Violin Forum/Message Board

[mshikibu]

This email is addressed to anyone who has ever either started private lessons on an instrument, or given them. I am curious about how other teachers screen new, prospective students, if they do, and what procedures or processes they use to determine if they'd like to work with a new student.

As a teacher, I would like to avoid at least some of the following difficulties:

1. Students who think they're going to learn the instrument in a very brief period of time;
2. Students who are rude to me, talk back to me at lessons;
3. Students who bring other, way too advanced, materials and/or CD's to lessons, expecting me to teach them that;
4. Students who don't follow directions, don't practice what I indicate, don't get the materials I request;
5. Students who are always late, or don't show up, or call an hour before the lesson;
6. Students who change their lesson time every week;
7. Parents who push their children beyond where the children need to be;
8. Parents who forget to pay the fees on time.


I do have a lesson policy which I send via email initially, and also provide in hard copy with a signature line, at the first lesson. [See: http://beststudentviolins.com/Studio.html ] Most of my students are absolutely wonderful, but I do get some strange ones.

TIA,
Connie

[Musicalion]

Dear Connie,
I read your question and the policy on your website with great interest. I am afraid I don't screen new students but I just wanted to say you have my sympathy! I can tell from your policy you've had some trying situations to deal with!
Eve
_________________
Eve Abraham
www.musicalion.com
over 14,000 compositions to download
each with preview page and audio file
also provide websites for musicians

[Musicalion]

Dear Connie,
I read your question and the policy on your website with great interest. I am afraid I don't screen new students but I just wanted to say you have my sympathy! I can tell from your policy you've had some trying situations to deal with!
Eve
_________________
Eve Abraham
www.musicalion.com
over 14,000 compositions to download
each with preview page and audio file
also provide websites for musicians