Just wanted some input from other teachers here - I almost had a full studio (meaning to me, 20 hours of teaching) but so many families have decided to stop lessons this past month and a half it's ridiculous. It all just hit right after Christmas - 3 families quit the first week. 3 more families quit within the last 3 weeks. One family had one of their children stop but the other is continuing.

although I have had about 18 inquiries into lessons the past 2 months, only 4 of them have actually 'given it a go' and they seem serious about it, so it didn't hit me too hard - but wow, wasn't expecting 7 students to quit within a 1 month period.

Is this normal during the winter time after christmas? Or just bad luck?

Were they long term students? Or students who just started in fall? And were they complete surprises when they quit, or did you see them coming?

I had one student quit after Christmas, but I was kinda hoping she would quit, and somewhat expecting it. Although I was kinda pissed that the mother didn't tell me she was quitting until 10 minutes before her lesson, rather than during the 3 weeks she had off over Christmas...

3 of them were total surprises who were with me for longer than 6 months and everything seemed great - so that was a shock.

A few others just recently started up in the fall, one of them just never practiced no matter what I did although he said he enjoyed the lessons, a 6 year old who decided one day he just didn't want to continue after showing a huge interest for a long time. Then another where the family claimed they didn't have money.

Just today, I had another family that started last month say their car needs 2,000 in repairs and their daughter wasn't getting enough practice in.

Also I had a 5 year old last week stop lessons because her mother claimed he wasn't practicing enough, even though he was developing faster than the average 5 year old and the little guy just loved lessons with me.

It's like parents expect their kids to all be mozarts and practice an hour a day by themselves or parents enroll their children in things they can't afford. Maybe I just recently got a large batch of both of those types.

Funny, writing all this makes it appear as though I'm a terrible teacher and can't keep students but over a year period before last month, practically nobody decided to quit and everything was great for the year.

It does seem like an odd time to stop lessons, but if someone is quitting, they usually do so over the holidays or summer. And you can't predict people's money problems.

Did you have a recital or some other event recently? I think those really give a sense of accomplishment and make the students ready for the new semester. I guess you could send an "exit survey" to find out!

Dustin, contrary to what you hear/read in the news (mostly propaganda, IMO), the economy is terrible. The true rate of US unemployment, according to many independent economists, is close to 24% using the old measuring stick (pre-1970) and inflation is much higher than being reported. Even using the Clinton era measurements, it's over 12%. People are hurting financially, and private lessons is a luxury for families. I consider it a miracle that any of us have any students. Personally, I am leaning over backwards to insure students succeed, have a good experience, keep my parents inform, and offer them the maximum for their hard-earned bucks.

I agree with John v.d. Brook that many people are hurting financially, and private lessons are being viewed as a luxury more than ever. I've had a family recently stop lessons because they could no longer afford it. The dad's overtime at work was ceased, and the family had to move out of their home and everything. Not a good situation. I also had a family stop lessons because the 16-year old son had to choose between piano lessons and a new car, and he chose the car (not surprisingly).

Did the families that stopped lessons tell you why they chose to? This information would be very helpful.

You might remember that I saw this coming earlier than many because South Florida was hit very hard all the way back in the fall of 2008. I thought I would have a job in name only, still being "officially" a teacher but with no students.

Every month is a new adventure, and not a pleasant one. At the moment I am full. I may have two slots open, potentially, but if I taught any more than I am, I would be in a padded cell soon.

Two months ago, in November, I think I lost eight students, totally unexpected, and I felt much as Dustin does now. "What in blazes have I done wrong?"

But it IS the economy. We have liberals and conservatives ready to go to war over WHY things have gone wrong, but there is a majority agreement in the US that things are broken. I don't know of another private teacher in my area who has a full schedule, and *if* my schedulue stays full, it is only because I have been here for decades and get a steady flow of recommendations from other musicians, former students, and students I am teaching right now. And it will also be good luck.

I spend almost every spare moment investigating ANY idea that might push my students ahead faster, without cutting corners, since the only thing I have found that fairly consistently keeps my students coming back is proving that the way I teach is superior to what is all around me here.

Maybe they read your post in the sex matching between child and teacher thread?

Oh yeah, cause every family is stalking me on the internet...

Yesterday I had a mother of a 7 year old daughter smile at me and say that her daughter is just implementing her way of 'flirting' with me which is why she is always being sassy towards me.

Young girls have crushes on older guys, many times when they are positions of authority. It's a fact. I didnt even go so far as to suggest 5 to 7 year olds do this, but this mother apparently thinks that is still an age to flirt. Stating facts does not make somebody undesireable as a teacher.

If it does, then there is something incredibly wrong and twisted with the way those people view sexuality among young adults and children.

I have a recital coming up next month! I have heard this is a great way to keep the momentum going so I hope to have little get togethers in my home studio every 3 months or so just so the kids can play their pieces and get cookies and punch.

No, it just means you may have the wrong target clients.

When I first started teaching, I took everyone: whiny kids, spoiled brats, kids who take piano for "recreation" or "enrichment," kids who practice on a tiny electric keyboard, etc. etc. etc. I also didn't charge very much, and thus many parents were willing to pay for several trial lessons with me and found out their kids just don't like piano.

Several years later, I started catering to the competition crowd. I sent my kids to exams and tests, festivals, etc. and I got a much more serious bunch of students. Then I started getting craploads of transfer students who either failed tests or didn't win competitions with their previous teachers. I also nearly doubled my rate to reflect my "teaching experience," and the students I get tend to be a lot more stable. If not the students, the PARENTS seem to be much more vested in their children's piano education.

Of course, as it comes with the territory, there's still some turnover rate in my studio--I always get some new students during the year, and some leave. But it's a far cry from the "revolving door studio" that I ran 8 years ago.

I think it could also be coincidence. I have had this happen to me before as well. My impulse was to find a reason why but sometimes it's just a fluke.

Students who leave lessons tend to leave in June or December. Summer is a good place to end. Also December has winter break and only 2 or 3 lessons that month. This is the pattern I've seen anyway.

I think this time of year is fairly common for students to quit. When you look at all of the factors combined it might make you feel better (you certainly don't seem like a terrible teacher! )
1) Christmas credit card bills have rolled in...people are feeling the pinch
2) Parents view January through to the summer as "Term 2" and make adjustments in this frame of mind.
3) The winter blues have kicked in. Piano lessons have become part of the routine and kids get bored.
4) Spring sports are on the horizon. Parents are adjusting their schedules (and their finances) in anticipation of the onslaught of new activities.
5) Spring activities have begun advertising and are competing for your clients' attention.
6) It is clear at this point in the year if students are doing well or poorly in school. Parents are likely to cut back on extracurricular activities if their child is in the poorly category.
7) Parents now have 5 months worth of lessons and home practice to assess if they think their child has progressed enough and if they practice enough at home.

I tend to pre-emptively strike on all my students as though all of them are potential quitters and really ramp it up from the beginning of December through February. If you can keep them until March you're usually golden. Also - maybe consider upping the anty on your advertising pre-Christmas to bolster your student numbers and/or waiting list to protect yourself in case of unexpected drop-outs.

Did you have a recital in December? Students tend to quit after the recital if the parents think they are not playing good in recital. It is like time for evaluation about this piano lesson activities worth or not.
Did you raise your fee in December? Less serious students tend to quit after the fee is raised.

I had 5 students drop within a month last Spring, but also gained 2 during that time. A few weeks later I picked up another 3. I do think sometimes these things just happen, I also was wondering if I was doing something wrong, but I really don;t see that being the case. I think the things other teachers have posted here make a lot of sense.

In WI we had events like Solo & Ensemble and WMTA Auditions in late Feb. and early March to work for. Most students have been working on pieces in the past few months in preparation for these events, and so I rarely have people drop mid-year like that. You may want to look into these kinds of events in your area so that kids feel like they are a part of something larger than just one-on-one with you. When they get to show off what they can do to kids at school, it really makes a big difference!