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Original poster

Music lessons - how flexible?

34 replies

pugsandseals · 14/09/2012 16:23

Hi - I'm a music teacher teaching mainly in schools but with some private pupils at home. I'm just trying to gauge what is reasonable really.
I am very busy with schools this term & I've had to be much firmer with timetables for my home pupils as a result. Many are not happy about being tied to a single time slot for the term & asking to change slots with little notice. I really enjoy my private pupils, but some have got very used to changing lessons around to suit their social plans. I feel as though I'm bending over backwards to please them all to the detriment of my sanity as it just creates so much admin & rushing around!
As a parent how much commitment would you expect to give to music lessons? I have teacher friends who make all pupils sign an agreement! I don't want to go that far but need to find a balance - please help me by giving your views!

OP posts:
Original poster
pugsandseals · 14/09/2012 17:37

Thanks Katisha,
I think I do try to please everyone else before myself & quite often find myself having to explain as to why I can't change to a particular time. I used to work 3 days & offer about a days worth of private lessons over 3 days. Now I am working 5 days & have 2 days worth of private pupils which I am stipulating have to be on the same 2 days of the week it has come as a shock for some! I was happy to change lesson days/times on occasion when I was building up as I had the space to do it. Now I don't have the space & just end up feeling guilty that I can't offer the same flexibility to pupils that have got used to it.
I think I have dug myself into a bit of a hole & it is going to take a struggle to get out again!!!

OP posts:
Katisha · 14/09/2012 17:20

Sorry about phone typos

Katisha · 14/09/2012 17:20

I have honestly never come across a teacher to varies the time is lessons to suit non committal pupils. It's always been the same time every week for us unless the teacher is hosting exams in her house, in which case she rearranges. If we miss a lesson we still pay. How else can you run a business!
Think you need to toughen up. If you lose some pupils, don't worry - you'll get others.

AMumInScotland · 14/09/2012 17:19

If you mostly have the same pupils from one year to the next then I think it would be kinder (and less likely to lose a lot of them) not to try to make too many changes at one time, so a stricter timetable this year (and make them stick to it) but maybe leave changing the payment schedule until next year. Also, for some families 10 weeks payments all in one go would be a lot to find, so you might want to be flexible about that, depending maybe on what you can guess about your pupils situations.

We've never been charged for a missed lesson, but we've never missed without warning in advance or it being an emergency. And in fact we've had a lot more times when the teacher has had to cancel or re-schedule so I think flexibility on our side for that has repaid any inconvenience on the odd occaasion we've had to change.

mummysmellsofsick · 14/09/2012 17:09

I've done your job and I'd say you are being too flexible. It doesn't do anyone any favours. If they miss the lesson they should pay. I used to rearrange if necessary before an exam but not otherwise.

Original poster
pugsandseals · 14/09/2012 17:06

Wow - all you guys sound great, would you like to be my pupils? Grin
Is it seriously ok to ask for payment in blocks like that? I must admit I've always got them to pay on the day.
I sent timetables out last week hoping to be strict on when pupils come this term & I've already had 2 say they want no more lessons because they can't commit to the same time each week & another 2 ask me to change the time for next week only 3 days after agreeing the time slot in the first place! I'm starting to worry that if I also asked them to pay for 1/2 a term up front they might all leave! Confused
I agree that I have been too relaxed in the past, but is was ok when I was working less hours in schools. Still not sure what to do...

OP posts:
DeWe · 14/09/2012 16:43

For all the dc I get a time and a day for the music lesson. If I can't make one then I don't expect any recompense from the teacher, and I would still expct to pay. If they choose to give a lesson another time, or refund me, then that's them being kind, not expected. If they alter it, then I'd expect to have one in exchange or money back, unless it was an emergency, in which case I wouldn't say anything.

For some of the lessons we have a fixed term of 10 weeks (and half term off) so tend to have first/last weeks may not be on.
For others we discuss first/last weeks, and they tend to be fairly flexible in the last weeks of July, so I'll let her know which we will make and pay accordingly.
I pay full terms for the 10 week terms, and half termly for the more flexible ones.

BrigitBigKnickers · 14/09/2012 16:42

I think a regular commitment to a music lesson time is fair enough.

I used to teach music privately and my pupils had the same time slot every week. I would change it on the odd occasion when there were unusual circumstances but any lesson changed with less than 24 hours notice and they would be charged for it. I certainly don't think their social lives are unusual circumstances... They are taking advantage IMO.

AMumInScotland · 14/09/2012 16:37

All of my DS's music teachers expected to have a regular slot at the same day/time each week, and expected a reasonable amount of notice if we had to cancel unless it was something totally unexpected and serious. We never expected to be able to chop & change in the least!

I think you need to be tougher with them - some people will always take advantage if you seem ok about them messing you around.