How do others handle scheduling students for the new year? Do you give returning students a chance to reserve their spot first, do you start with a clean slate each year and take requests on a first come, first served basis? Do you give priority to students who continue through the summer? I find that […]
Business
the Lesson Room
If you’re a member of MTNA, you probably just received this information, too. TheLessonRoom.com is a new website that describes itself as “the hub for music education resources and valuable content” – among other things. Quite a bodacious statement for a new website, but I look forward to seeing what resources and valuable content they […]
Monday Mailbag – Parents in Lessons
How do you get parents OUT of the lessons? I have just 2 out of 22 where the parents stay, but I would love for them to let their kids do this on their own. One little girl is an only child and very doted on, the other is a 5 year old boy whose […]
Monday Mailbag – How to Handle Non-Practicers
I am wondering about having a contract with my students, expecting a certain amount of practice commitment from them. I have one family, in particular, whose children seldom ever practice. This has been going on for approximately four years now. I have mentioned this to their parents and to the students. They always say, “Ok, […]
Monday Mailbag – Discontinuing Lessons
When you charge by the month and someone wants to quit at some point, how do you reconcile with previous months, or do they just finish out the month? This is the way my policy is worded: Dismissal If any of the following situations persists after I have notified you and provided time to correct […]
Guest Post – 6 Networking Tips for Independent Music Teachers
Besides your latest efforts to recruit new students, when was the last time you really went all out in terms of marketing and networking? Indie music teachers are responsible for every part of their business, including managing the creative side, client relations and marketing. That’s why it’s important to build up your network of other […]