Over the last 5 years I have taught at least 250 hour-long group classes in our school. I want to get down the main ideas that now guide every group class I teach.

These fundamentals are heavily informed by Ed Kreitman and the WSSTE group class approach, the NTSTE Community Day group class presentation in spring of 2024, and what I’ve learned from teacher trainers including especially Carrie Reuning-Hummel.

Do It

Just teach group. Just do it!

Group classes have been a non-negotiable part of our school for decades. Students pay a monthly tuition which includes individual lessons, group lessons, recitals, concerts, and community events.

I feel that once students are in groups, and I’m following the fundamentals I propose below, the value of group is evident.

Purpose and Goal

It was helpful to me (and parents and students) to explicitly name the purpose and goal of group class. I would argue that the purpose and goal of group does not change, no matter how advanced the group gets.

PURPOSE: To inspire participation and build community.

GOAL: To play like one violin.

Kids learn so much more from each other than they do from teachers. Group classes allow us to get the kids going through the same thing into the same space. It allows them to see what works and what doesn’t, at scale.

We are also working to play not just at the same time, but to play as one. This explains, especially to parents, the reason we play hundreds of games around sounding in unison, bowing in unison, singing in unison, and moving in unison.

Teach to the Top

If you don’t teach the top of the class, you will lose them.

I’ve found myself bending over backwards to include students who are just getting started in the class. But then the most advanced student in class, while they might play the entire class, is never stretched to new abilities during class. This can lead to boredom, frustration, and resignation.

It is much more valuable to inspire a young student with the pieces they can’t yet play, than to bore an older student with the pieces they already know.

Now I work to play and improve on even just a snippet of the most advanced pieces from that class every weekend. For example, in my Book 4-5 class I now have students playing La Folia and Handel DM. We have everyone sit down and take the time to perform a few La Folia variations and start different movements of the Handel sonata.

Share the Agenda

I learned this from Charles Krigbaum and Daina Volodka Staggs who write their group class agenda on the white board for every class. If you share where you are headed, and when you will be finished, it motivates students and parents to move through each segment in class.

I find some students also really love looking ahead to what is coming next, and feel much more secure if they know they are part of a good plan.

This also signals to parents just how much thought you put into planning a successful class.

I also use the white board to write notes to parents and students about upcoming important dates. Our purpose/goal from above, as well as inspirational quotes, find their way onto the white boards, too.

Send Parents Out

In our school parents are encouraged to participate in the early book group classes– especially the pre-Twinkle class which I teach. I use the class to coach parents and students on how to work together productively. For many students age 3-6, having a parent close by is also an essential emotional support.

However, I’ve recently started experimenting with asking parents to step out of the room for a portion of class every weekend.

The idea was sparked by this podcast with Ezra Klein and Caitlyn Collins who call into question the intensiveness of parenting that has become the norm in our culture. I listened to this on my drive back from the 2024 Suzuki Association of the Americas conference, and I realized that the intensive parenting they describe is the exact intensiveness I was encouraging in class.

I was motivated to show that while students really, really need their parent’s support in certain moments, it is also very healthy for parents to step away and build closer relationships with each other.

I started bringing coffee and pastries on Saturday mornings, setting them up in the hallway, and then asking parents to step out and enjoy the treats for a portion of class. I left question cards outside to spark conversation.

So far this has had amazing results!

Not only do the parents seem closer to each other, the students also shift their energy towards each other while their parent’s are outside the room. This is something I will do in all group classes with parent participation from now on.

Invite Feedback

I once heard an anecdote about Adam Grant working hard to improve his own public speaking skills. He requested to guest lecture in other professor’s classes and then asked for feedback after the lecture. He would ask, super simply, (1) what did I do well and (2) what is one thing I can do better next time?

Inspired by this, I have given surveys at the end of each group class each year. They have been revealing!

I ask similar questions on a semi-anonymous sheet of paper. I bring pencils. In my Twinkle class I ask parents to respond. In the Book 4-5 class I ask the pre-teens to respond. The sheet simply says…

“I try to improve my teaching and the class experience every year. (1) What do you really like about being a part of this class? (2) What is one thing we should change to improve this class/my teaching for next year?”

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After 5 years of teaching I finally feel like I’m getting the hang of community cohesion and productive learning time. These fundamentals have helped in every way. I hope you have found something useful in them.