to any new group teacher is adding a lot of classes each week.
Q: I think
that all
students need to have regular private lessons in addition
to group lessons. What is your opinion on this? And why?
That would always
be my preference, too, but the economics of private lessons are
getting beyond the financial reach of many families. Group lessons
are a way to offer a musical education to eager students who
otherwise might not be able to participate.
Q: Do you
think that there are any disadvantages for students who have
only
group lessons? If so, what are they?
There are disadvantages
for some students, but there are disadvantages with private lessons,
too. The challenge is having a clear picture of the disadvantages
and taking steps to reduce the negative impact on the students.
The shortcoming that I see with some group-only students is a slightly less developed sense of musical expressivity. Most students need a great deal of back-and-forth modeling and imitation to develop their musical sense. It's more of a challenge to find the necessary time, patience and ease to do this in a class, but it's not impossible. Some students may need more one-on-one time to develop that.
Q: Should
I charge an extra fee for group lessons? Or how do you suggest
that the matter of tuition be handled?
I wouldn't suggest itemizing
it as an extra fee, but would instead include it in the
overall tuition. To my mind, having an extra fee suggests that
group lessons are merely an adjunct to the study plan and optional.
If we want classes to be an integral part of the curriculum,
let's make them an integral part of the tuition.
Q: How do
you handle missed classes?
A missed class can never
truly be made up. All the material has been presented to the
other students and can't really be reenacted for the missing
student. For that reason, my school does not offer makeup classes
for student absences. I do E-mail a copy of the assignment sheet
to the parent.
Q: I can't
teach group lessons because I have only one piano in my studio.
I currently teach 6-8
students with two pianos, so I don't think that teaching a group
of four students with one instrument is out of the question.
I've never taught with that set-up, but I would be willing to
give it a try. The important point is to keep in mind that students
don't have to be playing every minute of the class to feel involved.
Listening to others play builds important skills.
Q: Besides
a piano, what other special equipment is needed for group lessons?
The equipment in my studio
is pretty basic. There are two pianos, student-size tables and
chairs, an overhead projector, and a dry-erase marker board.
I do use one relic from the past: small 4-octave silent keyboards.
Sometimes I feel that technology has passed me by, but they work
so well I can't give them up.
Q: My students
are all so involved in extra-curricular activities that I would
never
be able to find a time when all of them in one group could all come at the same
time! Isn't this a problem for you as well, and if so, how do
you deal with it?
My best suggestion is
to set the class time and calendar early and get it into your
students' calendar before the soccer coach does. The early bird
gets the worm.
Q: What should
I do if a student ceases to "fit" well into the group
to which he/she has been assigned? i.e., the student needs to
move ahead more quickly or is unable to keep up with the other
members of the group? The student has behavior problems that
have an adverse affect on the other students, etc.
Like many educational
issues, there is always a significant role for prevention to
play. Most instances of not "fitting" can be avoided
if we see the early signs and address the situation immediately.
Problems rarely go away on their own and waiting too long has
been one of the biggest mistakes that I've made.
If I see inconsistency in a student's preparation, his or her individual assignment sheets can be adjusted while the other students' remain the same. If a student is falling behind, less important pieces can be removed without delaying that student's progress. Conversely, additional repertoire can be assigned to offer more challenge to the student who needs it.
Contacting the parents about these changes is also important. If the student is not "fitting" in the class, piano practice is probably not fitting in at home. Some students have to practice more than others to achieve the same results and parents are ultimately responsible for home practice. It has been my experience that if I'm on the lookout for problems and address them as they arise, not "fitting" happens less often than one might think.
Q: How do
you manage student behavior in the classroom?
There are two factors
that help me better understand how to manage classroom behavior.
First, because students are in school all day long, we often
assume that they will know how to behave in a class, but this
is often not the case. Second, scheduling compounds this problem
because classes occur after the school day ends, when students
are tired.
To address these issues, here again prevention is key. I make sure that during the first class we cover the ground rules for what is appropriate behavior. After that, good classroom behavior needs to be a distinct subject area that is taught as deliberately as we teach technique and reading. For example, if students are often acting up during technical work, I would take a little time before the activity to discuss the kind of silence and concentration necessary to do excellent work. It makes such a difference if we put those little moments in our lesson plans and devote consistent time to them. This doesn't require a lot of time, but it does need to be repeated over many weeks. I find that if we cover the basics, we won't come across like a such a nag when problematic behavior needs to be addressed.
Q: What activities
do you include in groups?
There are four core
activities that I include in every class session: new music,
review music, rhythm/movement and technique. All of these areas
are vital to a student's progress, but review repertoire tops
the list because it fulfills a fundamental desire to play
an entire piece of music. Because of this, most classes begin
and end with student performances. We also learn at least one
new piece together every week. This typically culminates with
the playing of a portion of the new piece at a practice tempo.
If students have a weekly model of excellent practicing, they
are more likely to internalize practice habits and practice well
at home.
Ted Cooper is a faculty member
of the piano department at the Levine School of Music (Washington,
D.C.), and a composer of educational music. He is a recipient
of the MTNA/NPF Group Piano Teaching Award and has presented
sessions at the 2001 and 2005 National Conference on Keyboard
Pedagogy and at the 2004 MTNA National Conference, where video
segments of his teaching were featured. His newest compositions
for piano are titled Changing
Trains, Twilight Sky and Around the World on 88
Keys, Books 1 and 2, all published by Alfred.
About Our Cover Art
Ted Cooper, with one his former students Stefan Mirfakhari.
To see larger images of our current and past cover art, please visit our Art Gallery.
MULTIMEDIA ARTICLE
Home Practice Department
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Phyllis Lehrer supplements her article on Schumann's Romance in F#, Op. 28, #2, with a performance of the piece, followed by fifteen short audio excerpts that demonstrate points in her article. |
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Also
be sure to check out our page of |
Table of Contents from
Summer 2006, Volume 17, Number 2
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The Magic Triangle: |
Why did you choose to major in music and what did everyone think about your choice? |
Kingsley Day |
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The Other Teacher: |
The Schumann "Romance in F#, Op. 28, No. 2" - its evolution from workout to artistic performance |
Phyllis Lehrer |
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Independence Day: |
How important are rhythm, dynamics, and articulation in first readings of a new piece? |
Esther Chan |
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Let's Get Physical: |
What are some of your favorite etudes and exercises? |
Catharine Lysinger |
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The Heart of the Matter: |
What are some rhythmic pieces you like to teach and why? |
Helen Casano |
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Issues and Ideas: |
Are you product-oriented, process-oriented, or both? |
Peter Webster |
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It's Never Too Late: |
What pieces do your adult students like to learn the most? |
Vicki McArthur |
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Putting It All Together: |
When is a student ready to begin Bach Inventions? Which one do you assign first and where do you go from there? |
Father Sean Duggan |
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Tomorrow Today: |
How do you use technology to teach rhythm? |
Sara Hagan |
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The World Around
Us: |
To choreograph or not to choreograph? |
Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield |
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Keyboard
Kids' Companion |
Puzzles, Practice Projects, Meet the Composers, and more! |
Helen Smith Tarchalski |
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