Example of In-depth studio policy

[maryruth]

I was searching the web tonight for piano teachers for a student of mine that's moving and I came across a very indepth well laid out studio policy.  Do you guys have policies that are this specific?  Obviously this person has been teaching long enough to have come across every possible problem and therefore addresses it.  What do you think?

http://www.kaublepianostudio.com/policies/


It's probably not a policy a new teacher could have....you'd have to have a very good reputation to be so specific....or???

[thalberg]

Whoa!!!!  I just read the whole thing and I'm still reeling.  I think my favorite is when he said he would terminate lessons for those who showed up intoxicated. 

What we have here is a very sharply etched personality.  This person seems to excel at the business end of piano teaching.  He has found a way to make his income steady, dependable, and predictable.  God bless him!!! I must say, all the things he mentioned are things that have bothered me as a teacher.  I couldn't say I disagree with any of it.  Also, to me his rates seem low.   

If he's as good at teaching piano as he is at running a business, you've found gold.  Such people as he do not often take teaching lightly.  They are competant and responsible and take their jobs seriously.  Also, it sounds like his place is teeming with students, so if your student doesn't like him, leaving won't be any big deal.

[ted]

I think my favorite is when he said he would terminate lessons for those who showed up intoxicated.

Gosh, that would have eliminated both me and my teacher. As I recall, those lessons were the best of all.

[Astyron]

I have a studio policy that is nearly this in depth, though slightly less negative sounding.  This person has obviously been teaching much longer than I and has had some experiences that shaped and molded that policy.  I imagine mine may evolve over time.  I have some of the same policies he has, though I'll have to consider adding that intoxicated one.    Maryruth, I'd be happy to email you my studio policy if you didn't find many of them online.  I don't put my whole policy online, though that's not a bad idea.  Perhaps that will be a Friday project for me.

As for his rates being too low, I don't think there isn't one "correct" amount for a piano teacher, though I've seen lots of threads on this board that suggest people feel otherwise.  Rates are determined by cost of living in your area, the demand for piano teachers, the supply of students, the going rate for teachers in your area, the level of your training, and your years of experience.  He has a masters degree, but lives in a relatively small community so his average half hour rate (just around $15, when you calculate out for the school year) is probably par for his community.  It looks like his town is a whopping five miles across at the widest point.  That's a small town!