Students Talk While You Teach Another Section: What Do You Do?

You’re working with one section of your middle school choir. You stop to clarify a rhythm, demonstrate a phrase, or help the singers find their notes.

On the other side of the room, another section starts talking.

You redirect them, return to the music, and the conversation starts again.

Now you’re trying to teach one group while managing another—and rehearsal time is slipping away.

How do you keep students involved when you aren’t working directly with their section?

This is the classroom situation I brought to the S-Cubed AI Coach in my latest recorded demonstration. The teacher’s question was connected to Lesson 8, but the problem will sound familiar to choir teachers using almost any curriculum.

Watch the demonstration below to see the question and the Coach’s response.

https://youtube.com/shorts/3GAUkKL-V68?feature=share

What Is the Other Section Doing?

During my 30 years of teaching, I learned that a rehearsal plan has to account for everyone in the room.

When we work with one section, we know exactly what those singers should be doing. But have we made the other students’ job equally clear?

“Be quiet while I work with the altos” establishes an expectation. It doesn’t necessarily give the other singers a musical task.

Depending on the passage and the students, that task might involve silently tracking their own part, listening for a particular rhythm, or preparing to explain what changed after the other section repeated a phrase.

The question becomes: What can these students listen for or practice that will help them when it’s their turn?

That doesn’t mean every instance of talking comes from an unclear assignment. Sometimes students understand the expectation and still need a calm, consistent reminder. Sometimes the section work lasts longer than they can manage successfully. Sometimes an established routine needs to be taught again.

The teacher has to determine what is happening in that particular classroom.

See the Coach Respond to a Real Rehearsal Problem

In this video,, you can watch me bring the situation to the Coach and examine its answer.

I want teachers to see these demonstrations because a description of an app can only tell you so much. Seeing the question and response gives you a better opportunity to consider whether the guidance would be useful in your own teaching.

You can ask yourself:

• Does this help me identify something I could change?
• How would I adapt it for my students?
• What additional information would I give the Coach?
• What could I try at our next rehearsal?

The teacher remains responsible for choosing and adapting the next step. The Coach offers support as you think it through.

The S-Cubed AI Coach Goes Beyond Sight Singing

S-Cubed began with my desire to help teachers teach beginning sight singing successfully. That work has always involved more than reading notes.

Students need routines. They need confidence. Teachers need ways to maintain momentum, respond to disruptions, and recognize when a class needs more practice or a different approach.

Alongside guidance through S-Cubed Lessons 1–10, I’ve added material from the presentations and work I’ve shared with teachers for years, including:

• Classroom management and rehearsal routines
• The changing male voice and vocal pedagogy
• Reluctant singers and student confidence
• Recruitment and retention
• Building and rebuilding a choir program
• Pacing and student engagement

My goal is to make that experience available when a teacher has a specific question—while preparing a lesson, reflecting on a difficult rehearsal, or deciding what to try tomorrow.

You might arrive with a question about Lesson 8 and discover that what you need most is help organizing section work so the entire class remains involved.

That is the kind of support I’m building.

Studio.com’s 20% Discount Ends Friday, October 16

If you’ve been following the demonstrations and considering the S-Cubed AI Coach, this is the final week of Studio.com’s 20% promotion.

You can begin by completing the onboarding process, giving the Coach context about your teaching situation, and bringing a question from your own classroom.

What is taking up too much rehearsal time? Where are students losing confidence? Which routine isn’t working as well as you hoped?

Those are useful places to begin.

Purchase before the promotion ends Friday, October 16, to take advantage of the 20% discount.

Explore the S-Cubed AI Coach on Studio.com

The Coach supports your use of S-Cubed; the curriculum PowerPoints are purchased separately.

What do you have the other sections do while you work with one group of singers? Share something that has worked in your classroom in the comments. Your idea may help another teacher with their very next rehearsal.