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The students in this thread are very gracious. However, I just wanted to say they do not represent the majority of the students (or parents) on the market on this topic. And I do not know any piano teacher that do not offer make up at all.
Kids get sick, special event happens, there will be a number of times a year we can not make it. The teacher takes vacations, and goes to events too. We do 2 classes a week during the summer to make up the missed lessons, as everyone's time is much more flexible when school is not in session. It is a mutual respect and understanding between the student (parents) and teachers.
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Perhaps it's a geographically-specific phenomenon, but almost all of my students are over-stretched and over-scheduled with 50 extracurricular activities. It's impossible to find ONE time where everybody can show up for a recital.
I don't have a very strict policy on attendance, but I might have to adopt one soon.
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I guess it depends on pricing... I would be reluctant to engage a teacher who was unwilling to reschedule in the event of a missing lesson. However, if a teacher had such a policy, and charged less as a result, I might be tempted.
It's just market forces, isn't it?
In any event, it seems to me that this is one of the things that students and teachers should settle on, ideally in writing, from the start.
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Instead of thinking about paying $50 per lesson, reframe to think that you pay $200/ month or $3600/year to study with this teacher. Yikes! If I managed to spend $3600/year by paying $50 a week, I think I'd go crazy. Now, now, be understanding. We are musicians, not mathematicians. <smiley>
gotta go practice
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My teacher over the last couple of years taught in a music school and their policy was not to offer make ups. I knew I would miss some so just factored that in. My kids attend a different music school and they are very good about doing make ups there.
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Perhaps it's a geographically-specific phenomenon, but almost all of my students are over-stretched and over-scheduled with 50 extracurricular activities. It's impossible to find ONE time where everybody can show up for a recital.
I don't have a very strict policy on attendance, but I might have to adopt one soon. If your student had to be out of town because of work and told you 1 - 2 weeks in advance, can you say what you were likely to do?
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If your student had to be out of town because of work and told you 1 - 2 weeks in advance, can you say what you were likely to do? At the moment my policy is to give them credit toward next month's tuition. It's pointless to do more than one lesson a week, and most parents don't want that, anyway. However, there are a few really, really, REALLY busy kids who request schedule changes nearly once a month. I do what I can to accommodate, but it's getting to the point that they are demonstrating how little skills they have in the area of time management. And I'm not talking about just the kids.
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If your student had to be out of town because of work and told you 1 - 2 weeks in advance, can you say what you were likely to do? At the moment my policy is to give them credit toward next month's tuition. It's pointless to do more than one lesson a week, and most parents don't want that, anyway. However, there are a few really, really, REALLY busy kids .... You are responding in a thread where an ADULT (not kids) is trying to get input about the adult situation of being called away out of town in his work. I get the point about "2 lessons a week" - the OP might be happy with the idea of a credit. Barring that, sometimes a Wed. lesson might be moved to Friday and then you're not having 2 lessons a week - just a gap of less than 7 days between lessons.
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If your student had to be out of town because of work and told you 1 - 2 weeks in advance, can you say what you were likely to do? At the moment my policy is to give them credit toward next month's tuition. It's pointless to do more than one lesson a week, and most parents don't want that, anyway. However, there are a few really, really, REALLY busy kids who request schedule changes nearly once a month. I do what I can to accommodate, but it's getting to the point that they are demonstrating how little skills they have in the area of time management. And I'm not talking about just the kids. You didn't read the question. Please to not redirect things to your own personal agenda - lazy people, stupid people, uncooperative people. An adult - an intelligent adult I teach - had to miss his lesson last week. He was suddenly told in the morning that he had to leave town, and he was not back in town until Sunday. He was back again tonight, good lesson. I told him what I always tell responsible adults - things come up. We are not always the master of our own time. I have someone else who can't make a lesson on Thursday, and he's coming during that time to finish up what we ran out of time covering today. I keep saying the same thing in this forum. Apparently I don't live in the same reality as the rest of the teachers. When I have time, I give time. It's not usually a big deal. When people treat me with respect, I give them respect back, and I give a LOT of respect to good students who pay on time, who work, who listen, who cooperate and who show appreciation.
Last edited by Gary D.; 02/21/18 01:03 AM.
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I use an "hourly rate" in calculating my fee but handle scheduling in a such a way that it's very easy to get 10% or more lesson time than you "paid for". Every 6th or 7th week is like a "make up" except that you don't need to have missed a lesson; we stick with the usual schedule unless discussed otherwise. I eliminate having to keep track of who missed how many, for what reason, judge how valid or not is the reason, etc.
The OP's situation would be handled by this setup although if the trip were short, I would still attempt to find another student to switch times or another unclaimed time during my teaching hours. I value long term, consistent students and don't mind if they end up with a few "extra" lessons over the course of the year (the cost of those is already built into my fee).
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Please to not redirect things to your own personal agenda - lazy people, stupid people, uncooperative people.
How is this my own personal agenda? Am I missing something here?
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Please to not redirect things to your own personal agenda - lazy people, stupid people, uncooperative people.
How is this my own personal agenda? Am I missing something here? If you're missing something here, then so am I. There was a comment about people having a lack of time management skills. That's it. Let's avoid personal attacks, and exaggerated extrapolations.
18 ABF Recitals, Order of the Red Dot European Piano Parties - Brussels, Lisbon, Lucern, Milan, Malaga, St. Goar Themed recitals: Grieg and Great American Songbook
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The part that was not quoted: You didn't read the question. The question that was not read, but "answered" nonetheless, was mine. I don't know if it was an agenda, but I was somewhat confused. I asked about a student who is called out of town due to his work and gives 1 - 2 weeks notice. The answer was about kids and what their parents think. No child will be out of town due to work, because at most a child might have a paper route after school. It was about adults. The person asking the question is an adult, and I was trying to redirect toward where the asker was seeking help. This one line that I quoted that was left out might clarify what was missed. -------- I see now the comment about lack of time management skills. The OP is called out of town by his employer. I cannot agree that time management skills are likely to be the cause of the problem. Moreover, if the OP is telling his teacher 1 - 2 weeks in advance, he sounds organized. It may even be that the question that was not read was the original question.
Last edited by keystring; 02/21/18 08:03 AM.
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For the topic about holding a make-up class that results in two lessons in a week:
I'm sure every teacher's style varies, but this has never been a problem for my kids. Sometimes, their make-up lesson comes one day before or after their regular lesson.
My kids have one hour lessons. On a regular lesson day, for that one hour, there is so much to go over that they only manage to cover about half the material in one lesson. Often, one piece of repertoire is only visited every other week. So adding a make-up lesson just means that they'll finally get a chance to cover all their repertoire that week. Alternatively, they'll cover more music history, or music theory, or ear training.
This has been the case since they were at the elementary stage.
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Osho, I am flexible with my adult students. Otherwise, they would most likely drop lessons. Work demands, sick kids, etc. come up and if I can't make it up, I credit them. One of my adults has been with me for 3 years and had the flu, missing 3 lessons. We will work it out. I expect the same in return. Your missed lesson notice is more than adequate to allow me time to fill that spot with a make up lesson for someone else.
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Please to not redirect things to your own personal agenda - lazy people, stupid people, uncooperative people.
How is this my own personal agenda? Am I missing something here? Yes. You are: OP: Hi,
I am currently taking classes with a teacher, who does not provide make-up classes for missed classes. I am still required to pay for the class though.
I miss about 1 in 10 classes (I take 1 class per week), primarily because I am out of town on business.
How common/reasonable is this? I am happy with the teacher in general, except for this policy.
Thanks Osho
This was initially about adults who can't make it to lessons, and the thrust has remained that. By making it about children, and then talking about why there is a problem with their parents, it completely refocuses the thread to an entirely different subject. The consensus seems to be that if a teacher misses a lesson, it's OK, but if an adult misses a lesson, even for a rock solid reason, it's not OK. Again, an adult missed two weeks ago. He was suddenly called out of town by his job. No notice. He was here this week. I told him that when adults miss, I'm fine with rescheduling, but it has to fit into my schedule. There was no problem doing this. I like the guy. I was glad to do it.
Last edited by Gary D.; 02/21/18 05:39 PM.
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Thank you all for your input.
This has bothered me a lot lately. I have decided at this point to give this teacher one last try. If I have to have any more such classes where I can't do make-ups, I will find another teacher. Luckily, there are plenty of teachers around where I live.
What I find completely unacceptable is that she will not even respond to emails where I asked her if there were any cancellations so that I can do make-ups, even 4 days after I originally sent the email. That is just unprofessional.
Thanks, Osho
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Thank you all for your input.
This has bothered me a lot lately. I have decided at this point to give this teacher one last try. If I have to have any more such classes where I can't do make-ups, I will find another teacher. Luckily, there are plenty of teachers around where I live.
What I find completely unacceptable is that she will not even respond to emails where I asked her if there were any cancellations so that I can do make-ups, even 4 days after I originally sent the email. That is just unprofessional.
Thanks, Osho What you seem to be telling us is that you may very well be finding a new teacher because of no cooperation at all from your present teacher. If I treated my adult students this way, they would tell me: "Adios". And in their shoes, I would do the same thing. It is a different matter when it happens with no notice, same day cancellation, though I just told you guys about an adult who was suddenly called out of town the morning of his lesson. If I don't show up at my dentist's office, no call, no reason, I expect to get charged. If I call days before, giving a very good reason why I can't make it to the visit, I don't expect to be charged. There will always be some problem individuals who are inconsiderate and who always want things their way. I fully understand about holding the line with such people. But not with the nice ones. Not with the ones who have been with me more than a year, who have been pleasant, who work, and who always pay on time. To me saying: "Sorry, if you can't make it, even if you call days in advance with a good reason, you have to pay..." Is like saying: "I've got your money, and that's all I care about."
Last edited by Gary D.; 02/21/18 05:45 PM.
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Thank you all for your input.
This has bothered me a lot lately. I have decided at this point to give this teacher one last try. If I have to have any more such classes where I can't do make-ups, I will find another teacher. Luckily, there are plenty of teachers around where I live.
What I find completely unacceptable is that she will not even respond to emails where I asked her if there were any cancellations so that I can do make-ups, even 4 days after I originally sent the email. That is just unprofessional.
Thanks, Osho Is it actually the teacher's policy not to offer make up lessons under any circumstances? Offering make ups but not following up on your emails is one thing, but if no make-ups is her stated policy then she isn't under any obligation to accommodate you. Assuming you fully understood her business practices when you started lessons. As others have said, it's probably best to find a teacher whose policies you can live with.
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Hi,
I am currently taking classes with a teacher, who does not provide make-up classes for missed classes. I am still required to pay for the class though.
I miss about 1 in 10 classes (I take 1 class per week), primarily because I am out of town on business.
How common/reasonable is this? I am happy with the teacher in general, except for this policy.
Thanks Osho Osho, I would look for another teacher. You are an adult, and adults have busy lives which need accommodation. I am familiar with the policies you have outlined and while they may be suitable for children, they are not suitable for adults. Work with a private teacher and pay on a month to month basis. As long as you provide the teacher with at least 24 hours cancellation notice that should be sufficient. And the teacher should be able to work out alternative lesson times with you. Any good, reputable, private teacher who is oriented to teaching adults should be satisfied with such an arrangement. You are not guaranteed an income and neither is a piano teacher. Joe
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