How to handle holidays

[ashcatty]

I am wondering how you fellow teachers handle things such as months with holidays. For example, if a monday student has a holiday, such as Labor Day, how is the payment handled? Is the holiday deducted off of their bills? Or are they required to pay the monthly fees anyway? My experience is that we are required to pay for the whole month regardless of holidays. When I go back and take lessons I am required too, although I get a whole lot of complaints about it.  I am wondering what other teachers require in this area.

[jeremyjchilds]

I require full payment-but I work too.

[bernhard]

Yes, I ask payment per month, every month of the year. I make it clear that students are not paying for lessons, but rather for my time, which includes not only the lesson time as preparation time, etc.

You can read details here:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,8399.msg85048.html#msg85048
(questions to ask a prospective teacher – reasons why payment should be monthly)

Also have a look here for a very reasonable studio policy:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,11399.0.html

However I will say that:

In the beginning of my teaching career, I was over eager to explain the whys and wherefores of my policies. However, most students/parents are not in the least interested in my problems. So now my policy deals only with what pertains to them: what they are going to get when doing my course.

Then you will find two types of people: the ones that accept your policy without batting an eyelid. These are the students you want.

And the ones who will come with questions, that will get offended that you do not let them decide how to pay and how much to pay you, and that will be argumentative of your policies. Do you really want such students? They will only give you headaches later on.

So, make a clear policy, charge per month, have no cancellations or holidays (don’t they keep paying rent/mortgage when they go on holidays?) and let that policy do your student selection for you.

Sometimes you may have a psychological problem with all this. In this case, my suggestion is this: Pretend you are not the decision maker, pretend you are the employee of a music studio, and you are there only to teach. All the decisions are really made by the administration (which of course is you, but no one needs to know that).

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[lagin]

Is this really fair to the students who have Monday and Friday lessons though, in comparison to those who have their lessons on a Wednesday or Thursday?  Holidays frequently fall on some days of the week, but never touch others.  I understand Bernard's concept of paying for the teacher's time and not for each individual lesson, but then as a teacher, it would be his/her responsibility to make sure they were giving "time" to the student on the holiday that replaced their lesson, would it not?  Inevitably, wouldn't some student's be getting more time than others one way or another, even though all pay the same amount?  Maybe I'm just not getting it though, that happens at times .

For my two cents, my teacher teaches on holidays unless it's like a week long, then everyone gets a break, and no, we don't pay for that.  Everywhere is going to be different.  This is just the way our local music school runs.  Extra time, like marking homework during her "off" hours, my teacher does for free, but I'm sure not all teacher's do that.   

[jeremyjchilds]

Is this really fair to the students who have Monday and Friday lessons though, in comparison to those who have their lessons on a Wednesday or Thursday?  Holidays frequently fall on some days of the week, but never touch others.  I understand Bernard's concept of paying for the teacher's time and not for each individual lesson, but then as a teacher, it would be his/her responsibility to make sure they were giving "time" to the student on the holiday that replaced their lesson, would it not?  Inevitably, wouldn't some student's be getting more time than others one way or another, even though all pay the same amount?  Maybe I'm just not getting it though, that happens at times .

For my two cents, my teacher teaches on holidays unless it's like a week long, then everyone gets a break, and no, we don't pay for that.  Everywhere is going to be different.  This is just the way our local music school runs.  Extra time, like marking homework during her "off" hours, my teacher does for free, but I'm sure not all teacher's do that.   

No I guess it's not fair...but it's better than being on a waiting list...

When they stick around for a few years, they will work into a nice mid-week time.

[pianistimo]

my teacher at college (though he doesn't have to) always seems to make up lessons (unless really super busy).  sometimes, as a student, if you ask - you recieve.  you might need to say something (reminder) that you missed a lesson and wanted to have some questions answered.  even if you dont' get a whole lesson, it would be good to have something to practice on.  many teachers go overtime - so if i did miss a lesson - i would add up all the extra minutes and say it all works out in the wash, too.  i don't care about overpaying my teacher (he could always charge more - and then i'd owe more money).