Spotlight on Two-Person Lessons and Other Studio Happenings
So, today I thought I'd take a break from my normal studio updates and describe to you my two-student lesson plan.
My first experience teaching was with my three younger siblings. Since they were close to the same age, and since I had done group lessons as a child, and since I was still doing high school at that time, I just assumed that group lessons would work for them. Suffice it to say, it didn't work. One piano and three children whose learning styles were drastically different -- that was enough to make me shy away from teaching group lessons. Ever. I thought.
Now fast forward to today, where I have a studio that does have two pianos -- a digital, and my wonderful acoustic that you're always seeing in pictures -- and more experience. Individual lessons have a lot of benefits that I'm fond of, but group lessons make more sense for parents who have two children at the same level (more sense both budget-wise and logically). Such was the piano parent who suggested to me to have one 45-minute lesson for her 6- and 7- year old rather than two half-hour lessons. That's how I got started with this.
Here's how this option combines the benefits of both group and individual lessons: The first 15 minutes are spent doing the actual lesson, solfege, and fun games and activities. Many of the activities I use take on a unique aspect when doing them with two students at once. For instance, this week's rhythm game for two of my students turned into an opportunity for one to clap the rhythm, and the other to guess which of the four rhythms in front of them had been clapped. (As a side note, I've found that younger siblings love to sit in on this part of the class, sometimes even trying to play along!)
The next 15 minutes are spent working one-on-one with just one of the two students, and this is when we work on pieces, technique, etc. The last 15 minutes are spent with the other student, doing basically the same thing. That way, I can teach them the basics at the same time, but still work on their individual strengths and weaknesses with their playing.
As hinted above, this option is also cheaper for parents: $12 per student per lesson, rather than $15 per student per lesson. To date, I have two "mini classes" doing lessons this way. And who knows? Maybe in the future I'll buy more keyboards and do group classes.
These last two weeks have gone by quickly! I'll just share with you a couple more photos taken recently. This first one is another simple ear-training game -- roll a die, play a single note however many times the die displays.
And this next one is of my latest teaching tool. You guessed it -- this ball's role in the studio is to help my students get the feel for good hand position. No, I don't make them play and hold the ball at the same time. ;)
Now fast forward to today, where I have a studio that does have two pianos -- a digital, and my wonderful acoustic that you're always seeing in pictures -- and more experience. Individual lessons have a lot of benefits that I'm fond of, but group lessons make more sense for parents who have two children at the same level (more sense both budget-wise and logically). Such was the piano parent who suggested to me to have one 45-minute lesson for her 6- and 7- year old rather than two half-hour lessons. That's how I got started with this.
Here's how this option combines the benefits of both group and individual lessons: The first 15 minutes are spent doing the actual lesson, solfege, and fun games and activities. Many of the activities I use take on a unique aspect when doing them with two students at once. For instance, this week's rhythm game for two of my students turned into an opportunity for one to clap the rhythm, and the other to guess which of the four rhythms in front of them had been clapped. (As a side note, I've found that younger siblings love to sit in on this part of the class, sometimes even trying to play along!)
The next 15 minutes are spent working one-on-one with just one of the two students, and this is when we work on pieces, technique, etc. The last 15 minutes are spent with the other student, doing basically the same thing. That way, I can teach them the basics at the same time, but still work on their individual strengths and weaknesses with their playing.
As hinted above, this option is also cheaper for parents: $12 per student per lesson, rather than $15 per student per lesson. To date, I have two "mini classes" doing lessons this way. And who knows? Maybe in the future I'll buy more keyboards and do group classes.
These last two weeks have gone by quickly! I'll just share with you a couple more photos taken recently. This first one is another simple ear-training game -- roll a die, play a single note however many times the die displays.
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