Group classes are the fastest way to increase your hourly earnings as a language teacher. Four students paying $15 each means you earn $60/hour instead of $35 for a 1:1 lesson. Each student pays less, you earn more. Everyone wins.

But scheduling group classes alongside individual lessons introduces complexity that most teachers underestimate. Here’s how to do it without losing your mind.

Teacher with group of students around a shared table with calendar

Why Group Scheduling Is Harder Than 1:1

With individual lessons, scheduling is simple: one student, one time slot. Group classes introduce several new problems:

Conflict multiplication. A group class at 4pm Tuesday doesn’t just block that hour. It blocks it for every group member AND prevents you from booking 1:1 students at that time. One schedule change affects 3-6 people.

Attendance variability. Not every student attends every session. You need to track who was there (for billing) and who wasn’t (for makeup classes or credit).

Mixed billing. Some group students pay per session, some bought a group package, some are on a monthly subscription. You need to track each one individually within the group.

Enrollment changes. Students join and leave groups mid-cycle. New members need to be added to the schedule, departing members need their remaining credits handled.

Setting Up Group Classes That Work

1. Choose a Fixed Weekly Slot

Group classes must be at a fixed recurring time. You can’t coordinate 4-6 people’s changing schedules week to week. Pick the slot, announce it, and let students self-select.

Best practice: Survey your current 1:1 students about interest and availability. Pick the time that works for the majority and fills a gap in your schedule (not your prime 1:1 hours).

2. Set Group Size Limits

Minimum: 3 students (below this, the dynamic doesn’t work)
Sweet spot: 4-5 students (enough for conversation, small enough for individual attention)
Maximum: 6-7 students (beyond this, speaking time per student drops too low)

Set the minimum as a “class runs” threshold. If only 2 show up one week, the class still runs but you might adjust the activity.

3. Separate Group Time from 1:1 Time

In your weekly schedule, designate specific slots for groups and specific slots for 1:1. Don’t try to squeeze a group class into “whatever’s left.” Group classes need the same respect as individual lessons.

Example weekly layout:

Mon-Thu: 1:1 lessons (9am-1pm, 3pm-6pm)
Tue + Thu: Group classes (7pm-8pm)
Fri: Admin + prep + overflow

4. Create a Clear Enrollment Process

For each group, define:

Start date and duration (ongoing vs. fixed-term course)
Price per student per session (or package price)
Payment terms (prepay monthly, or buy a session pack)
Cancellation rules for group absences (usually: the class runs regardless, missed sessions are not refundable but may be credited)
Minimum commitment (e.g., 4 weeks)

Share these terms before enrollment, not after.

Preventing Double-Bookings

The most common scheduling disaster: you book a 1:1 student at the same time as your group class, or you schedule two groups with overlapping times.

Manual prevention (if you use Google Calendar)

Create a separate calendar color for group classes
Always check both your 1:1 and group calendars before confirming any booking
Set group classes as “busy” events (not “free”)

Automated prevention

Teeachie checks both individual and group schedules simultaneously when booking any class. If a group class exists at 4pm Tuesday, that slot is automatically blocked for 1:1 bookings. This works in both directions - a 1:1 booking also blocks that time for new group sessions.

Tracking Attendance and Billing

This is where spreadsheets break down. For each group session, you need to record:

Which students attended
Which students were absent
Whether absent students get a credit
Each student’s payment status
Each student’s package/enrollment balance

With 2 group classes of 5 students each, that’s 10 students x 4 weeks = 40 attendance records per month. Add billing reconciliation and it’s 2-3 hours of admin per month just for groups.

Teeachie links attendance to enrollment and billing automatically. Mark who attended, and the system updates each student’s balance. Apply for beta access to try it.

Pricing Your Group Classes

The standard formula: charge 40-50% of your individual rate per student.

Your 1:1 rate	Group rate/student	4 students = your earnings
$30/hr	$13-15/student	$52-60/hr
$40/hr	$18-20/student	$72-80/hr
$50/hr	$22-25/student	$88-100/hr

Students pay less than half of a private lesson. You earn 50-100% more per hour. The value proposition is clear.

Need exact numbers? Use our free Pricing Calculator - it includes group class pricing recommendations.

Common Group Scheduling Mistakes

Starting too many groups at once. Begin with one group. Get the workflow smooth. Then add a second. Two poorly managed groups are worse than one well-run one.

No attendance policy. If students know they can skip without consequence, attendance drops to 50-60%. Set expectations: “The class runs every week. If you can’t attend, please let me know, but missed sessions are not refundable.”

Mixing levels dramatically. A2 and B2 students in the same group doesn’t work. Keep groups within one CEFR level (A1-A2, B1-B2, C1-C2).

Scheduling groups at your best 1:1 times. If your 3pm Tuesday slot is always booked with a premium 1:1 student, don’t convert it to a group. Use off-peak times for groups.

How to Schedule Group Language Classes Without Double-Bookings