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Tips for Piano Teacher Policies

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Do you ever wish you just had a magic business fairy to whisper all the right answers to you when it comes to owning your own piano business?? UMMM, I do!!! I have been teaching piano lessons for over 20 years 😱😱 and I am STILL learning how to grow my business in new ways that allow me to still love teaching piano, make more income, and have a personal life to enjoy with my family 💓👏 

Teachers, one of the greatest ways to set yourself up for success is to create 👏  teacher 👏  policies. 👏 Taking the time to document your policies and share them with your families will not only make your life easier, but it shows you are taking your business seriously! 

Trust me, I know how scary it can be to increase your rates, or even to tell your piano families that there will be no refunds for missed lessons 😱, but I also know the majooooor relief that comes from establishing CLEAR expectations upfront before taking on a new student. 

So what exactly are teaching policies?

Simply put, it’s a document you send to your families that lets them know how you run your business! Before accepting a new student, send this to the family so they know exactly what to expect. And always make sure to talk through your policies and address any questions or concerns so that way, there are no surprises! 

What are some examples of piano teaching policies I can include?

  1. Schedule- Include the schedule for piano lessons upfront and let them know in advance the dates there will be no lessons so they can plan around that! I always include recital dates that will be taking place during the year as well. 😊
  2.  Materials Needed- Parents will always be thankful to know what is needed during lessons. List any books, instruments, and any other materials that will need to be purchased. I make sure my families understand that everything I require WILL be used regularly!
  3. Cancellations/Missed Lessons – How are you going to handle when families cancel at the last minute? Will you try to make up that lesson, or will you offer a refund?  I personally expect students to attend ALL lessons, and I have moved to a no-makeup policy – BEST DECISION EVER!!! Think of it this way, if your student also plays in a sports league and misses a practice, they don’t get a refund. Remember, this is YOUR business. You set the rules. You know what they say about giving people an inch…. 
  4. Teacher Absence – What will you do if YOU have to be absent for some reason? Detail how you will handle that in this section of your policy. 
  5. Tuition/Payment – This is a HUGE one!! Detail clearly how families will pay (Venmo, check, PayPal, etc) and what their payment covers. Will they pay month to month, quarterly, or pay tuition? This is your job, and you need to make sure you are getting paid for all the hard work you do. 😁
  6. Summer Lessons – Do you teach in the summer? Maybe you offer summer camps? Or do you take time off for yourself to recharge? Let families know in advance what to expect from you come summertime. 
  7. Additional Fees – If you require additional fees for recitals, programs, lesson prepping, or something else, this is where you can let families know.
  8. Discontinuation of Lessons – Sometimes families need to discontinue lessons for a number of reasons, so make sure you have a policy in place for if they do!

Policy Workshop

If you are thinking about making changes to your policies, now is a GREAT time to start deciding before the next school year rolls around. 

I recently held a workshop all about policies that you can rewatch for only $7!! (*includes a PDF of my own personal policies that you can edit and adapt to fit your needs!*)

There is some AMAZING information on this call! You’ll hear from not only me, but other teachers on how they manage their schedules, how families pay, how parents sign contracts, and more. We also talk through real life scenarios and how to handle them! Plus, you’ll get the inside scoop on my EXACT policy I send to families, and a look at the Google Form I send out for parents to sign at the start of each year!

 

Remember, this is YOUR business! YOU have the power to decide how YOU want to run things!! This is how you make a living. Never feel bad for making and sticking to your policies! When you set teacher policies, you save yourself the potential trouble of having awkward conversations down the line because you will have already made your families aware of how you do business!! 👏