If your summer is winding down and you’re gearing up to start the your teaching year then you’re likely in the midst of scheduling your piano students. And, if you’re in the midst of scheduling your piano students, you’re likely suffering from a crushing headache!
Never fear! We’re here to help you get through one of the toughest parts of running a piano studio… finding time slots that work for every one of your piano families.
In the infographic below we’re sharing 6 strategies that will make your piano studio scheduling process more streamlined and more effective. You can read more about these strategies in a post we wrote a few years back.
AND… Don’t forget to keep reading after the infographic. We’ve included several links for more “Back To Lessons” help.
Need More “Back To Lessons” Help? Read On!
Oops! Piano Studio Inverview Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
I let the parents tell me about their children. I do not ask questions. Then I see the child and figure things out for myself. But if there is a problem, then I address the parents. I have taught a long time, and I know lots about children. Sometimes I tell parents about their kids that they don’t even know. I am not a formal person, and I tend to be laid back about things. This has worked for me for 53 years. Kids are wonderful, and I find it fascinating to discover them myself. Thanks for all your help Andrea.
I last suggestion is so important. I can’t tell you how many times when I first started teaching I moved around my whole schedule for one student. THEN of course that student ends up canceling or stopping lessons altogether just to leave my schedule in shambles.
I learned very quickly not to do that anymore.
I ask families what times DON’T fit their schedule. I find that I have way more options with that question, than asking what DOES fit their schedule!
If a student requests lessons every other week, do you say ok? With busy schedules I have students “take a break” during swim season, or during a musical. I was thinking of scheduling this particular student as the last lesson of the evening, so when she is here, great. When she is not here, lessons end early. What do you think?
Hi Gena – I usually say “no” unless I have another student in the same boat who can share a timeslot with him or her. Even if she is your last student of the night, she’s still taking up a timeslot that you could potentially fill. Progress with “every other week” students is always much slower – and this is discouraging for everyone involved. However, if you’re okay with the arrangement of her being there sporadically and it works for you then go for it 🙂 You have to make your studio work for *you* first.
Thank you for the tips, Andrea. I’m finalizing my fall schedule this week so it’s very timely to be reading this. 🙂
Each summer, I “wipe the slate clean” and send out a form with all the lesson times available (half hour segments) for the hours I teach. Each student/parent is asked to select three options for their lesson time. I am then able to work with the three options that each student has chosen, pick the slot that works best according to what all other students have selected, and get a schedule in place with little-to-no issues. I can bump students by 15 minutes if need be. I haven’t had a problem yet and have been doing it this way for three years!
I just saw your post – or I wouldn’t have posted mine. It really does work well though, doesn’t it!
I give parents all of my available time slots and have them give me their top 3 time slots. I have 34 students and still haven’t had to give a student their 3rd request. The key is I never publish the completed schedule so that they don’t end up with hard feelings if they see who may have gotten their top spot. I have a few students who have never changed their times and in honor of their longevity, I black out those times so nobody bothers to put them as one of their requests.