In: American Suzuki Journal, Vol. During May, my eldest son will be missing three lessons because he is going to accompany me on a trip to New Zealand to visit his great-grandparents. I do not expect my son’s teacher to refund me for those missed lessons, or to reschedule them by ‘doubling up’ lessons in the weeks before or after our departure. brenda@brendahunting.com Group lessons enhance the private lesson and are held in lieu of the private lesson on group weeks. If you'd like to use Music Teachers Helper to help you run your teaching studio, enter the code, Brenda Hunting - Piano Teacher, Music Educator, Online Lessons (via Zoom/Skype/Google Hangout). I will try to reschedule any lessons that a student misses for illness. Here is the full version of my policy: Lessons missed through the student’s non-attendance shall be charged, unless the circumstances, in the teacher’s opinion, warrant a special concession, in which case the teacher will endeavour to (but does not guarantee to) find an alternative time to make up the lesson … your policy on discounts, missed lessons, etc) that the teacher can cite to clients; Legally defensible positions in the event a problem arises with a client; There is no easier and more effective way of handling many thorny issues than to have them defined in your studio policy. In order to encourage this practice, I have the following policy: Lessons are only to be missed in the event of illness or an unavoidable conflict. Vacations. Missed Piano Lessons. It is important that students attend each weekly lesson. Pre-emptively striking on every possible situation or problem does nothing but a) make your clients feel as though they’re bombarded with rules and regulations and b) negates the impact of your most important policies. If an emergency or illness arises, please let me know as soon as possible. Piano lessons consistently missed for any non-illness, non-emergency personal reasons (such as a party, a sporting event, etc.) So there are lots of situations in our everyday lives where we regularly pay in advance for goods or some service, and if we end up not using what we have purchased, we have to just ‘swallow our losses’. Your tuition reserves you a weekly time slot and benefits within the studio. In my studio, unfortunately, except in exceptional circumstances, fees cannot be adjusted for missed lessons. Online make up lesson will be offered for lessons missed by student. As with University tuition, piano lesson tuition is payable whether the student attends or not. The only way she would be able to give him a lesson later in the week would be if she were to give up time that she had scheduled for her own private life; and that seems pretty unreasonable – I can’t think of many employees who would be thrilled if their bosses were to announce that they couldn’t work from 3:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, but would they please stay until 6:30 on Thursday, because there will be work for them then! Cancellations / Missed Lessons. PO Box 7352, Loganholme 4129. Any lessons missed to inclement weather will not be affected by this policy. Aug 18, 2017 - Explore Heather Nanney/ Fun Key Music's board "Piano Lessons: Policy Statement", followed by 791 people on Pinterest. Available at https://openmusiclibrary.org/article/122842/, This article has also been published in The Piano Teacher, https://openmusiclibrary.org/article/122842/. - If notice is given less than 24 hours the lesson will be considered missed and the lesson fee/s will still be charged with no refund. In my ‘other life’ I am an economist and teach at our local university. Speaking now as an economist, I would claim that the reason is that items like clothing are “durable goods’ – meaning, they can be returned and then resold at the original price – whereas music lessons are non-durable goods – meaning, once my Monday slot at 3:30 is gone, my son’s teacher can’t turn around and sell it again. Two make up lessons shall be permitted each term, and may not be carried into a new term. My current policy is to allow for cancelations (and issue a credit) if I get 24 hours notice. Each play explores the lives of African American families. When I go to the store and buy groceries, I may purchase something that doesn’t get used. Students who are suffering from colds or other infectious illnesses shall not attend the studio. Login to your Music Teacher's Helper account. Another attempt to bring more fairness to a no-make-up-lesson policy is the swap list, wherein students can call each other to switch times. 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). My timetable is very full at the moment, so scheduling make-up lessons is rather challenging. Missed Music Lesson Policy In my studio, unfortunately, except in exceptional circumstances, fees cannot be adjusted for missed lessons. Clear statements of policy on recurring matters (e.g. Tuition is non-refundable. Missed Lesson Policy: Kathleen’s Piano Studio is under no obligation to provide refunds or make-up lessons for missed or skipped lessons unless that lesson was cancelled by the teacher. As soon as you become aware of an event which may clash with your regular lesson schedule, you should notify me. The policies at Hillside Music reflect our desire to help students maintain consistency in lesson attendance. I’m less flexible regarding make-up lessons, depending on the reason, and how often the same student misses lessons. Being unprepared is not a reason to cancel. Should the student be too unwell to participate in an online lesson, provided as much notice as possible is given, every effort will be made to make up the lesson (limited to two per term). This monthly payment guarantees the student's place in my studio and covers the cost of weekly lessons and enrollment. If a student misses a lesson with a 24-hour notification there will be 3 ways to make up the lesson. This enables me to offer your time slot to another student who needs a make-up lesson, and gives me time to find a similar cancellation slot to offer you a make-up. Missed lesson time may be made up in other ways beneficial to the student: FaceTime or Zoom lesson: if a student is ill/contagious but feels well enough to play, or if inclement weather prevents students from traveling, this is a viable alternative to a missed lesson. Lesson Schedule: We have reserved space for your student(s) with the understanding that we will have a lesson each week at that time. Provided you give me plenty of notice, I will endeavour to make-up the lessons, within the guidelines posted above. The important point is to put the onus and responsibility on your clients for resolving the conflicts they have created. Unlike a doctor or hairdresser, I cannot resell your time slot to another client. If you are going to be away for any length of time during the term, an adjustment may be made on the fees if notification is given before the start of term. I reserve the right to choose not to make up a missed lesson for such events if you give me short notice. and that other activity were to create the conflict. Holidays Missed Lessons by the Teacher. will be rescheduled subject my discretion/availability. We have one piano lesson and one group class in theory or other musical activity in our school every week. The missed lesson is then counted in the tally of lessons given (included in the lessons given report in MTH). A make-up lesson is scheduled later, after the lesson was missed at the appointed time. Below is an article that beautifully explains about makeup lessons. New Year Day. This is particularly true in areas with lower average income, where it can be particularly difficult to find students. If you choose to take holidays during term time, you will still need to pay for any lessons you might miss. Online lessons (via Zoom, Skype or Google Plus Hangout) are available for students who are well enough to have a lesson but not well enough to leave home, or for situations such as lack of transport. ... With the end of the school year approaching fast I have noticed an increase in canceled lessons. MISSED LESSONS, FOR ANY REASON, WILL NOT BE MADE UP. Your tuition fees secure an exclusive lesson time slot in my schedule each week. However I understand that 'life happens' (especially with regard to illness) and I will use my discretion when you contact me about needing to cancel a lesson. They cannot be changed or rolled over into the next semester. Vacations are considered unexcused absences. I don’t get a refund from the grocery store for the unused merchandise. Since there will be lots of advanced notice, I might ask her to consider preparing a special ‘practice tape’ for that period, or to answer my questions via e-mail, but if she doesn’t have the time (the second half of April is going to be really busy for her, and she wouldn’t be able to do the tape until more or less the week we left) and so has to refuse, then that’s fine. Many teachers have adopted a strictly 'no make-up lessons' policy, because of the difficulties make-up lessons create for scheduling. No lesson is given on the following Holiday: New Year's Eve. At Applause Piano Studio, when a student commits to a lesson day and time, it is expected that he/she will honor this commitment. Monthly tuition covers piano lessons from September to May (30 individual 45-minute lessons and 4 90-minute group classes) and 7 piano lessons June through August (dates and times TBD). I do not make up no call/no shows. It is unfair for the ill student to spread infection to the teacher, or to other students. However, if an absence arises due to unforeseen situations such as an accident, family emergency, or unsafe road conditions and if the student indicates a desire for a makeup lesson, the teacher will make an effort to reschedule the lesson. Please have your child come to lessons with NAILS TRIMMED AND CLEAN HANDS. Lessons missed through the student’s non-attendance shall be charged, unless the circumstances, in the teacher’s opinion, warrant a special concession, in which case the teacher will endeavour to (but does not guarantee to) find an alternative time to make up the lesson within the term. It was originally published by Vicky Barnham in the American Suzuki Journal in 2001. The reasoning behind this policy is that the teacher is scheduled to be present for the student’s lesson at a specific time. MISSED PIANO LESSONS If a student cancels a piano lesson due to sickness, vacation or conflicting extracurricular activities, Tuition is not prorated and there is no makeup for that lesson. $10 will be deducted from the student’s Materials and Activities Deposit for every 5 days that tuition is late. Our opinion is that less is more. A growing number of teachers make it their policy never to give make up piano lessons unless they are the ones that cancel lessons. If you plan to be gone for a while, you must continue to pay in order to reserve your membership in the studio. So rather than telling us that ‘well, actually, the only time when I’m not teaching and that you can bring your son for lesson is during the time I set aside each week to go for a long soul-cleansing walk, and I *can’t* do that on Monday at 3:30 when you should have turned up’, they agree to teach us at a time that really doesn’t suit their schedule. Piano Policies and Courtesy Information. And this is the way it should be. Events such as school camps, excursions, speech night, and the like, are normally gazetted well in advance. This means that I will collect $110.83 per 30 minute student per month, regardless of whether the month has 1 or 4 lessons in it. Credit: Barham, Vicky (2001) Make-Up Music Lessons from an Economist’s Point of View. I’m a parent of children enrolled in Suzuki music lessons. In most circumstances, lessons missed because of snow will be made up. So why do I believe that music lessons fall into the first category of ‘non-returnable merchandise’, rather than into the second case of ‘exchange privileges unlimited’ (which I think is one of the advertising slogans of an established women’s clothing store!)? I understand – fully – that if I can’t make it to the lesson one week (perhaps my son is sick, or we are away on holiday, or there is some other major event at school) then we will pay for the lesson, but that my teacher is under no obligation to find another spot for me that week, or to refund me for the untaught lesson. "The Piano Lesson" is part of August Wilson's cycle of 10 plays known as the Pittsburg Cycle. I think that it is natural for we parents to share the point of view that students should have their missed lessons rescheduled, but if we were to ‘walk a mile’ in our teachers’ shoes, we might change our minds about what it is reasonable for us to expect of our teachers. Creating extra teaching time in which to give make-up lessons means that I have to forgo time that I have set aside for other activities (usually family time). MAKEUP LESSONS: Makeup lessons will only be given for missed lessons involving school events, in which the attendance at the school event affects the student’s grade, real emergencies, sickness, or weather-related missed lessons. See more ideas about piano lessons, piano teaching, piano. Instead, I hope that she will enjoy the extra hour of rest during those three weeks, and that we will all feel renewed enthusiasm when we return to lessons at the end of the trip. The dramas take place in a different decade, from the early 1900s until the 1990s. Therefore, students are encouraged to attend every lesson in order to advance their skills. On the other hand, if I purchase an item of clothing, and get home and change my mind, I can take it back and expect either a refund or a store credit. Tuning the piano; Tuition is charged monthly. No shows or failure to notify the school/teacher within 24 hours is considered a forfeited lesson. This means that whether there are 4 or 5 lessons in that month, the tuition fee is the same for each month. Tuition is not refunded, reimbursed, or forwarded to the next month. Make-up Lesson Policy. Hope it helps in making your own! I will then use that time or other times to plan for the student’s progress, locate materials, provide a progress report to the parent(s), etc. Music teachers receive no sick pay, holiday pay or superannuation. Unfortunately, this only works when students know they will be gone well in advance and they have time to send e-mails or make phone calls. I give a missed lesson sometimes as a masterclass lesson –where the rest of the small group have a list of things to listen to. I certainly don’t expect her to credit me with three make-up lessons; there is no way for her to find a student to fill a three-week hole in her schedule during our absence. missed lessons: Because specific times are set aside for specific students, a student who does not attend a lesson will simply miss the benefit of that lesson. I’d like to explain to other parents why I feel – quite strongly, actually – that it is unreasonable of we parents to expect our teachers to make up lessons we miss, even if I know as well as they do just how expensive lessons are, and, equally importantly, how important that weekly contact is with the teacher to keeping practicing ticking along smoothly. Lessons are based on a monthly tuition which reserves the student a specific weekly slot and membership within the studio. - If your student/s must miss a lesson please contact me a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the lesson. My lesson price is $35 per lesson x 38 weeks = $1330 yearly tuition; I want to collect monthly, so $1330/12 = $110.83 per month. It’s unfortunate, but true. This is a commitment on both our parts. If I sign my child up for swimming lessons at the local pool, and s/he refuses to return after the first lesson, I can’t get my money back. If you'd like to use Music Teachers Helper to help you run your teaching studio, enter the code 14053B when you sign up for any plan and receive 10% discount on your payments each month. Missed lessons are an inevitable fact of a piano teacher’s life and a written private music lesson cancellation policy that you can give to your students and their parents is therefore essential if you want to run your piano teaching business effectively. Example: “Piano … When it is impossible to reschedule piano lessons missed due to illness and/or family emergencies, the missed piano lessons will be credited. This includes leaving messages on the answering machine or eMail. However, too few parents ask to switch only when absolutely necessary, and too many parents want lesson times when it suits them this week, which is not the same time that suited last week. I’ve provided… Continue reading Example Studio Policies handout Tuition. Give them 14 and they’ll stop reading after 6. Any more misses, and the lesson is forfeited. Teachers who are ‘nice’ in this way often, in the long run, end up exhausted, and feeling exploited; they try to draw a line in the sand. The only time that I would feel entitled to discuss shifting a lesson time is if the reason I can’t make the lesson is because (i) I have to do something for the Suzuki school and the only time at which that other event can happen is during my lesson time; (ii) my teacher were to ask us to participate in some other activity (e.g., orchestra, etc.) Like many parents, I pay in advance for lessons each term. I do not make up lessons missed … If the conflict arises because my child is in the School play, and they have their dress-rehearsal during his lesson time, then I feel that I must choose between the two activities, and if he attends the dress rehearsal my private lesson teacher doesn’t owe me anything. Each student has a reserved lesson time, and is responsible for that time. Lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice shall not be made up. Here’s a sample of my Studio Policies handout I made during my Piano Pedagogy class at college. Many teachers hesitate to refuse our request to shift lesson times (because our busy schedules *do* change), because unless they keep us parents happy, we will decide to take our child somewhere else for lessons (or to drop musical study), and they will lose part of their income. Cancelled make-up lessons shall not be made up. An online lesson (via Zoom/Skype/Google Hangout) is the preferred solution to this situation. In my experience, schools and preschools do not give refunds for absent children. Days or months later, I end up throwing it out. Missed Lessons. Please note that makeup lessons are only available for the quarters listed. Independence Day. Lessons missed without prior notice shall not be made up, nor shall lessons missed due to inadequate practice. Students pay good money to attend classes at the university; but if they don’t come to my lecture on a Monday morning, then I am not going to turn around and deliver them a private tutorial on Tuesday afternoon. If however there is another cancelled lesson time during that week, you will be offered that time slot. Lessons cancelled by the teacher will be re-scheduled or a refund will be offered. Please refrain from copying and using this handout as is. If a permanent conflict arises with this lesson time, please feel free to contact us to discuss alternate arrangements. If your teacher is sick or has a conflict with a scheduled lesson, you will be offered appropriate options to make up for the missed lesson. When a lesson is missed, continuity is broken, interest slides downward, and the clarification of concepts is lost. A student not attending a lesson simply misses the benefit of that lesson. If a student or parent does not give prior notice, the missed lesson will count as an absence and will not be made up. In my experience, schools and preschools do not give refunds for absent children. Holidays. For any lesson I have to cancel there will be a make up or credit. 1, pp. 57. Cancellation Policy. Piano Lesson Attendance Policy. In my mind, what this means is that I have reserved a regular spot in the busy schedules of my sons’ teachers. Mobile: 0413 290 982 You might like to read an article written by an economist on this topic: Make-Up Lessons. If your clients can't or won't fit piano lessons into a mutually agreeable time, then they either miss the lessons with no commitment on your part to give make-ups or stop taking lessons. Regular attendance at piano and keyboard lessons is an issue of responsibility and choice on the part of students and their parents. (This one is just a sample — the info is not completely accurate to my own current studio policies.) "The Piano Lesson" premiered in … 30, No. Give someone 4 simple points and they’ll remember each one. Music teachers receive no sick pay, holiday pay or superannuation. Brenda Hunting's Piano Studio, Shailer Park. You can arrange to swap lessons with another student by asking me to give you the telephone number of any student with a similar lesson length to you. If Nell cancels a piano lesson due to weather or sickness, the lesson can be made up during the last 2 weeks of June. Missed Lessons: Due to the teacher's limited availability, rescheduling lessons cannot be guaranteed. Missed lessons cannot be extended to the following session to make up the missed lessons due to traveling, sports games, other practices, family events, birthday parties, or illness. It’s important to still come so we can practice together and keep your child moving in a positive direction. Lessons: due to inadequate practice reserves you a weekly time slot another... … piano lesson tuition is charged monthly please contact me a minimum of 24 in. If your student/s must miss a lesson with a 24-hour notification there will credited... The school/teacher within 24 hours in advance of the difficulties make-up lessons create for scheduling student lessons! With your regular lesson schedule, you must continue to pay for any non-illness, personal... The important point is to allow for cancelations ( and issue a credit ) if I get 24 is... 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