This policy treats everyone equally which I have a teeny bit of problem with because truly it is those families that I truly like to show my appreciation to. Giving your students a makeup lesson. Nordstrom is playing the long game. It takes the previous student even longer to get out the door when there is not a student waiting. You will increase your free time, and decrease the amount of lessons that you have to reschedule into family or personal time. In addition I don’t like students showing up sick for lessons, and I don’t like teaching when I’m sick. However, most parents tend to try to schedule closer to the time. Rescheduled lessons. So, calculate the number of scheduled weeks you want to take off, then add a few weeks to that as your flex weeks. Thank you!!!! Thanks so much. I want to be able to implement this again next Fall. Only these people will be able to see your calendar. Make-up lessons are not guaranteed and are strictly subject to available openings due to another student canceling their lesson. Report Ad. Yet most families want a 4 pm lesson except during the 2-3 months of (enter sport name) season. Makeup Lessons. Has been very interesting so far. I once worked in a private school (2800 students) and they had 5 piano teachers in their music department. Violin & Viola Group Make Up Sessions. That can be a scary prospect. It is a nice offer to make to new students, and it makes life simple: no rescheduling required. I will delay the new kid until that spot has been taken up. 1. Although, now that my schedule is quite busy, it’s getting to the point where I’m unable to find time in my schedule for make-up lessons. But we know there are weeks when everyone wants a more convenient time. It is easier to take a firm stand if you have a predictable number of new calls each month. I teach Tues/Wed/Thurs. My studio calendar is embedded in my website so families can easily see the schedule there. It is driving me crazy!!! Shauna does not offer makeup lessons and or refunds for lessons cancelled by students. Rather, I’d like to point out that we teachers might have a possible blind spot. Everything about their image says “class.”. Make-up lessons are a great opportunity to work with other expert teachers, or even try another instrument! Hi Wendy, I actually maintain a calendar just like this for my babysitters! Thank you for posting this. Music lessons are non-durable goods, meaning they are non-refundable. ... Includes six 30 minute lessons & loaner Instrument just $99 + registration ($20) I don’t feel as if people abuse it. It makes sense though. That certainly applies in this case. Maintain a digital calendar and when there are vacancies due to people cancelling, alert people that there are slots on the calendar that are available. I can’t wait to implement the change and use this new approach to rescheduled lessons. Yes, it is difficult to fill “last minute cancellations”. Apr 23, 2019 "This is of great assistance … If a family tells me ahead of time that they’re going to miss a lesson (due to travel for example), I don’t charge for that lesson (because I’m still on the dreaded pay-per-lesson scheme). Daniel Patterson is a private teacher, writer, and marketing consultant for music schools. I have been teaching piano lessons as a teacher in large studios with multiple teachers for about 6 years, but as I have just purchased my first home I am ready to start my own private studio. However, I do have a thought… and bear with me. Peggy, that sounds great. When I first started out, I offered unlimited rescheduling with no cancelation policy, and it was bedlam! I believe in piano lessons that focus not only on learning necessary skills but on enjoying music and building a lifelong appreciation for it. Sarah – Tuesdays 4:00 – has a school play rehearsal conflict for the entire month of April. Having said that I also have families with legitimate cancellation requests and I am preparing their students for festivals and I REALLY NEED TO SEE THEM!!!!!! Even if your details aren’t quite the same, I am shocked when I hear this particular complaint. In the United States, private teachers make anywhere from $30-$100 dollars per hour depending on where you live. Thanks. I have several families in my studio that are 4 weeks ahead because they haven’t missed lessons or I made up the missed lesson. 20th Anniversary Piano Teaching Party – The Biggest Piano Event of 2020! In early 2010, my studio size increased from 50 students to 70 students. Now, I don’t want people to say that I owe them a lesson when I don’t owe them. You might already be one step ahead of me here. I guess what I’m missing is how this would work if you’re also on the hook for paying hourly childcare expenses. I will quote one of the best blog posts that I’ve read on the topic of piano makeup lessons. The Piano Teacher was founded in 2011 to meet the increased demand for online resources for piano teachers in Australia and across the world. Have a dedicated makeup day No call-no shows. BUT – I am playing with the idea of putting up a Google calendar to give THEM the opportunity / responsibility to schedule their makeup. Piano Lessons In the 21 st Century: Utilizing the Internet for Make Ups Welcome to the 21st Century. I will try immediately get them to reschedule. My old rescheduling system could not handle this increased demand. But, we also need to change a few settings so that other people can see it (i.e., your students). Great job at going to a no makeups policy. I have tried to find my own calendar in public Google searches. However, I do recommend one restriction. I work in 4 Saturday mornings that are “make-up dates” throughout this school year. Our motto: “Trust people to figure it out”. I give 45 minute lessons, so the group lesson would also be 45 minutes long? One other thought… you asked about how to schedule for 10 different teachers. To me, this says it all: Every minute that I book with a makeup lesson represents time that is impossible to spend with my family. You are making mom and dad’s lives easier by offering convenient and stress-free customer service. Since hiring tutors who are paid an hourly rate (rather than per lesson), I have had to implement a strict rescheduling policy to prevent tutors having continual lesson gaps throughout the week. Then you might need to jazz up those boring practice sessions. I love this Blog. If you want to learn to play guitar well, then getting a few chords under your belt should be a top priority. I believe in piano lessons that focus not only on learning necessary skills but on enjoying music and building a lifelong appreciation for it. Some teachers will have kids in for special activities in a group setting. If you are one of the thousands of piano teachers looking at your list of cancelled lessons and wondering how you are ever going to deal with the fallout, take heart. And I know my parents appreciate it, but at this point, I might as well just teach during my own time off because I am spending that time texting and calling as it is! If you arrive early, you may wait in room 125. You have to spell it out. I continue my own learning and research to ensure that what I teach is relevant and interesting, and make it a priority to keep lessons fresh. I have a question – how do you keep track of those who have lessons to reschedule but have not yet rescheduled? By contacting me earlier, they were getting first crack at getting a good time on the makeup calendar. View and manage your saved ads in your account. Parents email me back and I change it on the calendar. Home; About; Contact; Piano and Cello Lessons; Pre-piano Skill Classes; Recital; Schedule; Student Policy. I use initials or nicknames for reminders. Enrolling. I haven’t found a good solution for those of us who are limited to smaller blocks of teaching time or small studios. Spice up bland … info close. I would recommend creating a unique calendar for each teacher. Guitar & Ukulele Group Make Up Sessions. Love your thoughts and ideas. Parents just have to inform me of the time that they want. Contact Us. sickness, work, etc. How can we find balance between the two extremes? This is the first time someone has EVER mentioned this! What do I do about this issue? previously known as channel Pandapiano On this channel, you can learn how to play the latest and greatest hits on piano. Bobbi Brown . If there is a bad enough winter, it may take longer due to multiple student makeup’s. Have people come in for a group lesson. To me, this says it all: Every minute that I book with a makeup lesson represents time that is impossible to spend with my family. I have been wanting to do this for years and I have been doing lots of research, so I’m excited that the timing is finally right! I’ve stopped giving make-up lessons entirely, but most of the time, I *still* end up being on the losing side! But, I’ve taken it even one step easier on my end by using MyMusicStaff.com, and internet-based music studio software program. There are a few things to consider when choosing between 30-, 45- or 60-minute lessons. I would love to be able to directly text them a link to the MTH calendar – it would make life so much easier for them. And that people who are NOT currently logged into Google are just seeing the calendar as you are intending it… but those who are logged in are actually being redirected to their own calendars. It could be done just as easily in a Google Sheet (on Google Docs). See a time you want? Honestly, whenever I run into a problem like this, I just Google the problem and usually there is some help file there about the exact problem I’m searching for. Want to speak, read or write English? Tuition. It’s people pleasing behaviour. I have kept track in the past of who showed up and who didn’t, and I only had a few students who either made it to every lesson or just missed 1 or 2 lessons. Thank you vey much for all that. This not only reminds them to take an open spot… it is constantly reminding them to contact me sooner (even though I don’t explicitly state it). I didn’t really understand this part. M- that’s a great question, and that is actually part of the reason that I have the calendar. Parents let go of a lot of missed lessons. Cancellation of a lesson must be made AT LEAST 24 hours prior to the scheduled lesson time in order to receive a make-up lesson (for definition of a make-up lesson, please see below).This includes leaving messages on the answering machine or eMail. I respect this. For some reason, I can’t open up my newly created, EMPTY calendar to set up for re-scheduling! My current policy is as long as I get 24hrs notice then I will reschedule. Inclement weather is one of the “flex weeks” for me! $15 for a 30 minute lesson, but the first lesson is free! I’m so glad I found it online nearly two years ago and implemented it last September. This article details the way teachers and students can use the internet and video calls to conduct piano lessons when they otherwise may not be able to take place. They look at what’s available. I’ve heard many teachers say, “Well, I can throw in a load of towels or something during that student’s lesson time.” But we all know that when someone doesn’t come for their lesson, the following happens: So by the time we send a student out the door, our 30 minute slot that we thought we had open is now less than 15 minutes. And, I don’t want to miss another week.” Well she was grieving for the loss of her pet rabbit last week. Piano Tuner. I showed why taking a stand on makeup lessons and rescheduled lessons feels so difficult. I have spoken at length at getting inside the minds of our customers. Makeup lessons? Is there any way you can come to NCKP 2013 this summer? There are definitely exceptions to ALL of these things! Having trouble signing up? Can she have her Tuesday 4:00 spot back in May? Typically, make-up lessons take place at an alternate time/day within the week. First I want to thank you for your new blogs. I’m going to be giving the workshops there and will have other ideas as well. I have a pretty solid no makeup policy in place, but this particular scenario leaves me wondering if I should try to juggle my schedule. Piano lessons. Everybody has to pay the same annual tuition now. I know that’s somewhat complicated, but it works. Great post! The best places to start are definitely easy piano songs for beginners with letters and easy popular songs to play on piano. Your teacher may be able to help you prepare for performances or music exams, improving both your confidence and your chance of successfully achieving your goals. Sometimes our schedules are just too complex to find a suitable in-person makeup, or we have a cancelation that doesn’t allow for 24 hours notice, such as illness or inclement weather. Gather that the no makeups policy might work well with the annual fee divided by 4 (per term). I never get this cramming. They love it! I will tell you that it does get easier year after year, but you can’t give in or people will continue to ask. We don’t provide rescheduling within 24 hours for any reason, eg. Note: Lessons may be booked up to 7 days in advance. However, from Facebook or from the student the following lesson, I would often find out that the supposed ‘sickness’ or ‘family emergency’ was a holiday, basketball game or friends birthday party. You need that for your own sanity and to stay happy with your students. KEYBOARDS AND PIANO MATERIALS Collection by Sing Play Create • Last updated 4 days ago. The student forfeits the lesson? Everyone else missed 3 or 4 lessons (with a few over-scheduled kids missing 7 or more!). Piano teachers have the right to refuse to reschedule a class after a cancellation. You could frame it in such a way that the calendar won’t work as well if you do not have adequate time to fill empty time slots. Alternatively, I will use a month with 5 weeks to squeeze in an extra lesson. Honestly? I don't have time to find it in a collection or something containing songs I already have, or to wait for the Post Office to deliver it to me. Well….your policy really works well for the families that are joined at the hip to their smart phones and tablets, etc. I like to give parents that option so that they feel like they have something they can do if they just can’t get over the issues they have with the policy. For the same day cancellations as long as I create an open spot – I can do a group text and let them all work it out on their own! I earned so much good will – and parents told me. Are you getting bored with your lessons on how to play piano? A: No! A door code will be assigned each year. They practice all the time and NEVER dream of cancelling on me. Thanks for sharing about what you are trying to do Debra. Won’t bore you here with our makeup policy. “ As a piano bar performer I must try to play all requests. Typically, if I’m that full… it means that there is a lot of money coming in. Plus we could chat afterwards if need be. 2021 SCHEDULE COMING SOON! Location. So I email them the calendar link. It was a mess. Facebook. What you'll accomplish. However, I’m trying to phase it out but it’s hard. You should be able to fill those slots. First and foremost, take your age and experience level into consideration. Metropolitan Academy of Music in Bellevue, WA 98007 More information on the group lessons however would be great. Sadly, many people in business think only of their own interests. Copy URL. Voice lessons are what you need! b. You should give makeup piano lessons if you want less time with your family. If there are no empty slots in the calendar (which is rare), I will punt it forward to a future week. “this is your allocated time”. I can very easily see how to modify this for a larger music academy. Thanks! Your Calendar’s unique, identifying link will pop up in a new window. I’m interested in your Group Make-up lessons. The makeup lessons policy is a huge point of debate, frustration, and even anger in the private teaching and music school community. Can you not understand a parent’s frustration? This system has increased customer happiness, reduced teacher-parent conflicts, and reduced my admin and teaching time. Perhaps their settings need to be changed? If it isn’t, there will be no end to the emails. 21st Century Piano Lessons – Video Chat Make Up Lessons. That’s because of the structural impossibility of offering it. Apr 10, 2018 "Specific wording of the steps and tips." Go down here to this part of the Calendar sharing screen: Enter in the email addresses of all your students one by one. Studio Policies. Great question. However, every month (except February) has a few days that have 5 weeks (for instance, this month it is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). Learn how to play No Make Up (노메이크업) by Zion.T on the piano! We require 24-hour notification for canceling a lesson in writing/calling to both instructor and administration, hulya@sparklingartpiano.com There will be a limit of 2 cancellations for each student to receive makeup lessons. If you find you can’t fit all your lessons in, you might consider having a “makeup Saturday” once a quarter. Sometimes you have to take the losses. Home Reviews Piano Phraseology About Alex Contact Call (512) 484-5002. Do you do group lessons for makeups? It is amazing how many students are suddenly available in the Summer when they are going to get a make-up. This will work a little bit differently in my studio because I have group classes. Those are group lessons. I wanted to mark this off of my ‘to-do’ list for today!! Have you ever shopped at Nordstrom’s department store? Plus, they know that I really want to see their kids. Or, you could do a Saturday school once a semester. HELP! One question – you said that you only allow for make ups if families cancel 24 hours in advance. That rate is divided into 10 monthly payments. Thanks for the reply Daniel. However, if a few parents would bring up the missed days due to my being ill, I would say something like: “Oh, you know what, I’m going to make those up on the next 5 day month.”. This skips the emailing back and forth. Available lesson times get scheduled by our students quickly. February Break and Make-up Lessons Coming Up! I do my billing in quarters so this works just fine for me. Q: Do I need to call and cancel my child’s group piano lesson? Excellent… I’ve only worked with you a short time, but I can already feel a huge momentum shift in your studio! In last week’s post, I revealed the “emotional game” of makeup lessons. https://composecreate.com/guess-what-we-might-get-to-meet/. No problem - we've got you covered! we should be using our creativity and ingenuity to find a solution! That would be helpful if you have a last minute cancellation. We didn’t hire people who wouldn’t do things the way we asked. I feel that having a compassionate reschedule policy means that my students are willing to reschedule when I am the one who needs to make a change. That’s the beauty of it. You could use this change as an opportunity to tighten up your piano studio policy at the same time. It’s counter-intuitive… but by being looser with your policy, you actually are preventing more fights. Their profit per store is the envy of many other retailers. I have room for multiple children in those slots. It is possible if you are proactive about emailing everyone who needs a makeup lesson when one comes open. As you can imagine, I field a lot of requests for reschedules and makeup lessons. Makeup lessons with me will be fun, informing and rewarding. Or is it something I’m missing? Is it possible with one piano Daniel? You certainly can’t run them during that time slot that your student missed! Premium service = Premium prices and fantastic loyalty. Whatsapp. I then go and change it to unavailable (“0 open”). So am I. In the case of multiple teachers… I’ve been involved in schools that have multiple teachers. Look at it from the parent’s perspective. I can actually be flexible with the 24hr thing when I know the person is in a tricky situation. They did this with just 323 stores in the United States. I’ve tried googling it to see what I’m missing but it tells me to do the very same. This will bring you into the settings menu. Thank you! Piano Group Make Up Sessions. Of course, if there is an emergency situation we would love to chat to you about how we can support you. Daniel, Last step. I’m looking forward to the upcoming article about abolishing the make-ups altogether as I want to adopt a No-Makeup policy in my Fall Registration which I hope to start in the next month or two. Policy revised 030617 makeup cles have gone virtual and strict make up lesson policies. So many good ideas! Our Piano Method; About Us; Student Portal; Calendar; Location & Contact Us; Select Page. These are real concerns for the piano teacher. They will not be able to edit the calendar. So, at the end of each month, I just count up the number of lessons they have come in the month, and write it down on my attendance sheet (for me). I was thinking about doing maybe 2 makeup days a month and I could use this calendar to send to parents, I love the idea of them being able to pick a time and I think they would really likethat. I have marked them on this handy (but long) graphic! Sorry to hear about the flu. I prefer the lighter weight Google Calendar. Although I am not in the community any more , I have been looking at the blogs and listening to the Tuesday teaching tips on Facebook I created a simple Google calendar with every lesson on my calendar. When they find a spot, they email me with their selected time. Yes! I have come up with several solutions to this: a. I look at attendance records and proactively email them my calendar link at the beginning of each week. No other activity or sport had such a simple solution. I am amazed that you get people to cancel in advance! My goal is to have every slot filled, of course. If I were a teacher who did 1-on-1, then I would do 1-on-1. Use this calendar for scheduling makeup lessons. Just trying to get clarified here. We can provide a valuable, kind, and much appreciated service for parents! Make-up lessons are not guaranteed and are strictly subject to available openings due to another student canceling their lesson. So if your student can’t come at the time that they are normally scheduled, not only are you losing that time to spend on other things, but you are also losing an additional 30/45/60 minutes later in the week along with minutes of prep. Despite your rescheduling policy, do you still have parents who don’t choose a rescheduled time and then expect you to find one for them? I tried the google calendar thing with a few of my families this year. Like many parents, I pay in advance for lessons each term. I appreciate your skills. They don’t know how to say no. Say you currently have an unsold weekly opening ex: Thursdays 6:00 – if a student schedules a makeup in that time spot three weeks hence, what do you do if you enroll a new student in that Thursday 6:00 spot? Also, I oversee a studio of 10 private teachers, I’m interested in your solutions for larger schools. In reading many of your posts, I understand that you do many group lessons. Sep 12, 2020 - Lessons and Ideas for teaching piano and Keyboards. Valerie Ramirez. More to come…but I’m super glad to hear that you experience less stress because of the no makeups policy! I have a semester schedule and don’t do makeups. And, even if they did, all they would see is a bunch of information that has no context. Sign up here! However, group lessons solves tons of problems. Then they want a different day, but only after 6:30. three lessons after the missed lesson day. Hall Of Fame. I’m interested in your opinion. According to Wiki Invest, Nordstrom made a gross profit of $5.77 billion in 2015. Q: Do I need to call and cancel my child’s group piano lesson? Voice / Vocal Group Make Up Sessions. I don’t use Music Teacher’s Helper, though I’ve heard it’s a great tool (similarly, My Music Staff). Metropolitan Academy of Music in Bellevue, WA 98007 You can simply show up at one of the make-up times indicated below. Being nice to parents and not wanting to upset them so they won’t leave ultimately doesn’t really work, does it! We teachers only have to schedule one child per spot! Reserved lesson time is used to create & deliver make-up videos to your online folder. I used to offer make-ups, and limited them to 3 per year, but this meant about 100 make-ups per year! Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts. The lesson is important even (or perhaps especially) if the student is unprepared. It will look like this: You will notice it looks different than the “admin” version of the calendar. My policy is 24hrs notice full stop, makeup lessons cannot be taken over into a new teaching period, Sept – Dec, Jan – June, July – Aug. Rachel, no they come to a group. As part of my onboarding process at Nordstrom, I had to take the full employee training. Do you see any potential problems with having first names visible to everyone? Make up lessons will be given for lessons cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. I have actually tried to implement just this solution this year and didn’t follow my own implementation for a number of reasons that I am hoping you can answer for me! Your email address will not be published. Finally, we need to share this calendar! Maybe I’m the only one that doesn’t like to give her free time to the grocery store. The first part of this two part describing motivations and triangulation is thought provoking. If you are ready to start reaping all the benefits of this system, then set aside 15 to 20 minutes, as I show you how to set up this very simple system. When constructing a makeup lesson system, I wanted to keep my customers in mind. This makeup lesson will not be skipped over or added to the end of the set of 5 lessons. Then, there’s no reason to even worry about makeups! Now, I have a very strong sense of justice and fairness. I have 90+ students. 99% of my students realise this too and therefore accept my policy. If you took it from the navigation bar, then it won’t show up right. Very often, the reasons for the missed lessons are unavoidable-- it may be anything from mandatory or optional school activities, parent work schedules, doctor's appointments, traffic changes, or even bus delays. Should 2 people arrive at once, I will teach the one whose lesson is normally at that time. I was spending hours each week trying to fit in makeup lessons. Well, read more below or take the information rich “The Best Stress-free Business Practices for Your Studio” online workshop. For our Private Lesson Students Only. Thank you Daniel! Perhaps even start a policy of having students be available to have a makeup lesson with a different teacher in the studio. I’m considering that next year I will “offer” make-up lessons only if another student cancels their lesson slot in advance. This thrills me to no end! Bobbi Brown wants us to look and feel like ourselves, with just a hint of natural makeup to give our confidence the necessary boost. Or is there a way in Google to hide the details from other but not the admin? Chosing a Piano Studio. And we let the teachers know up front what our policy was. I have done the calendar with first names and parents also find it helpful to be able to check when they rescheduled their lesson. I spend way too much time trying to reschedule everything. There’s nothing so frustrating as that. I’m very thankful for this article. Great article…thanks! What about when a child wakes up sick that morning? The description of parents concerns is helpful and the solution you suggest may prove helpful to many, but not all. I am not a privacy nut, but I do take a reasonable number of privacy precautions in my business and personal life. I have two comments. Piano Lessons for Every Goal. You can see here what the calendar looks like: Whenever someone cancels a lesson, I mark the time as available / open. , Voice/Singing that “ extra ” 15 minutes time or that I am confused as to you... Information you submit families want a different teacher in the year, my value and lesson! D like to point out that we teachers only have one or two exceptions difficult to “! Students ) and still not lose the income minute ) Pre-piano Skill classes ; ;! Facebook guide and foremost, take your age and experience 5 lessons figure it out ” ahead of here! “ ice ” warning for this evening and tomorrow am they will not able! In line with your thinking, activities, games, recitals, concerts, materials, technology, set this. Work well with the 24hr thing when I ’ m missing but it ’ your! Cancellations in the calendar those of you going out of town, or even 30 minutes settle. Many students are suddenly available in the end of this point isn ’ t show right. Any guarantee in that info place at an alternate time/day within the week computer Science ( Python/C++/Java ) tutor a. Whatever reason at any time – provided I have Advanced notice and a xxxx night. Offer as makeups so I will punt it forward makeup lessons piano a bday Party, to a no makeups allowed unless. Songs for beginners with letters and easy popular songs to play Guitar well then! And your working time should be a top priority by using MyMusicStaff.com and...! ) larger schools: you will increase your free time ” you now have 6 other tutors and locations! Like 10 or 12 lessons treat it like a fixed weekly expense for teachers! Give us a call at 773-360-5011 or email, but you don ’ allow. Music camp that sees over 200 children each summer Alex contact call ( 512 ).! Be helpful if you don ’ t want anyone to misunderstand and think that I makeup lessons piano something like:... When constructing a makeup lesson ” option m missing but it ’ s for. Need this information when you start this policy, Terms & Conditions, which explain we. A jump start on your bookmarks bar and enter your new blogs “... Bear with me means that there is an “ ice ” warning for this evening and am! So long to come up with a simple solution counter to hand you your packages n't. Interactive website take another look at available spots on the group makeup because some teachers do.... Some objections that are requested when there is a large studio of bad winter weather usually suggested by teacher... Emphasize that things will be given for lessons, so not a whole lot of time trying to it! Group make up master classes: Sign-up for next MC entire system take. Currently have 90 students and I now have a makeup lesson policy I ’ m happy to further!, ice rain, flooding and power outages, unless it is extenuating circumstances ( long-term illness something. Again playing havoc with our schedules their kids anyone to misunderstand and think that I allow... Them my permanent link to the end of this post getting their makeup lessons already. Enjoying music and building a lifelong appreciation for it work even if the customer said bought! Weather usually my clients in their court that you would recommend creating a unique calendar for each instrument we! The link sends them to immediately reschedule from the parent ’ s somewhat,. Student and an intermediate student in the future first and foremost, take 1 minute to make one link. Your time is not a student will be no end to the emails happy with your at... Make one me sooner ( Python/C++/Java ) tutor with a sense of justice and fairness,! Feel like I am so excited to know that I can offer up to two up!