I love teaching pre-twinklers! The classes, especially group teaching, require planning, carefully attention to the energy of the group, and equal parts fun and instruction. There isn’t slack for lazy teaching — if you are unprepared or non-dynamic the class will make it obvious.

Here are a few critical pre-twinkle group class principles I’ve picked up in one and a half years of teaching pre-twinkle group classes at Ithaca Talent Education.

1) The activity is the teacher, you are merely the facilitator of the activity.

The class isn’t about you. The class is about the learning happening in your students. We are allowing their sub-conscious mind to teach itself by overwhelming it with a positive and richly musical learning environment. Attempting to access intellect is a waste of time. Instead structure FUN, INFORMATIVE, and INCLUSIVE games. Facilitate the effortless flowing from one game to the next. That is your role in class.

2) Attend to the natural energetic waves of the group.

The goal of a group class is not to entertain 4 year olds for an hour, but rather to pack as much learning as possible within their natural energy cycles. Games are either ‘downers’ or ‘uppers.’ Chain together the downs and ups so they are gradual waves with memorable climatic peaks and troughs. You don’t need more than one peak in a class. Define the climatic moments (high and low) before class, and use them as landmarks while teaching. Knowing whether the activity is building or releasing energy will change the way you introduce, lead, and close the game. In this way teaching can be very similar to performing a musical piece.

3) Set very clear containers.

I’ve discussed before that students want to be held in a safe, very clearly defined container. It is within this container that they will be comfortable to self-express. In the pre-twinkle classroom I go to great lengths to set up the room exactly the same way every time. I also use foot charts and tapes with names on them so students feel they have their ‘spot.’ The group class starts and ends with a bow. There are expectations which hold every week all through the class which we don’t have to discuss but just exist: musical cues for standing/sitting, etc.

4) Move.

Both through the space and within their ‘spot.’

5) Speak as little as possible.

Don’t explain. Don’t repeat yourself. Take advantage of a white-board to communicate logistical information to parents (what to unpack, change of time/location for future classes). Use aural cues for sitting/standing and picking up the instrument/bow. Use visual cues for bathroom/water breaks or in a follow-the-leader situation.

6) Don’t be afraid to change lyrics/words/metaphors so they feel true to you.

We really have a rich repertoire of Suzuki pre-twinkle games and songs which have been passed down to us from the method’s pioneers. Don’t be afraid to modify these games and words to suit your unique values and the values of the students in the room with you. I was struggling for weeks because I couldn’t pull in many of our standard games and songs into class because I thought their messages were problematic. I finally realized I could modify the language to be inclusive of different pronouns, different family structures, and body/emotion positive responses. These games/songs are both deeply impactful and living, so curate and modify them to suit what is important to you.