Teachers, what do you consider to be excessive absences from lessons? Once per month? One every six weeks, etc?
I am specifically asking about the number of times that students/parents will call to cancel lessons.

Once every two months. I've had students who missed more lessons that that, and the results are predictably awful.

I think routinely cancelling any more often than once out of 6 lessons or so is too much. If someone cancels more often than that (that's why it's good to keep really clear records), then I think a little talk about commitment is in order.

If they are cancelling because they just don't feel like it, or something that was more interesting got in the way, you need to do the heavy number on them.

If they are having unusual circumstances or difficulties, you need to know that too.

I have sometimes offered a more flexible schedule for a short period of time (a month) to see if that helps them stay in lessons. Then then have a fall back 2nd appointment, but I must have notice 24 hours before.

The more the parent is responsible for being on time and being there every week the better things will go.

I'd address it is there were 2 or more absences within about a 6 week period. That would be 33 1/3% absences. If this is a problem with several students I would apply to the studio policy 1 makeup absence per quarter (13 weeks) and the rest of missed lessons would be forfeited. Or something that worked in my behalf. I would not be able or willing to make up excessive absences.

Decide what you want to do, Barb, and do it.

Besides, keeping the records of absences shouldn't be our problem. Only if we are going to be making up time.

I jokingly tell my students that we've already made up a lot of time when we go over 5 minutes during their regular lesson. Maybe I should be charging them for the over time.

They owe you an explanation if they are being lax about attendance. I would ask directly for the reasons and state absences is detrimental to progress and works against us, and absences should be for important things like illness and emergencies.

Betty

Barb, as I recall, you make up missed lessons rather than having a "no make up lessons" policy.

When you have a no makeup lesson policy, then the concern is what's happening at the lesson and in the student's life that is making them less enthusiastic, or is causing conflicts. I had one student who was simply over-committed at school, because he was trying to fill too many squares in an effort to make his HS resume look more impressive. We had to have a lengthy heart to heart and thank goodness, he chose piano over a second sporting activity.

When you make up missed lessons, the monkey is on your back, and you are the one who is paying the price for student's or parent's indulgences. It takes many teachers decades to come to terms with this. In my own case, several, before I realized that I was essentially screwing myself out of time and energy for the sake of poor family planning.

Weekly lessons are the bare minimum for solid progress; we all know that three or four lessons a week would move students along at substantially greater rates, but our economy is such that few families can afford this, and few teachers are independently wealthy so could afford to give away lesson time. This being so, any time a lesson is missed, it's a learning burden on the student. I would say that missing one lesson in twelve is barely tolerable, missing one every six weeks ought to be sounding alarms and if the student is missing more frequently than that, it's time to let them go.

How would a student benefit more from numerous lessons a week?

By asking, I am not playing devil's advocate or stating that more than one lesson a week wouldn't be more beneficial, but am honestly intrigued.

I'm asking because to learn what is asked (for me) takes a full week and then some. At times I worry if I can even accomplish or grasp everything needed in a week. I'd like to progress more and become as proficient as possible so I genuinely am intrigued by how this would help, but at the same time fear that it may be overwhelming.

Thanks in advance!

Harmonies, it's a legit question. One that I wish parents would pay more attention to. Just for your info, we're generally discussing students school grades 2 -12 here, not adults. Young students have a difficult time, because of that gaping hole in their frontal lobe, remembering instructions from one minute to the next, let alone for a week. Adults have wonderful minds, but their physical coordination is greatly reduced from that of youths.

Many of the truly great pianists of the past had daily lessons, followed by several additional hours of practice.

I hope this clarifies!

By the way, welcome!

Thanks for the welcome! I've been reading for quite some time. There is so much information here and I really appreciate the answers provided.

Your answer does provide great clarity.

I think the additional lessons per week would be for teaching the student how to practice and seeing that the practice was definitely enforced between lessons. "Supervision" or "Drill sergeant" depending on what was needed.

They couldn't afford these additional lessons or enforced practice times with the teacher, neither would they be likely to fit them into the family schedule.

It would be the a respending of the 40 weeks of lessons per year, compacted into a 2 month period of 5 days per week. So about 8 weeks would give you 40 lessons. Then, I'd want to reduce the interaction a bit to maybe 3 times per week, then 2. Through the first year or two. "Holy razzbucknicks!" That's costly.

Usually teachers think average practice for elementary level would be about 3 hours of practice to follow up a half hour lesson which equals 6 days of 30 minute practice. So kids don't practice each and every day and they use only the ideas that they remember how to do. It takes awhile for instructions to become reusable habits.

So I consider this proposal about "in depth" lessons to be potentially a very helpful thing. But does anyone actually do it?
We would have room for fewer students if all worked this way, but we would possibly get them launched a little earlier into independence and avoid the frustration and quitting factor that enters in when piano lessons are not as easy to do as they thought. The other extreme besides not practing enough is that they would be practicing too much and get weary of the disciplined efforts and want to quit because of that factor.

Once a week works fine if the kids cheerfully do their work at home in between piano lessons as instructed.

Betty, does any one do it? From what I understand from my Korean and Chinese students, it's more the norm in Asia. Perhaps others could amplify. I think they mean that students learn piano in school, one on one, but it's a daily class.

BTW, if memory serves, Clara Schumann is one famous example.

John,

I believe that it was quite common in the 19th century for piano teachers, like other tutors, to give lessons in the home several times a week.

If I had to do it again, I would take daily (or near daily) lessons for a couple months when beginning piano study. I think it would really cement good habits. I would see this as an opportunity to learn exactly how and what to practice so that any mistakes could be corrected before being reinforced.

The sports analogy is appropriate here - children who wish to learn a sport quickly, or speed up their progress often go to camps where they receive specialized instruction for one or more weeks (of course some of these are really childcare with a theme - others are not). In fact some of the more intense activities involve several hours a day of group and one on one instruction

I know one of my son's skating instructors thought lessons less than 3x a week was a waste of time if one was trying to corrct an ingrained habit and he felt strongly that a week or two of daily lessons did far more good than a similar number of hours spread over time.

Dorrie, I don't think we're discussing the same thing, exactly. While I recognize that intensive workshops, summer camps, etc., are highly beneficial for many reasons, I'm talking about daily or multiple lessons per week for 4 or 5 years, until complete instrument mastery has occurred. Under such circumstances, there shouldn't be any "ingrained" bad habits, because they won't have a chance to form. Assuming a competent teacher, of course.

John -

I guess we are not talking about exactly the same thing.

I am suggesting though that as an alternative to daily lessons for years (or only weekly lessons) there might be some benefit to a period - say several months - of daily (or near daily)lessons at the beginning of study, with periodic "boosters".

I guess it is a sad commentary on society that there is little market for such lessons.

A student with daily lessons is likely practising 5 or 6 hours between lessons, same as a student doing weekly lessons with one hour a day practice.

I see this at the college level. Students will practice 4 to 6 hours a day and technically have only one lesson per week. But I see that they have almost daily short interactions with teachers. I don't think more material is presented but problems and questions don't have to wait.

I think maybe we should all determine whether piano lessons more than once a week would be desirable by any of the parents for their students. Adult students would answer this question for themselves.

To me, the obstacle would be hardly any time available during the week due to all family members activities as well as the cost of it. Desirabilitiy might be a "yes" with the other two factors being a "no".

There is no reason why another lesson in the week could not be a group lesson with a specific purpose or agenda, like the one's held once a month in some studios. A teacher could plan one day a week is the extra lesson and assign students to the proper group and time. If one had two days available for private students who came before in the first 3 days of the week, it would be empowering toward reacing the music program goals of the level.

I think I would like to use extra visits during the week for the purpose of learning analysis of the music and practice strategies and habits. This is extra "ammunition" for the student's thinking abilities and also gaining motor skill and coordination due to guided practice.

I wonder if this is a possibility?

I think we should start a topic that parent's could respond to here on the forum, as well as adults in study with a piano teacher. Would they want more lessons and time with the teacher per week, provided it was extra lessons on other days? How many would they be willing to attend?

In one of my posts above, I said that the extra lessons (in my mind) would decline over time to 2 a week or 1 a week. My primary interest here is to focus on getting the students launched through elementary level through the intensive course. Then to expect that their enhanced skills learned at elementary level would improve their next level work, and on their way to full musical independence, they would need less enforcement and actual teaching from us. Lessons would then become more of an interpretative study, memory and performance unit.

Betty

Thanks for this, along with all the other great responses.
So the white elephant question in the room is:
When you let the student go for frequent misses, you lose the student, obviously, so is one less student (or more if a teacher really adheres to the absence policy and cleans house) the right thing to do? If one does not have a waiting list in these tough economic times? Does a teacher put up with such behavior to keep his/her business afloat? For another thread, perhaps?

Perhaps, Barb, the solution for you is to transition to a no makeup policy. Next year, offer one make up lesson per quarter, and the following year, drop them all together.

Generally, parents will abide by your policies, firm or lax. Might as well be firm and make life easier for yourself, more productive for your students.

Sounds like a very sensible plan.
Has anyone made this exact transition and if so, what were your immediate results?

Barb, I did this, many years ago, and the immediate results were almost no student losses when I went to step one, and a slow attrition of less serious families when I transitioned to "no makeups."

To be fair, I also implemented a tuition policy, so that smudged things. In other words, parents signed up for a program, not individual lessons, and once that became clear, the issue of missed lessons vanished.

John

Betty is so right - Decided what you want to do, and then do it. We have to value ourselves & our work enough as teachers to be assertive and set some boundaries if needed. Or at least have a heart to heart with the parents and or students. Sometimes it is an extenuating circumstance...but many times we are letting ourselves be taken advantage of or letting someone make piano & lesson time something besides a priority!

That's the key - not to be taken advantage of, or not to FEEL like we're being taken advantage of. The important thing is that by stating the policy, we're in charge. If we want to bend a rule or two, or make an exception, we can do that. Sometimes I do a make-up even when I know I don't have to, because that child needs the extra time heading into a recital, or something.

Thank you, everyone, for your feedback. I hammered out a new clause in my policy statement and ran it by my husband for his opinion, would appreciate yours as well, if you care to comment.

MISSED LESSONS
Please understand that we have committed to a lesson time reserved for you in advance. I am as accomodating as possible in working with you. If you must miss a lesson due to illness or another unforseen circumstance, we can reschedule on Fridays or Saturdays or during any available open lesson times.
No refunds will be issued for missed lessons. In the event I must cancel a lesson, your statement will be credited accordingly.

I would like to make this effective Feb. 1st, thanks for your comments.
In another section of the policy, I addressed which holidays my studio will be closed, along with summer break.

Barb860,

If you are going to offer make-up lessons, you might want to say you are willing to make-up the lesson but there is no guarantee that another suitable time will be available.

My policy is that there are no make-up lessons. But I will reschedule if possible with 48 hours advance notice. Once parents understand this, it is really not a problem.

I did schedule a make-up lesson when a parent called half an hour prior to their lesson asking to reschedule (this week). I was disappointed in myself for not being consistent in my policies (by saying yes to a make-up lesson). So I explained my policy to the parent at today's make-up lesson, letting them know in the future I will not make up lessons. For me part of the challenge is to say no. At the moment of the call, I felt it would be no problem, but thinking over my inconsisency I regretted it. (This is also a fairly new student...my other students remember the policy and don't ask for make-ups.)

I would not include when the make-up lesson might be. Simply state that a make-up is possible if there is room in your schedule.

Barb, just one other thought on this: you may recall that I permit rescheduling, which means in advance, not the day of the lesson. But rescheduled lessons must be taken the same week as the originally scheduled lesson. That way, I don't have to continually worry about fitting in a lesson weeks on end.

Thank you, John, I will do this as well.

Thank you, I took your advice here.

Ann in K., you are right about no guarantees and I put that in, too.

I appreciate your feedback!

Here's another suggestion to handle excessive absences if you think it'll help. My daughter who's a piano teacher has had the same problem with excessive last minute no-shows before, so she instituted the following policy and it's worked out very well afterward.

Instead of doing monthly pay like many teachers do, you require advance payment for a set of 4 lessons at a time that may not necessarily all fall within a month. This gives parents/students the flexibility to plan around conflicts like vacation or special occasions in advance. For example, if the parents say their family are going to be out of town on vacation the third week of next month. OK, then book and pre-pay the 1st, 2nd, & 4th week of next month and 1st week of following month, skipping the 3rd week of next month. That way, the only other reason left for a legitimate absence is unplanned illness or emergency.

Once they book and pre-pay for this set of 4 lessons, if they miss any of the booked lessons for whatever reason, they don't get a refund or make-up no matter what. This should solve the problem of excessive last minute absences because they'll lose their pre-pay money for the no-show, so they'll think twice before they decide to skip something they already paid for, especially where they can't push it off into the following week, or get a free make-up for it either.

To make it fair, for unexpected illness or emergency, you can allow a free make-up lesson once in a while. But not too often because then they may use the sick "card" to get out of it every time. Maybe if they've had 8 or 10 or 12 previously "paid" lesson (attended or missed, doesn't matter, as long as it was "paid") before the missed lesson, then they're entitled to a free make-up lesson. The make-up lesson must be within a reasonable time frame as the teacher's schedule permits, and outside of the regular lesson time. You decide the frequency of this entitlement (8 or 10 or 12 or however many previously "paid" lessons) as to how often you think is fair. For example, if you think people shouldn't be missing school or work due to illness more often than 1 out of every 12 days of school or work, then the same should apply to their lessons. They shouldn't be missing lessons due to illness more often than 1 out of 12 lessons either. That way it's fair to both sides. If they're sick more often than what you think is fair, you don't get penalized for them being sick too often, either. And of course, you being your own boss, you can always bend your own rule for any extenuating circumstances like pro-longed sickness or whatever to be fair in those cases to the students, too.

Some of the drawbacks of this policy is that you have to keep good records of their attendance to keep track of the entitlement, and also good records of which dates are for each set of 4 lessons, and when to bill them at the right time since it will not fall at the same time each month. It also may be confusing to parents at first to understand the policy fully, and it may need to be explained a few times. But nothing that can't be solved with a written policy with good examples, and good records keeping which should be done anyway.