Communication in the Private Lesson Setting

In my position at Music School Director at CSMA I work with an amazing faculty with a wide range of experience, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Given the schools motto of “Arts 4 All” we also need a wide variety of teachers; from just out of college to very experienced; from the “I can work with anyone” type to the “I only take the most serious students with the most committed families”.  We do it all and have it all.

A common thread for everyone, including myself,  is the lack of formal experience with business etiquette and customer service.  Now, working for a school, our teachers do not have to do a lot of the work they have to do in their home studios (collect payment, scheduling, etc.), but they still have to organize and communicate regularly with their students and families. It can be difficult as a musician who has been trained to have the greatest respect and deference for teachers to work with a student or parent that may not hold music teachers in the same high regard. Because of this you almost have to adopt a “manager” type role when working with your students (clients!).  Below are some of the skills I apply to my own studio and that we encourage our teachers at CSMA to use. Hopefully you will find some of it useful!

Remember You’re the professional!
I say this a lot! This means that you are trained professionally and have professional level tools to impart musical knowledge to your students and you deserve the kind of respect that comes with that type of education.  This also means that you have to act in a professional manner at all times!!! Be on time, be prepared, communicate in a timely manner and stay calm in all situations. These things mean something!! Never mind the fact that this sets a great example to your students, it’s expected in any job.  If you are not reliable, how can you expect your students/families to be reliable?


Set Expectations and Stick to Them
Faculty often come to me for help when there is a difficult student.  It could be everything from a student who doesn’t practice to one who has more profound behavioral issues. The best way to handle it is to set expectations and stick to them.  This way you can easily expect the same from others (i.e. student, parents). Classroom teachers understand this very well and many classroom teachers have a standard “3 strikes and you're out” policy.  This also works for the private lesson studio.

1. Step 1: As soon as a problem arises, address it. ​ “Johnny is consistently unprepared for the lesson.  He does not practice and he often forgets to bring his books. In order for him to improve I request your help in making sure he practices and that he has all his materials on lesson day.”
2. Step 2: Give a deadline if the problem is not remedied: “Unfortunately Johnny continues to come to the lesson unprepared.  He did better for a few weeks but has now gone back to his old habits. As I mentioned in my policies I do expect regular practice and commitment to the lessons.  If I don’t see any improvement in the near future I will suggest that he find another teacher. Let’s check back in after another month on June 15.”
3. Step 3: Enforce Your Policy!!! Politely let them know that “Johnny” should try studying with someone else.  Make suggestions if you have any, but be sure that while you are firm, you are also polite and looking out for the best interests of the child.  Once of my favorite things a teacher says in this situation is “I feel I’m unable to inspire (student) him and perhaps a different teacher will have a better connection”.

Makeups:  This also falls under the “Set Expectations and Stick to Them Category”.  You’ll need to decide a make up policy that works for you and stick to it.  If at all possible do not make exceptions to your policy. If you do, make sure the student/parent understands that this is an exception and you are granting it because of "xyz" extenuating circumstance. Businesses are strict with their policies in order to create a culture where they treat every client the same. The private lesson teacher should do the same.


Communication
In Person: This is always best! You can read someone’s body language and make sure you get an affirmative that they understand what you are saying.  We all know this is not always possible so we rely more and more heavily on written communication.

Written: Written communication is great for quick questions, confirmations, etc.  It is NOT GREAT for solving problems!!  It can very very difficult to discern someone’s tone of voice through written communication.  And if that person’s native language is NOT english, then it’s even more difficult. If there is a problem, it is always better to meet and discuss in person.  You can then follow up in an email detailing what was discussed.

Don’t ever write an email when you are angry.  If you need to get something of your chest write it, put it away, and read it again after you have calmed down. Chances are you will find you wrote something unprofessional!!

NOTE: I am a habitual conflict avoider, and this is one of the most difficult things for me personally. Consequently, I have learned this lesson more than once the hard way.  No matter how hard you find it, it is always better to deal with issues in person!! And remember, You’re the professional!