saerra, I just have to say that is it really great to hear the way you are viewing these posts, from your perspective.

This is why I believe it's important to let this forum be open to all folks, not just teachers. We learn from you, just as you learn from us.

I very much appreciate the way that you have approached us and told *all* of us your views (good and bad) and where they ended up leading you.

Thank you VERY much for your participation and the patience it takes to get around some of the off topic stuff in order to get there.

the schools I am talking about is a private school who hire teachers so the rules are quite rigid but sometimes teachers can ajust the rules....

I'm not a teacher, I'm a student. That being said, I do not understand why it's so difficult for some people in this thread to understand that abruptly canceling a lesson costs teachers potential income.

When you cancel a doctor's appointment too close to the date, you will get charged a certain fee. The same for the dentist, or any other health care professional. It's the same for schools, for programs at the YMCA, and other places.

Maybe those against this idea have simply never been in the situation where time literally equals money. I've never been a teacher, but I've been a freelancer in the IT industry. When people canceled or didn't show up to a scheduled meeting, it cost me potential salary. That hour or two of my workday cannot be made up; that time is gone forever.

Individual teachers (those not associated with institutes, conservatories, etc) are freelancers too. Their workday time IS money.

Teachers make their payment rules for a reason, and it's not to screw over students. It's simply to protect their income from people who are too ignorant to understand what it means to work as a freelancer.

My teacher had a student who skipped three straight weeks of lessons without saying anything then showed up the day/time she had scheduled a lesson with me (his "normal" time) and expected to have a lesson as if nothing happened. If he had done that to someone who worked at an institution he'd be out $160. As it is, my teacher was out the $160. How is that fair? It's not at all.

I can completely understand why the teachers here are upset at some of the comments people are making.

caracantabile:

Need lessons?? lol

Your teacher is lucky to have you

Who in this thread was arguing the position that abruptly canceled (I assume that means last minute) lessons do not cost the teacher potential income, and the student should not be responsible for paying for those lessons?

ANY cancellation will cost us potential income.

What difference does it make how much notice is given?

If a student calls me on Tuesday to cancel a lesson on Thursday I am left with an empty slot. Apart from being polite it makes no other difference to me.

cara,
That is so true. It is nice to see someone who understands. I truly think that most people when they do this just do not realize the impact it has on the teacher. A well-written policy does wonders to help educate parents in such instances. I'm sure part of the reason why your teacher had scheduled you at that other student's time was to send a message (although I'm sure primarily it was to help you, but hey, she killed two birds with one stone). I'm glad they showed up and realized that they lost their time slot!

I agree with Chris, that it is not just last-minute cancellations, but any cancellation costs us money. Cancellation with notice is preferred of course, because at least we can plan for it, and it is considerate on the part of the student or parent.

The fact remains that if a teacher cannot make a living by having a somewhat regular income, then they will most likely have to get a job and quit teaching. Then who teaches those students?

From a business perspective, allowing for only a limited number of cancellations and paying tuition on a semester or monthly basis in advance is a common practice in other professions. My husband, who owns a web development company, does mainly contract work for a distinct amount of money for a distinct project. Once that is done, you may get more work form the client, but many times you won't hear from them for a few years until they are ready to add features or upgrade their site. In the beginning this cause cash-flow issues, and it often was feast or famine. We then realized that there were some clients who did routine maintenance on their websites, but the work came in sporadically, and decided to set those clients on a pre-paid maintenance plan at a discounted rate, so they would get 10 hours of work per month for a set amount, which was 10% off our regular hourly rate. This really helped the cash flow of the business.

This is the same concept that teachers with limited cancellations are employing. Pay in advance for a time slot/amount of time, and if you choose to use it, great, if not, you forfeit it.

Relax. All I said was no one is taking the position that last minute cancellations should not be paid for.

At any rate, it seems to make a difference here because people make distinctions between cancellations with notice, and cancellations without notice. If it doesn't make any difference, then why is that mentioned so much in this forum?

Is the bottom line of what is right or wrong whether it costs the teacher potential income? I don't think that should always be the case.

If I take lessons, and in order to keep a "slot" with the teacher I pay for all but two summer weeks, knowing - and communicating with the teacher - that I am taking 3 weeks or a month off, I can't help but feel cheated because I think there should be some flexibility in the summer to allow for people taking various amounts of time off.

When I voice something like this here, I'm met with sarcasm, and anger, but it's from the perspective of the student, and you need to know that's how some of us feel.

Phlebas, I understand perfectly, and I bet there's a teacher out there whose policy matches your need to take long vacations. The best I can do is *encourage* students to take lessons for 6 weeks out of the summer by giving those students their preferred lesson time in the Fall. Those who do not take these lessons will get scheduled after those who did. For some, even 6 weeks out of 3 months is too much (and I'm very flexible with scheduling, they can do every other week, or a few weeks here and there). Anyways, it's not a huge loss for those who choose not to come or cannot, but those that can make it have a huge advantage over those who don't. Most likely those who do not come will go 3 months without practicing.

Thank you Morodiene. Every teacher I have had, and my daughter has had - combined, this is 10 teachers between us - has been flexible in the way you describe. It was never brought up by me, and has never been an issue.

In some cases I paid by the month (missed lesson? Well, that's the way it goes because I understood their policy, and the reasons behind it).

Please offer a solution to the following scenario I am facing right now:

My studio policy states,"lessons shall continue through the summer, with the understanding that each of us will be taking time off for vacations. Students who commit to summer lessons shall have spots reserved for them when school starts".
I have a student who is taking June, July, and August off from piano lessons. Her parents want me to hold her spot till after Labor Day. I asked if they were away for the whole summer and they said "no vacations planned, we will be here, we just want our daughter to take summers off from all lessons". I told them I cannot hold her spot open for 3 months. And now it turns out I have a waiting list for fall. I am planning to give up her spot. Is this wrong?

If her spot time slot remains open (which it sounds like it won't), that's good luck for her and she can re-up. If you need to fill it, perhaps she can come back into a different time slot come September. Two of my students went to Spain for 3 months. They will be returning to a different time slot and they know this.

My solution is simple and fair, I think.

When a student leaves for more than a couple weeks, there is no way I will deny another student who wants that time slot.

When that student returns, and of course I never know for sure if that will happen, he or she can have the same time slot back if the slot is still open. But if it is taken by someone else who has been with me, the slot is just not there.

Phlebas, I am relaxed!

I'm just giving you the teacher's perspective. I know how students feel about it. I have around 40 of them in my studio and not one has any problem with my cancellation policy, even if they do need reminding about it from time to time.

Take next week for example. Five students have told me they can't make their lesson for one reason or another. It's very common at this time of year even though schools don't finish until the following week. All these students have given me plenty of notice which I very much appreciate. However, I can't offer those slots to anyone else and I am certainly not prepared to lose £100 income for the week. I just can't afford to do that. Some have asked if they can reschedule or if I can adjust their fees even though my policy is very clear. I have told them that I will see what I can do regarding make-ups if possible but that the fee for July will be the same as always. No problem.

Barb, your solution is simple. Tell them you will give them a call at the end of August and let them know if you have any time slots available. You can't hold the slot open for 3 months unless they would like to pay for it which of course they won't. They can have their 3 months off which you should point out is a bad idea. That's a very long time to go without tuition and guidance. And they have to understand that you might not be able to fit them in in September.

Perhaps I am missing something here. Do you have a waiting list for the summer? Or have other 'new' students have been given a Sept time slot already? Are they also taking in the summer? Or are you just assigning fall students as they call?

I never liked students taking the whole summer off either. Geeze - there's more time to practice and if you want to learn to play what difference does it make if it is summer or winter? A short break is nice, but not 3 months!

Just my opinion, I would change that first sentence. It leaves room for them to just lie and tell you they will be gone. I personally use that philosophy too, but I do it verbally. My policy leaves room for vacations, by allowing "2 unpaid lessons per semester". After that they either pay, or lose their spot. Doesn't matter to me why they need the lesson off those 2 times.

Then there are the "perfect" students that I bend the rules for even more



I would try to talk them into everyother week at least, but if not...

Your policy is clear.
Maybe you should remind her that you have a waiting list and you can't hold that spot open for her unless:
1. she comes or
2. she pays(minus whatever time you would let them have off and keep their spot)

Is it wrong? No way Jose!

Since you replied to me I can give you a response from - again - the perspective of the student and parent.

I don't think it is fair for parents to take the whole summer off, and expect the same time slot for their daughter in the fall. Also, it's not a good idea for piano students to take off for the whole summer. In order to progress, piano students need regular practice and regular lessons. The last point should be communicated in your policy.

I think a policy similar to what Phlebas described and what my teacher does is wise and fair to both sides.
I pay 2 semesters a year and I am required to take a minimum of 6 weeks/lessons in the summer (mid june through early september). Scheduling is much more flexible in the summer but if you wish to hold your spot you have to pre-pay and preferably use the 6 summer lessons. Many of the other students I know end up taking more than 6.

I don't understand how teachers lose money for cancelled lessons unless they are charging for each lesson. I charge a monthly fee. SOme months have four weeks, others five weeks. The tuition is the same. There is no refund for cancelled lessons.

I have many stduents and do not have time to spend on the phone rescheduling lessons. When I get a call for cancelled lessons, i have to drop what I am doing, find my calandar etc. etc. I don't answer the phone when i am with a student so I have to call the family back.....it gets very time consuming.
I don't mess with it.

I've said it before but we are not hourly contracted employees. We are paid to teach piano.

ALSO>>>>

I have 20 students schedule for auditions at the end of the month. Some students need additional time with me to prepare. I've scheduled double lesson this week for some of them. No extra charge. I am payed to teach them piano. They are expected to do thier part also. Show up and practice.

If a child is in dance, gymnastics, wrestling etc and they miss a lesson, the tuition is not adjusted nor do they get a makeup lesson.

I find around here the piano teachers that are flexible about rescheduling have a lot of trouble with this as parents know other activities can't be rescheduled but piano lessons can be rescheduled. Piano is rescheduled or cancelled and expected to be reimbursed.

My suggestion is make missed lessons non refundable and make it clear in your piano policy..Then stick to it. I explain to every new students how cancellation and tuition is charged. I also explain that I put in a lot of ectra time traveling to competions and recitals and do not charge extra for my time in doing so. I also send out a policy statement once a year reminding families of the policy.

It sounds tough but I have found that parents appreciate clear communication about these policies.

I have been doing this a while and have learned from many mistakes.

I have a waiting list for summer and fall. This happened rather quickly, as I had 4 openings, filled those, and now have a few on a waiting list. The students on my wait list are there because I don't have a spot for them now or in the fall. I took everyone's advice and gave up the spot the student had who is taking the 3 months off. I told her parents back in May that if they chose to stop lessons for the summer, I could not guarantee her this time slot for the fall.

I know that's not an easy thing to do, but we really do need to make sure that people understand we do this for a living, not for kicks! Although we may get some kicks from it....

Well, no matter how bad things may get, someone's always go it worse: