Studio Policies and Student’s Vacation
Found in: Foundation Session, Studio Policies
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
Here is what’s in my policy regarding students’ vacations:
There are two options available for your own vacation absences:
1-Paying tuition to reserve your regular time slot.
2-Discontinuing classes temporarily and re-enrolling with the appropriate level and available time slot.
I would let them know that, should they choose Option 2, there is no guarantee of a time slot; they would have to go with whatever was available, or be willing to committing the time to catch up to their existing group (assuming that spot is still open).
I have found it’s best to be very clear in my policies about the following:
- When payment is due, and consequence, if any, for late payment
- What you do in case of inclement weather (most people assume if schools are closed, you are too)
- Make-up options if they miss a lesson
- Your own vacation weeks, and tuition policy (I charge the same monthly amount regardless, and explain that they are paying for ____ lessons a year, prorated monthly)
Before these were in my policies, I had issues arise more than once. Now it doesn’t happen because I am very clear at the foundation session about how I handle these areas. I know when I was getting started, looking over other teachers’ policies helped me think through situations and how I would want to handle them.
Whitney M., Iowa
Hi Laurie!
I have a couple questions:
- When you provide the one makeup lesson a month, how do you accommodate all levels?
- Do you talk about and/or hand out your policies at all during the FIS, or just the foundation session?
- For lessons on say a holiday Monday, (Memorial Day, Labor Day), do you still have class? Or on Jan 1st, etc….
- If students are going to miss because of vacation, and they pay to reserve their spot – how are they caught up to the group?
- I just found out this morning I have 1 student who was in a car accident earlier this week and one who will be having surgery, and it is tugging at my heartstrings. Do you ever offer credit for missed lessons?
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
- Usually I have only 1 or 2 people using the makeup session. If they are in different levels, I will usually stagger them about 20 min. apart.
- I provide my policies in a folder at the FIS along with some other info, but I don’t go over them until the foundation session.\
- I teach Mon – Thurs, so when there’s a holiday I usually cancel lessons that day and hold them on the Friday of that week. Unless it’s one of my vacation weeks, of course!
- I haven’t actually had anyone do this, but if I did, I would guarantee them a spot, and talk to them about how they would want to manage their absence – try to move ahead on their own as much as possible using the video; committing to catching up to the group if they want to stay in the same one.
- In case of a car accident, I would definitely be flexible and not require payment until they were ready to start back!