Small Group Bundle

The Notorious sgb

Let’s discuss the logistical details, as well as the plusses and minuses (intentional pun), of a small group bundle.

The nuts and bolts of the bundle are as follows: ten, one-hour sessions to be used within one academic quarter; an upfront cost of $400 per student; a regular weekly appointment with the option to reschedule on occasion. Note that families will not be refunded for sessions missed by their students, so please encourage your students to attend as many of the ten sessions as possible.

Regarding the format, groups are comprised of either three or four students taking the same course, preferably taught by the same teacher. Guardians should take the lead in forming groups, and then contact me once a group is formed. We’ll coordinate a weekly meeting time, and use Zoom or Google Hangouts to meet. I’ll facilitate the discussion as I would in a normal classroom, i.e., by guiding student-led explanations whenever possible, and filling in the gaps or taking the lead when necessary.

There are definite upsides to meeting regularly as a small group. The hourly cost of $40 per student is a significant discount on the hourly cost of a one-on-one session. Aside from that obvious benefit, establishing a go-to study group that can continue working as a team outside of the session is a clear advantage for students. Fostering this skill is arguably more beneficial to your student in the long-run than the actual mathematical content of the course they’re taking now.

It’s worth mentioning the downsides of small study groups, primarily because they are usually avoidable. First of all, it’s important that all students in the group are committed to treating the session as a serious, academic pursuit. Maintaining a focused, positive approach can be more challenging for students when they’re among their peers; nevertheless, such an approach is a requirement for these sessions to be time well spent. As such, my expectation is that students attend the sessions prepared, demonstrate age-appropriate behavior, and maintain a positive attitude. I reserve the right to address behavioral expectations, remove a student from a group, or disband a group if necessary. In addition, some students are comfortable asking questions in front of their classmates, while for others, an audience of two or three friends may be enough to avoid asking a question. I will do my best to ensure that all students in the group feel comfortable participating and have the opportunity to do so. If I find that the small group setting isn’t a good fit for a particular student, I may suggest that he or she meet in a smaller setting.