A Pianist's Guide to Teaching in Groups

This course will equip piano teachers with the skills necessary for planning, preparing, and implementing group teaching at all levels, from preschoolers through adult learners. Course completion time is approx. 18 hours.

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Course curriculum

Topics include: Teaching young beginners in groups, movement and young children, improvisation and aural skills with beginning and elementary students, summer camps for beginning and elementary students, teaching intermediate and advanced students in groups, skills in collegiate group piano, technology in collegiate group piano, teaching diverse levels of adults in groups, adult group performances, and more!

1. How to use this course
1. Video: Course Introduction
2. Video Transcript (PDF): Course Introduction
3. Course Syllabus: A Pianist's Guide to Teaching in Groups
  FREE PREVIEW
4. Welcome Survey
1. Session Contents
2. Video Lecture: "The Benefits of Group Teaching" with Andrea McAlister
3. Video Transcript (PDF): "The Benefits of Group Teaching" with Andrea McAlister
4. Reading 1: "Why Group Lessons" by Elvina Pearce
5. Reading 2: "Teaching Methods: Group and Private" by Frances Clark
6. Reading 3: "What Do You Like About Group Lessons?" by Barbara Kreader Skaliner
7. Reflection Questions
8. Session Resources
9. Additional Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Lesson Planning" by Janet Tschida
3. Reading 2: "Classroom Management" by Janet Tschida
4. Video 1: "Young Beginner Group Class" with Janet Tschida
5. Reflection Questions
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Is Early Childhood Music Study for Every Child?" by Richard Chronister, Elainne Harris, and Lorna Lutz Heyge
3. Reading 2: "Welcoming Young Children into Your Studio" by Diane Briscoe
4. Reading 3: "An Interview with Christine Barden" by Nancy Bachus
5. PDF (Downloadable): Sample Teaching Sequence by Christine Barden
6. Reading 4 (with videos): "Brain Trust: Words of Wisdom from Early Childhood Experts" by Susan Geffen
7. Reflection Questions
8. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "What Rhythm Activities Are Appropriate for the Preschooler in Preparation for Piano Lessons?" by Marvin Blickenstaff and Rhoda Rabin
3. Reading 2 (with videos): "More Than Notes: Teaching Musicality Through Movement" by Hannah Creviston
4. Reading 3: "Can Young Students Learn Rhythmic Flexibility?" by Bruce Berr and Nancy Garniez
5. Reflection Questions
6. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Video 1: "Beginning and Elementary Students in Groups" with Allison Shinnick
3. Reading 1: "How Do You Incorporate Group Teaching into Your Work with Elementary Students?" by Amy Glennon and Catherine Walby
4. Reading 2: "Lesson Planning" by Amy Glennon
5. Reading 3: "Classroom Management and Setup" by Amy Glennon
6. PDF (Downloadable): Sample Lesson Plan
7. PDF (Downloadable): Sample Lesson Plan 2
8. Reflection Questions
9. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Video 1: "Teaching Reading and Artistry to Beginning and Elementary Students" with Allison Shinnick
3. Reading 1: "How Do You Teach Reading in Group Lessons?" by Craig Sale, Serena Mackey, Stephen Reen, and Tessa Sawchuk
4. Reading 2 (with videos): "When Using An Intervallic Approach, How Do You Develop Faster Note Recognition? - Expanding on the "Blueprint"" by Craig Sale
5. Reading 3: "Does Group Teaching Help You Teach Reading?" by Richard Chronister, Christopher Hepp, Christine Hicks, Kathy Nafius, and Sue Collier
6. Reflection Questions
7. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Developing Rhythm Skills - One of the Greatest Challenges for Student and Teacher" by Paula J. McLaughlin
3. Reading 2: "Do You Continue 'Pure Rhythm' Activities Into the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years?" by Marvin Blickenstaff, Ann Milliman Gipson, and Enid Ewing Hickman
4. Video 1: "Folk Song Introduction" with Angela Triandafillou
5. Video 2: "Discovering the Whole Note" with Amy Glennon
6. Video 3: "Feeling a Steady Pulse in the Body" with Amy Glennon
7. Reflection Questions
8. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Video 1: "Group improvisation on a storm" with Amy Glennon
3. Reading 1: "How Do You Work On Improvisation In Your Group Classes?" by Christopher Norton
4. Reading 2: "How Do You Incorporate Ear Training Into Your Reading Curriculum?" by Gayle Kowalchyk
5. Video 2: "Speaking rhythms syllabically in a group" with Angela Triandafillou
6. Reflection Questions
7. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Teaching Group Classes Remotely" by Angela Triandafillou Jones, Trevor Thornton, Rebecca Pennington, and Esther Hayter
3. PDF (Downloadable): "Tips for Teaching Online Elementary Group Lessons"
4. Video 1: "Inside the Studio" with Rebecca Pennington
5. Video 2: "Teaching Online in Groups" with Angela Triandafillou, Allison Shinnick, and Amy Glennon
6. Video 3: “Using Game-Based Platforms in an Online Group Lesson” with Lady Abigail Imperio
7. Reflection Questions
8. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Summer Piano Study: Ideas and Inspirations" by Christy Keispert
3. Reading 2: "Do You Use Summer Lessons for Special Reading Activities?" by Mary Ann Lenti
4. Reflection Questions
5. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "How Do You Incorporate Group Teaching in Your Work with Intermediate Students?" by Kathleen Murray, Susan Ogilvy, and Mary Van De Loo
3. Reading 2: "Questions and Answers" by Louise Goss
4. Reading 3: "How Do You Include Music History in the Study of Repertoire?" by Marvin Blickenstaff
5. Reading 4: "Helping Students Make Worthwhile Criticisms" by Frances Clark
6. Video 1: "Intermediate Group Class" with Marvin Blickenstaff
7. Video 2: "Advanced Group Class" with Marvin Blickenstaff
8. Session Resources
9. Reflection Questions
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Creating Lesson Plans for Collegiate Group Piano" by Andrea McAlister
3. Reading 2: "Collegiate Group Piano: Classroom Management" by Andrea McAlister
4. PDF (Downloadable): Collegiate Course Syllabus by Andrea McAlister
5. Video 1: "Rhythm and Movement in Collegiate Group Piano" with Jackie Edwards-Henry
6. Video 2: "Collegiate Improvisation Activity" with Jackie Edwards-Henry
7. Reflection Questions
1. Session Contents
2. Video 1: “Introducing Whole and Half Steps, Pentascales” with Omar Roy
3. Video 2: “Harmonizing with Solfege and Scale Degrees” with Omar Roy
4. Video 3: “Teaching Black-Key Scales” with Verena Abufaiad
5. Reading 1: "Incorporating Metacognition into the Group Piano Curriculum" by Joann Marie Kirchner
6. Reflection Questions
7. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "How Do You Help a College Piano Major with Poor Reading Skills?" by Sylvia Coates
3. Reading 2: "Let Them Eat Cake! Teaching Piano Using Stacked Engagement Layers" by Brenda Wristen
4. Video 1: “Open Score Reading - SATB” with Leonidas Lagrimas
5. Video 2: “Learning New Repertoire with Transposition” with Verena Abufaiad
6. Reflection Questions
7. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "How Do You Use the New Technology in Group Teaching?" by Robert Pace
3. Reading 2 (with video): "Flipping Piano Classes and Lessons with Rich Online Video Content" by Mario Ajero
4. Reading 3 (with videos): "Tools for Group Piano Online" by Alejandro Cremaschi
5. Video 1: “ii7-V7-I7 Chord Progression” with Yeeseon Kwon
6. Video 2: “Feedback and Assessment” with Yeeseon Kwon
7. Reflection Questions
8. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Why Do You Teach Adults in Groups?" by Brenda Dillon and Amanda Byars
3. Reading 2: "Lesson Planning for Adult Group-Piano Settings" by Pamela D. Pike
4. Reading 3: "Classroom Management and Set Up" by Pamela D. Pike
5. Video 1: "Teaching Adults in Groups, Part I" with Rebecca Bellelo
6. Reflection Questions
7. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "The Third-Age Piano Class: Challenge, Fun, and Satisfaction for Mature Students of the Piano" by Jacqueline S. Wright
3. Reading 2: "How Can Teachers Help the Over-Analytical Adult Piano Student?" by Brenda Dillon and Pam Pike
4. Reading 3: "How Do You Handle Diversity of Levels in Your Group Lessons for Adults?" by Brenda Dillon, Joan Reist, and J. Mitzi Kolar
5. Reading 4: "How Do You Handle the Discouraging Plateaus of Adult Piano Study?" by Louise Earhart
6. Reflection Questions
7. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "Adults on the Move with Dalcroze!" by Jackie Edwards-Henry
3. Reading 2: "Do You Continue 'Pure Rhythm' Activities Into the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years?" by Michelle Conda
4. Video 1: "Teaching Adults in Groups, Part II" with Rebecca Bellelo
5. Reflection Questions
6. Session Resources
1. Session Contents
2. Reading 1: "How Do You Prepare Adults to Play in Public?" by Brenda Dillon, Matthew Harre, and Victoria B. Harris
3. Reading 2: "How Do You Help Adults Get Over Stage Fright?" by Julie Knerr
4. Reading 3: "Are Adult Piano Students Willing to Self-Teach?" by Susan Capestro
5. Video 1: "Adult Group Class Preparation and Performance" with Rebecca Bellelo
6. Video 2: "Ensemble - In the Good Old Summertime" with Yeeseon Kwon
7. Reflection Questions
8. Session Resources
9. Exit Survey

About this course

$129.00
144 lessons
2.5 hours of video content
Organized in 6 modules, 19 sessions total
Self-guided, designed to be completed at your own pace
Full course completion time is approximately 18 hours

Course Leader

Dr. Andrea McAlister

Senior editor: Craig Sale. Course contributors: Dr. Verena Abufaiad, Dr. Rebecca Bellelo, Marvin Blickenstaff, Amy Glennon, Dr. Jackie Edwards-Henry, Lady Abigail Imperio, Dr. Yeeseon Kwon, Dr. Leonidas Lagrimas, Dr. Pamela Pike, Dr. Rebecca Pennington, Dr. Omar Roy, Allison Shinnick, Angela Triandafillou, Dr. Janet Tschida.

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