Group piano lessons leave me exhausted...

[binna42]

I have just recently begun teaching two back-to-back group piano classes for children at a community music school. I LOVE my work, but I spend the rest of the day exhausted! Any tips on how to get through class without losing too much energy?

[m1469]

I have, too!  I don't have exactly any direct advice for the specific class, yet, because I've only had just one day of it so far.  BUT, I can tell you that dealing with groups is its own kind of muscle where, using it anew might exhaust you at first, but once you build the muscle a bit, you get used to it and it feels more normal.  

I'm teaching right now 5 music classes (back to back), all of which I developed a basic backbone to my approach which is the same throughout all of my teaching, now (even for private students).  This might seem like it doesn't relate, but it does!  Aside from the desire to do well as a teacher, one of the main aims for me personally is to also eliminate extra, "busy-thinking."  haha.  That's tiring stuff!  For me, there's the basic backbone and that's rooted very deeply in me (I had to really think about it for months - and it's probably been growing for years, though  ), and while I do have to plan specifics for each class, I have really clear root goals to myself and just "add the meat" to class planning and how I carry it out.  Which means there's also room for improv., which I definitely depend upon in teaching!