1. Never schedule piano lessons for AFTER school is out. Nobody will show up anyway.
2. Specify A.M. or P.M when you schedule a make up lesson. I had a student come to my door at 7:30 a.m. for a lesson this morning.
3. Even if you have a calendar of events, most people will lose, forget or ignore them.
4. Send out reminders for every event you have.
S. Send out additional reminders for every event you have.
6. Email and call people for additional reminders for every event you have.
7. Never schedule more than one make up lesson a month, per student.
8. Specify that you will never schedule more than one make up lesson a month, per student.
9. Most people will not pay you unless you remind them.
10. Send out reminders every month that tuition is due.
11. Most students will not practice unless they are motivated by three sources: the teacher, the parents and themselves. If you are the only motivation, they will probably not be successful.
12. Do NOT agree to try to teach 15 minute lessons to 3 year olds.
13. Do NOT agree to try to teach 4, 5 or 6 year olds, unless you have previously known the child to be advanced for his/her age.
14. Always have a song ready for yourself to play for parents that ask you to play at Christmas Parties, recitals and other events.
15. Smile and be gracious, even after the parent forgets to pay you for the 3rd time. It couldn’t possibly be an inconvenience!
16. Be encouraging and gracious, even after the child forgets to practice for the 3rd time that month.
17. Send out progress reports for children that are not practicing and are not learning what the parents expect them to.
18. My teenage children will not hear the phone ringing and answer it when I am teacing a lesson because they have headphones on. Regardless, don’t interrupt the lesson to answer the phone.
19. Smile and be kind, but don’t be a push over. If you say you need to get paid, people will more than likely pay you.
20. Take a break for a week or two during the summer!
Tomorrow is our reception! That means that I will be done with piano for this year, although I do have 9 people that are coming in July for summer lessons.