Music lessons - how flexible?

[pugsandseals]

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!

I think I would nicely explain that you are getting very busy now, and only have ......... times available for private lessons. If your current pupils would like a lesson during these times, then please can they let you know - in writing - asap, and you will teach them at that time.

I think how flexible you are depends on how busy you are as a working musician. If you need the flexibility to take playing work yourself, then work lessons out on a weekly basis. If you can offer a regular time slot, then I would expect a regular commitment from the pupil.

Along with everyone else, I'd never expect my dcs music teachers to be available at any time other than their regular weekly slot. We do only have to pay each week (would be difficult to afford a whole term at once for one, let alone 2 or 3 dcs), but if we don't get there for any reason, I expect to pay. Sometimes, when I've given notice, and said one can't get there for some reason, then the teacher has been kind enough to say "Can they come at..." but I certainly wouldn't expect it, and I very much appreciate her doing it on the rare occasion she has.

I agree with dontask, your pupils and their families are used to you being very flexible and they don't like the change. It is not that what you are asking is unusual or unreasonable. It is always a bit difficult to give up something convenient for something a little less convenient. If it had been more fixed from the beginning, they would have accepted it.Perhaps with new pupils, you could have a signed agreement where your terms are made clear. With your existing pupils, you could try getting them to book a slot for 4 weeks and pay it upfront. It is far too much hassle for you to change things round every week.

What has happened with us is that occasionally dd has missed a lesson due to a class trip or being ill and the teacher has offered me an alternate lesson which I was grateful for but did not expect. Other things, we just miss a lesson that is paid for. In the same way, the piano teacher asked if dd could come an hour later on Friday this week which suited us fine so that kind of occasional give and take is there I think for most private arrangements like this but it would be a nightmare for you to change so many pupils around every two weeks or so.

Our music teachers have regular slots on the same day.

Violin - 4.15-5 tuesday
Accordion - 6.30-7 wednesdat
Piano - 2.30-3.30 and 3.30-4 Sunday

We only muck about if there's holidays or teacher has an issue.

My kids have 3 different teachers between them and, although each have a regular slot, it is not uncommon for the days to change a couple of times each term, depending on social needs from both sides. It is a case of give and take.

As long as the parent stick to the regular slot 80% of the time then I don't think that they are being unreasonable.

We do piano and have a regular slot. I changed it last week, the first day for this term, but dd will stick to this schedule for this whole school year. Personally, I think it's unfair to change schedules around for social reasons. It's unfair to the teacher and the child (kids do better I think when they have a set schedule IMHO). I'd be more understanding if it's work related but even then, I'd limit how often it is. I mean we do a few different activities and we're expected to be there at A day and X time. If we can't make it, then we're out for that week. It's just the way it is.

We have a sort of in-between arrangement (young teacher trying to build up is clients, when we first started, and like the OP, has let things carry on the same way).

On the whole, we have a set time and day; but if something else changes swimming times, afterschool clubs then I'll ask to change the music lesson to accommodate it. This is very unfair, now I come to look at it!

If we cancel with a week's notice, we don't pay, as he can usually fill the slot; but I pay up if it's short notice (or I make a spare child of my own have a sudden random lesson with him in something they weren't expecting, as he teaches several things. Drumming is usually a hit. Or electric guitar).

I think if your general schedule changes, you have no choice but to ask the teacher to change the slot for music. I have always found that my dd's teachers tried to accomodate us if that happened but then I suppose you have a new slot for a certain amount of time. If several pupils needed o change week by week it wouild be an organisational nightmare for the poor teacher though. As I understood it, this is what OP has been willing to do up to now.

pugsandseals you are letting your pupils walk all over you, I'm afraid. I too teach in school and privately; have done so privately now for 20 years - and have become much firmer over that time.

When I first started out everyone used to change their lessons willy-nilly, not turn up and then say "oh, sorry, he was asked to a friends", get weeks behind with payment etc. The last straw came when a pupil said she wanted to do an exam but could she drop the money in the next week as she didn't have it (after the closing date). I entered her, she then said the child had "changed her mind" and I ended up paying for the exam as she wouldn't! I knew then I had to firm up.

It was an awkward process at first as parents were used to walking all over me and were very resistant. But I stuck to my guns.

Now I run it as follows -

Pupils all have a set weekly slot. Primary school children get afternoon slots, once they hit secondary they come in the evenings. They are often resistant to this but I insist - I can't fit new 6 year old in at 8pm. I've never yet lost a pupil through insisting.

Parents are invoiced by me and pay half termly. Missed lessons are not credited. They have to be paid for, though if I know in advance I will rearrange for a different time that week if I have one. Usually this means if I have another cancellation and I make this very clear to the parents. I am too booked up for people to go on a week-by-week basis. If they don't like it (I had a new enquiry this term who wanted to just come when they felt like) they need to find somebody else less good to teach them.

Parents who really struggle with half termly I do allow to pay weekly, but the moment they come to a lesson and say "I don't have the money this week - I'll try and pay next week" the facility is withdrawn. You can't go into Tescos and offer to pay next week but take the shopping today. It's no different.

I don't demand notice (though the half term's fees are non refundable) because I usually have a waiting list and I don't want pupils coming who don't want to be there. However, I know many teachers who do and it is perfectly reasonable to.

It's your business and you have to earn regular money like everyone else. Firm up, even if it gives you a bit of grief initially. You'll be so glad you did. :)