Adding new students to group
Found in: Scheduling, Shared Lessons
Joy O., Alabama
I have a fairly new student who has completed the Foundation session, the Basics, and Dreams Come True. His friend wants to join him in learning piano, and the mom called me today to say, “May we join the lesson today?”.
I also have a new student who came to an FIS who will join this group. So now I have a group of three, ages 7, 7, and 9, for this afternoon. They have very different understandings of Simply Music–one has attended FIS, one has attended FIS and started with lessons, and one has heard about it from a friend.
What should I do with them today? I want to do some portion of the Foundation session, and I want to cover something musical. Maybe an improv on the black keys? Or would you do Night Storm with all of them and have the new ones come to an extra few lessons to catch up? And which part of the Foundation conversation is essential for this lesson?
Cate R., Australia
Maybe get the other families in for a separate session. Discuss your expectations, studio policies, and how group lessons will be. If you can, fit them in before the original child’s lesson. Then do a shared lesson. Do a black notes improv together. Teach Night Storm to all of them. The following week, get the second group of boys in for 20 minutes and teach them Dreams Come True. Then the original boy joins them and plays Dreams for them. Then they all play Night Storm and then learn Jackson Blues together.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
I agree with Cate. Meet with the new families separately to get them caught up, at the very least on the FIS information.
Leeanne I., Australia
I have had this situation a couple of times. I asked the existing student if they were happy to wait for the others to catch up.