Not Everyone Will Find Everything Easy

One of the hardest lessons for me to learn as a new teacher was that sometimes students struggle with thing that I find easy.

Cancellation Policy

What do you do when a student texts you 10 minutes before their lesson to say they’re not coming?  Do a little happy dance?  Run out for a quick coffee?  Regret that didn’t know earlier because you could have rescheduled another student?  Or fume because now you won’t get paid?

Studio Rules

 

What do you do when someone doesn’t turn up for a private lesson?  Do you still charge them?  When do you expect to be paid for lessons taught?  What happens if your student turns up without their book?  How much notice do you require if someone can’t come to their lesson?  Do you do “catch-up” lessons?  What if a student is away on a family trip for two months? Do you hold a space open for them?

These are things you need to think about and let your students and their parents know BEFORE they start learning from you.  Your studio rules set up the expectations you have for your students.  I found that having the answers to these questions made my life a lot easier and saved a lot of hassles.

Teaching Diary

These days, everything that happens is recorded in some way, right?  That amazing pancake stack you had at the café?  That rainbow over the other side of the harbour?  Your outfit of the day?  So it should feel like a natural fit to record your teaching too.

Setting Expectations

Your students will do what you expect them to do.

If you expect them to be noisy and disruptive, then they will do just that.  Even without you giving them permission.

If you expect them to be well-behaved and to listen respectfully, they will.